Pearson 367 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 367's hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass, while the deck and coach roof use a balsa sandwich for stiffness and insulation. Pearson joined the deck to the hull with fasteners and what appears to be reinforced epoxy resin, and inside the boat a tabbed liner and a solid bulkhead separate the cabin from the engine. Below the waterline the underbody was reworked from the 365 anchor: a five-foot-six-inch fin keel carries 7,300 pounds of completely encased lead ballast, and a longer skeg-hung rudder is well shielded for control. A 34-inch deep sump sits in the aft keel area and can be damaged if the boat is hard stranded on rock or coral. On deck, molded bulwarks and uncluttered surfaces with four wide scuppers and high coaming give stable, draining footing, while handrails the length of the cabin and double lifelines aid movement in weather.

Rig and Handling

The cutter rig is all inboard as standard, with a keel-stepped mast on a steel base plate and an optional roller-furling jib-top. Compared with the 365, the mast is taller and stepped about 18 inches further aft, opening the fore triangle roughly 13 percent for the staysail. The main and club forestaysail are self-tending, and all control lines run to the mast, which suits short-handed sailing. Under sail she carries a larger main, a 95 percent headsail, and a tiny staysail; she sails well on all points, stiffening at 15 degrees and reaching best comfort at 15 to 20 degrees of heel. She needs 10 knots or more to maneuver smoothly, points acceptably at 40 degrees off the breeze, and in 20 knots the headsail comes in first, with the main reefed and staysail relied upon above 25 knots. A double-reefed main with the self-tending staysail makes a safe tough-weather combination. Owners report consecutive 120-plus-mile passage days and the occasional 140-mile day in comfort.

Accommodations

Inside, the 367 is finished in teak with a teak-and-holly sole. The companionway is shifted to starboard behind a large bridge deck, opening to a U-shaped galley to port with a deep double sink, three-burner propane stove and oven, and an 11.2-cubic-foot ice box fed by pressure and manual foot pumps. A navigation station to port leads to two 7-foot settees that convert to sea berths with lee cloths, and the starboard settee pulls out to a double. Storage is immense: two of three 50-gallon water tanks sit under the settees, the third and a 15-gallon holding tank are under the V-berth, and an alcohol cabinet hides above the sofas. The head to starboard has a separate shower with seating, and the forward cabin has a 7-foot V-berth with a removable aft section and forepeak rode storage. Ventilation comes from two Bomar hatches and five opening ports, with four fixed ports lighting the saloon; Pearson offered opening ports as an option.

Known Issues

Standing water corrodes the steel mast base plate and lower mast, though repairs are simple and need not replace the mast. Bent propeller shafts are more common on the 367 because of the exposed shaft length and tight skeg-to-prop gap. The aluminum 50-gallon fuel tank behind the engine lasts about 25 to 30 years, and replacement requires pulling the engine; many owners instead fit two 25-gallon tanks through the sail lockers. Leaking ports, especially the fixed ones, are a regular problem. Engine access beneath the cockpit is small and difficult despite panels under the companionway and in the sail lockers.

The Verdict

The Pearson 367 is a compact bluewater cutter with a thoughtfully split rig and a genuinely roomy, well-stowed interior for its length. Its short production and low hull count make it a niche find, and several structural and mechanical weak points demand a careful survey, but the design's sea-kindly motion and short-handed manners remain its quiet argument.

Pros