new owner

[janpppp]

Recently acquired Pearson 323 hull #134. Has sat unused for 8 + years. I'm finding that nothing works.
from pumps to lights.The one item I haven't tried yet is the Volvo penta seems tobe the 2002 series.
Any thoughts or experiences

[Captain Bri]

Welcome to the P323 group!  The boat sounds like proof that Men and Ships rot in port.

I may be stating the obvious but I would start by siphoning out all of the diesel fuel and disposing of it and checking all fluid levels before trying to start.  If fluid looks bad change it immediately but also plan to change all fluids asap. 

Try and repair parts instead of replacing them.  An example is you can get a service kit for the original bilge/sump pump instead of retrofitting a new one.  Note that there are owners manuals and Volvo manuals on this P323 website. They don't build them like this anymore.  Good luck on your project boat.   

[selene]

Congratulations! The good news is that the P323 is a well-built boat.  It's likely that, even after a long layup, many of the parts will come to life after cleaning/servicing/using - so do not be dispirited! 

Without a better idea of your experience level, or the condition of the boat, it is difficult to give good advice.  But here are a few thoughts.

You are about to get a key item of sailing equipment, which every regular sailor I know has, but people don't always talk about: The List.

Yep, a long list of everything you need to do, from repairs, to maintenance, to upgrades.

When you have the list, prioritise!  You priorities will vary.  Typically people order in (1) make her seaworthy, (2) make her safe, (3) make her comfortable. 

If you have not already done so, you may want to consider getting a survey.  A competent surveyor can help you get a head start on what needs to be done, and suggest what order to do them in. After that, just start settling in to the work - post questions here, read widely, and stroke your boat regularly :-)

(BTW, there are a number of 323s in the Bay Area, so track us down if you need help!)

[janpppp]

thank you all for your encouragement and advice. what you suggest is the general direction I'm headed in.
She's safe and sea worthy I've added 9.9 high thrust kicker so i'm under power. My next thoughts are comfort
currently hanging out at willow berm marina costly but very nice. need to head south towards napa marina soon.
using time in the delta to begin delving into her systems the water heat was history today. tomorrow?
would love to hear from local 323 owners

[Wind Whisper]

I purchased my 323 last spring after she had set on the hard for some 16 years . .I gradually am working through the items that needed attention . .before launch I dealt with things like polish of gel coat . .bottom painting . .replacing the stuffing box log . .rewiring gauges . .starting the engine . .checking all petcocks . .and then after the launch the list kept going . .and going . .I have only added a few hundred dollars in parts and pieces but the invested labor has amounted to a bit . .perhaps too much the DIYer . .but I am getting a boat that was used very little and cheap enough that I can add labor to and feel good about it . .

If you intend on doing repairs yourself I might suggest looking at the writings of Don Casey . .he has many good books written to the older boat owner and DIYers . .