Design and Construction
The Pearson 36 has a 29-foot 2-inch waterline and displaces 13,500 lbs. Her 6-foot-draft fin carries 5,800 lbs of external lead ballast. These proportions place her neatly between the CCA and IOR eras.
Shaw gave the boat moderate overhangs, a raked stem, and a fairly broad counter transom by IOR standards, along with the narrow ends typical of the rule’s influence. Below the waterline, the proven skeg-and-rudder arrangement lets her almost steer herself, while the skeg helps protect the rudder.
The hull is solid fiberglass, with integrally bonded bulkheads. The deck is cored with end-grain balsa for stiffness. Teak trim and joinerwork are plentiful on deck and below, including teak toe rails, cabintop handrails, and cockpit coamings. A fiberglass seahood and non-skid deck surfaces address safety. Wide walk-around decks and a straightforward deckhouse provide good forward visibility and easy access.
The water tanks are fiberglass, while the fuel tank is Monel.
Rig, Cockpit, and Performance
The high-aspect-ratio masthead rig reflects the transition from the CCA to the IOR era, and Pearson also offered a tall-rig version. Total sail area is 601 square feet, including 260 square feet in the mainsail. The compact boom measures 12 feet 10 inches, allowing the mainsheet to attach at the boom end and the traveler to be worked from the helm.
The wheel is mounted well forward in an uncluttered, efficient, and safe cockpit. Under test conditions, the cockpit proved large enough for six adults and a child. Testers found the boat a tad tender until she heeled to 20 degrees, when she buried her shoulder and forged ahead.
Sailing to weather in 9 to 11 knots, the Pearson 36 made 6.5 to 7.6 knots. With the engine turning 1,800 rpm, she motored at 7 knots. Her theoretical hull speed is 7.29 knots. PHRF ratings range from 135 to 158 depending on the fleet, with a rating of 141 on Narragansett Bay.
One minor drawback is that the mainsheet on centerline interferes with companionway access.
Accommodations
Below, the 11-foot 1-inch beam and 6-foot 4-inch headroom help create a saloon measuring 9 feet on centerline. The galley and one settee are to starboard; the navigation station and a second settee are to port.
At the foot of the companionway, the galley has a gimballed two-burner stove and oven, drawers below, and lockers above. Opposite, the navigation station includes a 25-by-30-inch chart table. A wet locker to port of the companionway vents into the engine space to help damp gear dry.
A bulkhead-mounted table folds away to clear the settees. Both settees slide out to form berths more than 6 feet long. A starboard pilot berth—and, on some boats, a second pilot berth to port—provides additional sea-berth options.
The head is a small compartment containing a toilet, vanity sink, and shower. Forward are two full-length berths with an optional V-filler, along with a bureau, hanging locker, and large overhead hatch. The standard layout sleeps six, or seven with the optional port pilot berth.
Engine and Refit Considerations
The original engine was a 30-hp gasoline Atomic 4. For service access, the top companionway step lifts to expose the top of the engine.
A straightforward performance refit is to replace the three-bladed propeller with a folding prop to gain at least half a knot.
The balsa-cored deck, solid hull, and bonded bulkheads are conventional for Pearson and for boats of this era. The Monel fuel tank is a durable detail worth preserving.
The Verdict
The Pearson 36 is a well-built, moderate IOR cruiser-racer with useful accommodations and credible speed, free of the rule’s more cartoonish extremes. She rewards an owner who sails her at the heel angle where she shoulders in, provided the crew can tolerate the small companionway conflict created by the end-boom mainsheet.
Pros
- Dual-purpose Bill Shaw design with an IOR-era rig and competitive PHRF range
- Roomy, well-divided interior that sleeps six or seven and includes practical sea berths
- Skeg-hung rudder and a helm that can come close to steering itself
- Balsa-cored deck, solid hull, Monel fuel tank, and engine access through the raised companionway step
Cons
- A tad tender until heeled to 20 degrees
- Centerline mainsheet interferes with companionway access
- Original 30-hp gasoline Atomic 4 engine
