Pearson 36 Buyer's Guide
The Pearson 36 is a Bill Shaw-designed cruiser-racer built by Pearson Yachts from 1972 through 1976, with 103 hulls completed. On the used market she appears as a moderate IOR-era 36-footer with a solid fiberglass hull, balsa-cored deck, and a skeg-hung rudder — a practical candidate for a buyer who wants classic lines without extreme rule-cheating proportions.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most boats follow the standard plan: galley and starboard settee to one side, navigation station and a second settee to the other, with a bulkhead table that folds clear so the settees slide out to berths over 6 feet long. A pilot berth to starboard is normal, and some hulls carry an additional pilot berth to port, raising sleeping capacity from six to seven. The head is a compact compartment with toilet, small-sink vanity, and shower, while forward there are two full-length berths with an optional V-filler and a large overhead hatch. The cockpit is wide and uncrowded around a forward-placed wheel, though the end-boom mainsheet can block the companionway when centered.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Brokers’ listings commonly show solar, autopilot, chartplotter, and life raft as fitted gear, reflecting a boat often kept current for short offshore passages. Often-seen additions include heating, inverter, hot water, dodger, radar, and EPIRB, which together signal a comfortable liveaboard or coastal cruiser profile. Less common owner upgrades run to lithium batteries, gennaker, freezer, and swim platform. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar with inverter or lithium supporting autonomy — and navigation and safety, where chartplotter, autopilot, radar, EPIRB, and life raft reduce singlehanding load and meet offshore expectations.
What to Inspect
The one documented design quirk is the mainsheet interfering with companionway access when on centerline; check the traveler lead and boom-end clearance in person. The deck is end-grain balsa-cored, so probe for softness around fittings and the seahood, and confirm the solid hull’s bonded bulkheads are sound. The original 30-hp gasoline Atomic 4 remains in many boats — verify its condition or note an engine conversion — and the raised top companionway step should still expose the engine top. The Monel fuel tank and fiberglass water tanks are durable but worth a pressure or visual check.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts typically turn up in the United States and Portugal. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm rig version, inspect balsa deck for core damage, verify engine and fuel tank status, and assess whether the pilot-berth count and electronics suite match your cruising plan.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Pearson 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 3 | $19,900 | — |
| Aug 25 | 1 | $10,000 | -49.7% |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $19,900 | +99.0% |
| Dec 25 | 3 | $25,000 | +25.6% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $40,000 | +60.0% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $28,000 | -30.0% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $1,200 | -95.7% |
| May 26 | 2 | $13,444 | +1020.3% |
Where they're listed
Pearson 36 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 9 (90.0%), followed by Portugal.
Country view
10 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $25,000 | 9 | 0 | 90.0% |
| Portugal | $6,989 | 1 | 1 | 10.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria Yachts 36 | 37.89' | $ 69,513 | 119 | 27 |
| Hallberg-Rassy Varvs AB 36 | 35.66' | $ 122,859 | 69 | 18 |
| CSY 36 | 36.5' | $ 35,637 | 29 | 15 |
| Sabre 36 | 36' | $ 45,200 | 20 | 6 |
| Creswell Marine 36 | 36' | $ 39,382 | 19 | 1 |
| Pearson 36You are here | — | $ 25,000 | 11 | 1 |