1982 Pearson 323
Cimarron - Hull #355
The Pearson 323 is a 32 foot masthead sloop designed by Bill Shaw and produced out of Portsmouth Rhode Island. Approximately 385 of these vessels were built between 1976-1983. Still, some 40 years later - these little boats have a thriving community alongside a great reputation for being durable and practical for newcomers or seasoned sailors alike. 323s have withstood the test of time as compact coastal cruisers with many attributes found in much larger blue water capable boats such as encapsulated keels and skeg-hung rudders. Cimarron features a cozy v-berth, port side berth, and the galley table can be lowered to form a double berth bed providing comfortable sleeping quarters for 4-5 people. The bathroom or ‘head‘ is equipped with a wet shower, stow-away sink and ‘sea shanty’ mermaid wallpaper (see ‘Projects’ below). This, among many other practical, ’form-follows-function’ designs are what made us fall in love with this boat.
Cimarron has been re-powered with a Yanmar 3GM30 diesel engine and Walter V-drive. There is a 30-gallon fuel tank in the aft stowage compartment and a total capacity of 90-gallons freshwater between three water tanks and a hot-water heater. There are two propane storage lockers in the cockpit with lines running to a gimbaled 3-burner stove/oven in our galley, an ice box (future project), and a grill outside in the cockpit area. There is hidden storage throughout the boat as well as your standard shelving, cabinets and hanging locker. We have done many ‘comfort‘ upgrades on Cimi including installing new faucets, revamping the freshwater lines, wallpaper, woodwork, mid-cleats, etc… you name it, we have probably broken it before.
If you are interested, check out a detailed overview of these upgrades below on our Projects page!