# Feeler: '72 Pearson 26



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

1972 Pearson 26. Excellent condition. New exterior paint, custom white oak and walnut wood interior. Spare main sail, 130, 150, 180, spinnaker spare 150. All sails in excellent like new condition. Price suggestions?


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

check out this web site:

http://dan.pfeiffer.net/p26/boat.htm

More than you will ever need to know about the Pearson 26. btw, one of my favorite small boats. You do not mention the size, type or condition of the outboard in your description. This would be a key factor for me in pricing a boat. If I know I will need to buy a new engine, I will be dropping my price to reflect that. However, assuming the boat has a serviceable engine, I would say that the boat would be worth between 5 to 6K.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

My bad...it has a 9hp johnson. Could use a little paint but runs perfectly. Starts up on first pull.


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## dbruce85 (Aug 17, 2007)

*Pearson 26*

Purchased a 1975 this spring for $4800. Conditions sound similar.
Great boat, have never looked back.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Also has a brand new ritchie compass, a raymarine VHF radio w/ weather alert, brand new windex, and a digital knotmeter/speedometer valued at around $400. Cannot recall brand or model.


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

Nuf: none of those goodies should affect the price of the boat. All boats have a compass, windex and a radio, and almost all have knotmeters. One thing you will find with small boats like the P26: no matter how much you put into it (custom interior, new sails, new engine), you won't get your money back; you won't even affect the price much. Just the way it is. No one is going to pay $10,000 for a boat that age and that size, no matter how nicely turned out.

The factors that really impact the price of small boats: is there any deck delamination? Does the deck leak? Does the rudder need to be remounted/refurbished (a common problem with P26's)? Are the bulkheads stable? Assuming all of these things are equal, then you would move to cosmetic issues: condition of gelcoat, condition of exterior woodwork, condition of the interior, cushions, etc. The condition of the sails affects price only on the extreme ends (i.e., they are brand new, or they are unserviceable).

Your P26, other than the custom interior, sounds pretty average. That is a lot of sails, but if you aren't going to be racing, that's not such an advantage. Also, beware of custom interiors. The quality of installation and workmanship on those types of jobs varies greatly.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

*Great boats..*

The P-26 is a great boat but do be sure to have the keel stub & deck examined for moisture.

This particular model had a plywood laminated keel stub and if the wood gets wet the stub delaminates and loses strength. If you hit anything and you have a delaminated keel stub you run the risk of ripping the keel off. If the keel stub and the decks are dry you're going to be fine!

P-26 keel Photos:









P-26 Plywood core and fiberglass skins:








P-26 Fiberglass easily peeled away and delaminated from the plywood:


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

all is dry. Only slight problem which i hear is common on the P26 is a soft spot in the floor of the cockpit. hardly noticeable.


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## morgan5152 (Jun 4, 2007)

I have a 1980 P26 that I bought a year ago. The P/O was out of state and was anxious to sell. Other than needing a clean-up and replacing the main and jib halyard and service the outboard I have not had to do anything major. Dan Pieffer site was one I researched before I bought. I wish there were more owner sites that were as detailed as his. I am selling because the admiral (and me) really want a wheel and a inboard engine so other than echoing others comments on it being a great boat I am offering mine for 2k (Hampton Roads area). I know it is worth 3-4k. I just don't want to wait a year for it to sell.


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## AnnJeannesGuide (Mar 9, 2009)

I have a 1981 I bought 1 year ago and just love the boat. Paid $4k but needed to replace the outboard (+$1K). Check those keel bolts. Rust will suggest rotting underneath. Also give the rudder a few good tugs. They have a history of bad design around the rudder. Typically the plastic bushings are all that need replacing. Note also that there are two forms of the boat: 1) a cruiser and 2) a weekender/racer (mine). the Cruiser model has some trouble seeing over the cabin doghouse. Also, consider a working jib if your just tooling around. Easier to see around. Enjoy!


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## jimpbradley (May 8, 2012)

Re outboards. I saw a Johnson long shaft that would hit my rudder. Is this a concern with other longshaft outboards or just the one Johnson I saw?


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

jimpbradley said:


> Re outboards. I saw a Johnson long shaft that would hit my rudder. Is this a concern with other longshaft outboards or just the one Johnson I saw?


Had a P26 for 10 years. Are you talking about an extra long shaft (25 inch)? I had no issues with the rudder with a long shaft engine, but when replacing it with an extral long shaft (sailor) engine, I had to tilt it back slightly to avoid interference when under power. That said, the extra long shaft engine is the way to go. Much better at powering in any kind of weather as the prop stays in the water.


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## jimpbradley (May 8, 2012)

Thanx. Thats a big relief. Jim


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