Pearson 422 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used Pearson 422 on the brokerage market means looking at one of roughly 39 center-cockpit cruisers that Pearson Yachts built between 1983 and 1987, sharing the hull of the aft-cockpit 424 anchor and designed by William H. Shaw as a private, bluewater-minded 42-footer. These are not common boats, but their layout and construction make them worth a serious look for a buyer wanting a sheltered aft stateroom and a divided sail plan.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 422 came as a sloop, cutter, or ketch, with most surviving boats in cutter or sloop rig and ketches a limited factory option estimated at only four to six hulls anchor. The center-cockpit layout places the helm above a private aft queen stateroom, while a second double-berth stateroom forward gives each cabin its own head and shower. A full-headroom walkthrough ties the spaces together, and the teak interior, cedar-lined lockers, and ample storage reflect the boat's liveaboard intent. The 270° cockpit with folding deck steps and a molded aft-facing bench is standard, as is a well-insulated engine room large enough for a generator and air conditioning.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used 422s commonly carry a watermaker, solar, lithium batteries, autopilot, air conditioning, inverter, electric winches, hot water, bimini, radar, AIS, chartplotter, Starlink, EPIRB, life raft, and a short-handed setup — a suite that supports independent cruising without depending on shore power. For the buyer, the power-and-energy cluster (watermaker, solar, lithium, inverter) means extended anchoring with less generator runtime, while the navigation cluster (radar, AIS, chartplotter, Starlink) and safety gear (EPIRB, life raft) show the boat was equipped for passage work. Electric winches and a short-handed setup speak to easier single- or couple-handling, a useful check on a 22,000-pound cruiser.
What to Inspect
A buyer's survey should focus on the usual age-related items of a 1980s solid-fiberglass Pearson. The well-insulated engine room should be opened to confirm generator and air-conditioning installations were done without compromising the large machinery space, and the cedar-lined lockers checked for moisture. The skeg-hung rudder and fin keel are areas to examine for impact or delamination, and the 270° cockpit seating and folding steps should be tested for wear.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical availability is in the United States. For a buyer, the checklist is short and practical:
- Confirm rig type — sloop or cutter is far more common than ketch
- Verify generator and air-conditioning fit within the insulated engine room
- Check en-suite heads and showers in both staterooms
- Review solar, lithium, and watermaker condition for cruising readiness
- Inspect rudder and keel for grounding or separation
The 422 rewards the patient shopper with a private, capable cruiser whose small production run is offset by a shared hull and active owner community.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Pearson 422. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $61,500 | — |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $59,000 | -4.1% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $59,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Pearson 422 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $60,250 | 2 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearson 424 Cutter | 42.33' | $ 39,250 | 30 | 11 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42.2 | 41.99' | $ 79,239 | 25 | 3 |
| Morgan Yachts Morgan 44 | 44' | $ 95,000 | 23 | 1 |
| Bavaria Yachts 42 Ocean | 43.96' | $ 105,000 | 12 | 1 |
| Rustler 42 | 42' | $ 475,110 | 9 | 3 |
| Morgan 42-2 | 42' | $ 23,000 | 7 | 4 |
| C&C Landfall 42 | 41.67' | $ 49,990 | 7 | 1 |
| Pearson 422You are here | — | $ 59,000 | 3 | 1 |