Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Aurora - Pearson 323


So Girlfriend and I drove down to VA on Sunday to take a look at a 32’ Pearson. It had been advertised as an offshore-capable vessel with many cruising amenities (not that the extras made me look at the boat but they don’t hurt either). After it took us several hours longer than we expected to get there, we got to the pier where the boat was.

Boy was it in rough shape. The pier itself was either not entirely finished or partially destroyed and every boat there was the worse for wear; a few were floating cess pools of rain water someone had tied to the dock.  

I was nervous.

Very nervous.

I really didn’t want to have driven all that way for a quick look-over of a shitty boat that barely floats.



Luckily, the Pearson itself didn’t look too bad from the outside (with the exception of the heavily barnacle-crusted bottom I could see).  Rigging was ok but old, deck was solid with no soft spots, a little crazing but not much.

The pictures from the website of the cabin were not overly misleading either except that it was a lot dirtier and grimier than I had expected (the pictures don't really show that I suppose).  

Also, they left the boat’s documents out so…. I took a look at them. They are asking 19K and the estimate they got a few years ago puts the boat at about 22K. Ok. Not too bad. However, the previous owner bought the boat for 10K in 2003, not including the survey and it was a lot younger, and cleaner then. Hmmmm….

All in all, not a bad boat but I don’t think I really see Girlfriend and I living comfortably with the small galley, and lack of cabin doubleberth. Its all good though cause I’m looking at another boat in two weekends, right during the Annapolis Boat Show weekend. I’m going back to look at its interior because I liked the look of her outsides during a previous visit.

I’m hopeful for this upcoming one but not tied to it if for some reason its not what I want.

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