New Member/Owner

[DavidG]

Hello, all.  I am new to the owner's group and in the process of purchasing/closing on a 1980 P323.  I studied long and hard on boat designs that would keep me as small as possible (for purposes of maintenance, single handing (mostly), maximum creature comforts of a cruising design) but gives me the critical needs that I determined for myself: single handling, as large a galley as possible, sit-down chart table, hull design (modified keel with skeg rudder ), internal ballast, shower, deck to hull joint, decent big water performance specs, less than 5' draft, and desirable but not absolute was a quarter berth (my P323 doesn't have the option), deck bulwarks, new diesel, sail performance (mainly for crawling off a lee shore, and hove-to capability), and lastly a balance of glass/teak (not to look too sterile/plastic).  Well, I narrowed it down to a couple of American boats (although more European) and the P323 caught my eye and gave me most if not all of my needs and preferences!  This assessment has come after 50 years of sailing and finally understanding what I really want!  I will close on the boat after survey (not sure that I needed one after my inspection but thought why not since I plan on owning and keeping this boat until... my end) and sail it up the Chesapeake latter part of this November to her new home on the Sassafras River where we will hail from.  As with all personable relationships, she will be a labor of love (second to my first, who lets me have these toys), which I now look forward to interacting on the many problems to be solved that we all have that I have already started mining a couple of areas needing to be addressed from my inspection!  I already appreciate the SME heavy's that are readily connected to this forum with just about everything that gets posted here.  Thanks, and cheers to Pearson owners' association!  SV Independence

[Dolce_Vita]

David,

  Welcome to the forum!  Lots of good information and helpful people here.  Don't be shy about asking any question.  And we love pictures!

  On a personal note, its great to have another P323 here on the upper Chesapeake.  Our P323 (S/V Dolce Vita) is on Bodkin Creek,  just inside the mouth of the Patapsco River.

  You should also look up the Pearson Sailing Assoc. of the Chesapeake Bay (cbpsa.org).  PSA has weekend rendezvous about once every month, as well as a spring meeting and a December Christmas party.

[selene]

Good luck with the purchase! I hope it goes smoothly.

My purchase criteria were very similar to yours, with one addendum: Here in the CA Bay Area is can get a bit windy, so I wanted a boat with a seakindly motion. Like you, I often single hand; in summer time, frequently in the 20-25kn range, and Selene has always kept me safe and dry. I was out a couple of years back, in 35+kn. She handled it well, I was comfortable at the helm. The rather aging dodger suffered a bit, though :-)

Every boat is a compromise - I must admit she's not the fastest on a beat. And heaving to is more like lying ahull. But she was not bought as a racer, and beam reaching definitely holds her own. A solid, comfortable boat.

[DavidG]

Thanks for the welcome and insights!  Ed I will keep an eye out for cbpsa activities, but with my hands full buying the boat and hopefully sailing her up here from the Rappahannock River before too much into December!  I do hope all goes well too - survey and sea trial is scheduled for Nov 10 and closing is Nov 18, then it wait for a weather window while I prepare her for the trip.  The previous owner is not much of a sailor so she did not get used a lot and appears to be more of a dock sider, day sailor if that.  So I am very focused on safety gear and essentials!  Ed I have read a lot of your modifications and will be reaching out as I start my journey with SV Independence (fingers crossed)!

Selene thanks for your assessment, which helps confirm my readings and belief in the design.  I love a fresh wind and weather sailing, but not too fond of the cold!  Good to know her wind and sea ability; I was reading about a P323 owner out in CA that was modifying his boat with some nice features, one of which was to have a forestay shroud just behind the jib shroud (roller furling genoa) to allow for higher wind conditions sailing since the roller furled genoa loses its lift when less than 75% (or there about). I read a little more about this from the boat builder of Shannon boats who discusses the conundrum of having a large genoa (170%) and a small one (120%) which limits performance on either end of the spectrum for each sail size, thus the second staysail (for heavy weather and storm weather too). It looks like a straightforward modification, and the stay shroud easily detaches and pulls out of the way for utilizing the genoa.  I like the idea and would consider it...