good. Sixty minutes later the Santana ar-


rived in force. Our mirror-like reflection on the water was shattered by whitecaps. Drew suggested we fill the tanks. “It’s like giving her a glass of wine,” he said, “the extra ballast relaxes her and takes the edge off.” The Pearl felt more sub- stantial now—especially hard on the weather, clipping the tops off the foamy swells. We were surprised when the wind


built to a sustained 17 knots. Drew demonstrated another Sea Pearl strength—heaving to. Ease the main, harden the mizzen and let go. Te boat weather-vaned, drifting slowly back- ward—the rudder turned sideways and acted as a brake. To reef, Drew liſted the thumb tab on the ingenious rotating gooseneck, unclipped the vang and eased the outhaul. Tis allowed him to rotate the mast— which spins freely in the mast tube— and roll up sail area. Very simple. Very Sea Pearl. To keep a balanced rig we reefed


using the Sea Pearler’s standard “3/2”— three turns on the main and two on the smaller mizzen. Tis leaves the Pearl— which can be set to sail with a neutral helm in any conditions—with a slight weather helm for assistance rounding into stronger gusts. To resume sailing Drew simply backed the mainsail, which was right at his fingertips. Obviously, traditional battens won’t fly on these roller-reefing masts but the factory does offer special vertical batten performance sails as an upgrade. Even under reduced sail the Sea Pearl


performed admirably. She was fast and predictable—and pointed fairly well. Owners told us Sea Pearls tack in 90- 110 degrees. Te truth is somewhere in between; not quite as good as a similar sloop-rigged centerboarder, but not bad. Te split rig is essentially self-tending,


that is, her skipper can ignore the sheets on tacks. Push the tiller over, lower the leeward board, and raise the windward board. Optionally, the Pearl can be sailed less efficiently with both boards down as some owners do in short tack situations.


TRAILERING AND LAUNCHING: “Even my 1982 Saab hauls it at high- way speeds with ease. It sits so low on the


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


trailer, it’s stable even in crosswinds . . .I blew a trailer tire at 65 mph and didn’t even know it except for a bit of rumbling noise from the wheel on the pavement” John Weiss, 1998 DragonSong


Te lightweight Sea Pearl is one of the few trailerables appreciably lower than her tow vehicle. She also sits low, so the view in the rearview mirror is less im- paired. Few boats are easier to tow. We were ready to participate in the


rigging and launching of Drew’s Persua- sion, but we didn’t have a chance to do much—Drew had already stepped both masts and rigged in the time it took us to snap a few pictures. Many owners claim to rig and launch in less than 8 minutes—and we believe it. Launching is even easier. Drew


showed us how, with his tilt trailer, the Pearl can be launched without dunking the trailer hubs. Tat’s right—not just dry automobile hubs—but dry trailer hubs. A gentle push and the boat slid right off. Drew deftly played bow and stern lines to turn his boat toward open water, tied off at the dock, and we were ready to go.


SEAWORTHINESS: “I had my Pearl out in tropical storm Frederick in 1988 with winds of 45 knots, with sails reefed down to tiny size. We not only didn’t capsize, but made near hull- speed upwind. I had her offshore (along the coast) in 12-foot waves and stayed dry and in complete control.” Steve Churchill, 1993 Silmaril.


“I use ballast tanks whenever I’m alone, or in more than 12 knots or so. In combina- tion with prudent reefing, she keeps right on going.” Phil Bacon, 1986 Scout.


“So far, so good. My boat does NOT have water ballast as many newer models do, but I really don’t want it. My only worry is in a possible breach situation when we are unavoidably crossways to big surf, but I have never rolled the boat or had it knocked down despite some adventurous chances. I do know the 21-foot length is a lot for its somewhat narrow beam and this helps when going upwind in a chop. Te boat feels a bit light in big winds but it can take water over the rail without any problem because it just flows back to the


cockpit and drains readily” Tom Lyons, 1984 Besito (lug rig).


Who can forget small-boat adventurer, Shane St. Clair’s account of sheeting the mizzen tight and going below to get some sleep in a 40-knot blow near Cape Hatteras. (SCA #13). In total darkness, surrounded by angry seas, St. Clair crawled forward, closed his eyes and leſt his Sea Pearl to fend for them both. One look at the 600-pound Pearl,


with its minimal freeboard and lack of a fixed cabin, and you’ll appreciate St. Clair’s courage. But Sea Pearls have been employed for a number of ambitious journeys. She’s not only an able sailer, but also


easy to reef and easy to beach—two qualities that add to a small-boat’s sea- worthiness and versatility. Many owners laud their boat’s performance in high winds and big seas. The Sea Pearl is not exempt from


the realities of a narrow, relatively light, open boat. It’s possible to swamp or capsize her, and we’re told she can be difficult if not impossible to self-rescue. A few owners prepare for this unlikely possibility by adding more foam flo- tation to the hull and masts, but we’ve several reports of Sea Pearls bring towed to shore upside down. Pearls benefit from hearty construc-


tion and a basic simplicity. Te split rig means both low-aspect sails are easily manageable—neither requires winch or mechanical advantage. And unlike a centerboard, the leeboards are totally open to inspection and unlikely to jam with rocks or sand.


ACCOMMODATIONS: “I think four can daysail comfortably, but three is great for balance and stretching out. For overnight, one can sleep in the center cockpit and one on the stern plat- form I made fom folding plywood. Tree of us have done extended cruising in the Sea of Cortez, but we slept on the beach and set up a full-blown camp. If you treat the Pearl as you would a big backpack, she will hold weeks worth of stuff. Of course, I never took three dozen tortillas and a case of Negra Modello on a backpacking trip.” Drew Squyres, 1991 Persuasion.


“Tere’s plenty of room, but a lot of it is 63


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