Pearson 323 Buyer's Guide
The Pearson 323 is a William Shaw-designed, Pearson Yachts-built fiberglass cruiser produced from 1976 through 1983 across 385 hulls in the United States. For a shopper looking at used Pearson 323s, it presents as a moderate-to-heavy displacement coastal cruiser with a skeg-hung rudder and a spacious interior for up to five, whose non-IOR lines and conservative ratios reward the careful inspector rather than the bargain hunter chasing speed.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most boats follow the standard interior with a nav station, but an early production version placed a quarter berth to starboard instead of that station—worth confirming on any pre-mid-run example. The design accommodates up to five people and carries the roomy plan Shaw developed from late-1960s CCA influences while avoiding IOR distortions. With 12,800 pounds displacement and 4,500 pounds lead ballast, the 32-foot-3-inch hull sits at a 4-foot-6-inch draft, a manageable profile for shallow coastal berths.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, canvas and electronics lead the common fitments. Biminis, dodgers, and chartplotters are commonly fitted, making most boats turnkey for temperate coastal days. Often-seen additions include autopilot, dinghy davits, and radar—clusters that speak to short-handed navigation and tender stowage for cruising couples. Less common owner upgrades run to solar, spinnaker, freezer, and hot water, the last two indicating a buyer's intent to live aboard beyond weekend scope; treat these as negotiable rather than expected.
What to Inspect
Buyers should confirm the specific underwater profile: one source cites a full keel while another specifies fin keel with skeg-hung rudder, so verify which your candidate carries against the hull number and visual inspection. The early-version quarter-berth layout lacks a nav station, a functional gap for passage planning if that matters to you.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Pearson 323 are the United States and Canada. For a checklist: confirm keel type (full vs. fin) on the specific hull, verify whether the early quarter-berth layout suits your navigation needs, expect canvas and chartplotter as standard, and view autopilot or radar as usual rather than premium. The 323 remains a sensible, well-built cruiser for the coastal buyer who values comfort over velocity.
- Confirm underwater profile and early-layout differences
- Expect common canvas and plotter; treat davits and radar as usual
- Shop within United States and Canada typical markets
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Pearson 323. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 11 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 2 | $32,300 | — |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $8,000 | -75.2% |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $16,950 | +111.9% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $23,000 | +35.7% |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $26,000 | +13.0% |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $11,000 | -57.7% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $30,995 | +181.8% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $21,618 | -30.3% |
| May 26 | 5 | $17,900 | -17.2% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $12,900 | -27.9% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $23,750 | +84.1% |
Where they're listed
Pearson 323 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 20 (95.2%), followed by Canada.
Country view
21 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $17,998 | 20 | 3 | 95.2% |
| Canada | $18,736 | 1 | 0 | 4.8% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilothouse 365 Ketch | 36.42' | $ 32,500 | 30 | 8 |
| Pearson 303 | 30.29' | $ 16,990 | 30 | 9 |
| Pearson 323You are here | — | $ 18,000 | 21 | 3 |
| Pearson 30 | 29.79' | $ 7,000 | 20 | 8 |
| Pearson 35 | 35' | $ 19,000 | 17 | 7 |
| Pearson 34 | 33.79' | $ 16,000 | 16 | 6 |
| Pearson 33 | 32.92' | $ 19,000 | 13 | 5 |
| Pearson 365 | 36.42' | $ 29,000 | 12 | 1 |
| Pearson 32 | 31.75' | $ 16,500 | 11 | 7 |
| Pearson 26 | 26.12' | $ 6,000 | 9 | 5 |
| Pearson Vanguard 33 | 32.58' | $ 8,500 | 3 | 2 |