Shallow water sailing? Yes indeed!
in inconvenient shapes or locations. (e.g., stowage racks under side decks are too shallow; space under cockpit is volumi- nous but hard to access).” John Weiss, 1998 DragonSong.
As a daysailer the Sea Pearl is one of the more accommodating small boats on the market. Six people for an aſternoon sail is said to be plenty comfortable. Under-deck storage is good, with most owners customizing the space with stor- age boxes or duffel bags. Overnighting aboard below the ton-
neau cover, optional convertible cabin (3' 6" headroom), or a canopy of stars (limitless headroom) is comfortable enough for two persons—if a bit spar- tan. Drew Squyres constructed his own aſt tent to cover an aſt berth made with plywood filler boards. Tis combination creates a giant caravan suitable for more extended cruises. Tere is no designated spot for head
or galley. Cruisers typically carry buck- ets, camp stoves, air mattresses, and other tent-camping gear.
66
QUALITY: “At 34 years old (the boat, not me), I have replaced some wooden spars (cheap and easy) on the lug rig and repaired a lee board that was losing a lead shoe. Most Sea Pearls have the aluminum marconi rig, which must last forever. (But mine looks cooler and gets under low bridges better!) Virtually everything that can break is fixable with some line and a few minutes of creative rigging.” Tom Lyons, 1984 Besito (lug rig).
We asked owners about all aspects of construction, trying to uncover any pat- tern of failure or corner-cutting. Owner responses bordered on the mundane. A bent cleat, some faded paint—very little trouble of any consequence. The only significant report we heard related to some leaky ballast tank seams. Potential owners might want to double-check this system. Marine Concepts cores the Pearl’s
double-laminate hull and deck with Klegecell™ (cross-linked PVC), where older models used end-grain balsa. We crawled around Drew’s boat, pushing and pulling, and were impressed with
both strength and finish. Jim Leet tells of one Sea Pearl that fell
from its trailer at 70 mph. The owner reportedly picked up the scattered com- ponents and sailed that aſternoon.
COMPROMISES: “You can’t throw it on top of your car, and you can’t put a queen-sized bed in it. It’s a perfect compromise between those two.” Drew Squyres, 1991 Persuasion.
“You forgot to ask about shallow-water worthiness. Tat’s where this boat shines. Te Sea Pearl can go just about anywhere a kayak can go. With lee boards barely in the water she can work her way upwind. Stick the boat on a sandbar 5” deep and it still usually floats fee as soon as you step onto the sand. For exploring little islands and mangrove lagoons that other sailboats have to steer clear of, the Sea Pearl is won- derful. And it is great for taking shortcuts where other boats must go around. . Who needs channels?” Tom Lyons, 1984 Besito (lug rig).
We’ve touched on some compromises already. The Sea Pearl is essentially
SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR
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