Pearson Small Boats - Risk Of A Lemon?

C

Colinkites2000

Member
I'm thinking about picking up a 1991 boat build by PSB. It's about $2500, in excellent shape and comes with radial and full rigs plus a dolly. I've read about PSB problems but am tempted by this as it seems like a great deal and the search is frustrating.

I'm looking for a used boat in that price range with radial and full + dolly but can't seem to find any. Now that I have, I'm worried that it could be a problem boat in the short term. Reality of these boats really being a problem? Is this a risky move? Thoughts?
 
Colinkites2000 said:
I'm thinking about picking up a 1991 boat build by PSB. It's about $2500, in excellent shape and comes with radial and full rigs plus a dolly. I've read about PSB problems but am tempted by this as it seems like a great deal and the search is frustrating.

I'm looking for a used boat in that price range with radial and full + dolly but can't seem to find any. Now that I have, I'm worried that it could be a problem boat in the short term. Reality of these boats really being a problem? Is this a risky move? Thoughts?
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Since the boat is 21 it's old enough to drink so that is likely to be your biggest short term problem. If the boat is in excellent shape and you have checked out all the potential problem areas (ie mast-step, no delamination or flexing of the hull, no cracks in the gunwales or elsewhere - there's lots of prior threads on what to look for) then it might be a good deal. The fact that it made it 21 years in excellent shape suggests there probably aren't any inherent flaws with it.

Whether it really is a good deal depends a lot on your expectations. Are you looking for a boat that will last you another 20 years with no problems? Are you planning to race a lot at the higher end? Do you sail primarily in a heavy air/choppy venue? Then this boat might not be the one. On the other hand if you're looking for an affordable boat with both rigs to get started on and you know that in a number of years you'll need a new(er) hull then this could be a good deal. If you sail in a lighter air/flatter water venue and don't plan to race it hard and have some repair skills or the willingness to learn then that increases the odds in your favor. But it is still a bit of a risk either way.
 
I've sailed many lasers from that era, as long as its dry it will be competitive,

The main thing is you want to make sure the mast step doesn't leak, if it does you'll have to put in an inspection port, clean out the bondo gunk and re-glass the step, its not a huge deal but it takes some time and you'll need some tools,

give it a good inspection for the main problem areas: soft spots, cracks, dings and leaks (def fill the mast step with water, then wait a half hour to see that it hasn't leaked)

if it passes inspection, its likely you won't run into problems in the short term
 
Great tip there from Laser XD about the mast step, useful for any potential Laser purchaser.
 
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