Pearson 39 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a Pearson 39 on the used market means chasing one of roughly 150 Bill Shaw-designed centerboard cruisers built between 1970 and 1978, with a dozen of those in yawl rig. These are 39-foot performance-minded boats from Pearson Yachts' Portsmouth era, and the smart buyer looks past the clean lines to the centerboard mechanics and the 1970s electrical baseline before signing.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Pearson 39 sleeps seven and was offered with two main cabin layouts from the factory, so used boats will vary in settee and table arrangement while sharing the forward owner's cabin with private head access, the L-shaped galley to starboard, and the port navigation center with quarter berth. The roomy 9-foot 3-inch cockpit carries port and starboard lockers and a lazarette, and the helm sits unusually far forward in the cockpit. Buyers should note the factory sole was only a non-skid pan liner with no finished wood floor, a common cosmetic upgrade target.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, solar and inverter systems are commonly fitted, reflecting the boat's basic 12-volt DC origins and the desire for silent anchorage power anchor. Dinghy davits are also commonly seen, practical given the wide walkways and clean foredeck for tending a tender. Beyond those, most other gear tends to be owner-installed and should be judged on condition rather than assumed.
What to Inspect
The centerboard is fiberglass laminate pivoting on a bronze pin in the keel stub and raised by a dual winch/drum assembly, so inspect the pin, the trunk, and the winch operation for water ingress or binding anchor. The hull-to-deck joint is an inward flange through-bolted and glassed over with a teak toerail bolted in; check for teak rot or joint separation. The rudder skeg is molded into the hull with a bronze shoe bearing, a point worth examining for play. Since the deck is end-grain balsa cored, probe for soft spots that signal core saturation.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Pearson 39s typically appear on the United States market. For a buyer, the checklist is short and evidence-based:
- Verify centerboard bronze pin and drum winch function
- Sound the balsa-cored deck for softness
- Confirm hull-to-deck joint and teak toerail integrity
- Assess the Universal 30-hp gas engine and 12-volt system, expecting solar/inverter upgrades
- Decide on the pan-liner sole: live with it or budget a finish
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Pearson 39. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $6,500 | — |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $4,900 | -24.6% |
Where they're listed
Pearson 39 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $4,900 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dufour F39 | 39.3' | $ 60,554 | 14 | 4 |
| Pearson 33 | 32.92' | $ 19,000 | 13 | 5 |
| Moody 39 | 38.58' | $ 54,284 | 12 | 2 |
| Pearson 40 | 39.92' | $ 55,000 | 9 | 1 |
| CAL 39 | 38.67' | $ 41,000 | 8 | 5 |
| Pearson 39You are here | — | $ 4,900 | 1 | 1 |