Pearson 37 Buyer's Guide
The Pearson 37 you find on the used market is the original Bill Shaw IOR cruiser-racer, built from 1982 through 1986 with a total of 43 examples finished before Pearson moved on to the later 37-2. It is not the marina-minded 37-2 that followed with a shoal keel and powerboat-style interior, so a shopper should confirm the deep 6-foot-6 fin and the race-oriented layout before negotiating. What follows is a used-market look at the layouts, equipment, and inspection points that matter on this short-production Shaw design.
Layouts on the Used Market
The boat carries seven berths across a varnished spruce-and-hickory interior with teak-and-holly soles. The bow holds an enclosed master stateroom with a V-berth 5 feet 11 inches wide, while a quarter berth aft measures 48 inches wide and 6 feet 6 inches long. Port and starboard settees with pilot berths give 26-inch-wide sleeping spaces, and the L-shaped galley sits to port below the companionway opposite a nav station with a functional table. Headroom is 6 feet 3 inches saloon-wide, and the head itself is enclosed with a canvas-lined hamper. The 8-foot-6 cockpit seats six to eight and opens to a large port lazarette for dinghy stowage.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power comes from a Universal three-cylinder diesel around 23 horsepower, often with a Martec folding propeller, and under engine the test boat made 6.2 knots at three-quarter throttle while backing up easily. Energy and wiring are buyer-friendly: runs are accessible and bundled, and owners report no electrical faults. For sail handling, the keel-stepped tapered mast carries Navtec rod rigging and inside-mast halyards to Lewmar winches, with a hydraulic backstay adjuster often loaded to 2,500 pounds upwind. Comfort equipment centers on a gimbaled propane stove that many owners replaced with electric ranges, plus a large well-insulated icebox. Two propane tanks stow at the transom, and a 40-inch destroyer wheel with under two turns lock-to-lock makes close-quarters steering light.
What to Inspect
Several owners report minor blistering on the hulls, so a survey should include a moisture and blister check below the waterline. The same ownership circle notes that adhesives behind interior wood panels loosened with age, meaning a tap test of bulkheads and liners is worthwhile. Shaw confirmed the original silicone portlight seals will eventually leak, and he linked period gelcoat yellowing and crazing to oil-crisis ingredient changes rather than structural fault. Finally, listen for engine noise under the uncushioned cockpit sole; one owner dropped it to 62 decibels with insulation, and that refit is worth repeating.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
For the shopper, the short checklist is: confirm the original deep fin and IOR layout, survey for blistering and loose interior panel adhesive, budget to reseal portlights, and plan cockpit-sole insulation for livable motoring. The 43-boat run means patience, but the Shaw margin and race-proven upwind manner make a clean example worth the wait.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tartan 3700 | 37' | $ 159,900 | 53 | 18 |
| Beneteau First 33.7 | 32.74' | $ 44,870 | 36 | 3 |
| Express 37 | 37.08' | $ 20,000 | 18 | 1 |
| C&C 37 | 37.58' | $ 35,069 | 15 | 5 |
| Grand Soleil 37 | 38.06' | $ 101,910 | 15 | 6 |
| Pearson 37-2 | 37.42' | $ 41,500 | 8 | 1 |
| Islander 37 | 36.5' | $ 56,500 | 6 | 1 |