Pearson 36 Pilot House
Description
The Pearson 36 Pilothouse is a rare, center-cockpit pilothouse sloop designed for comfortable all-weather cruising. Produced by Pearson Yachts from 1979 to 1981, it shares its hull design with the more common Pearson 365 but features a distinctive raised pilothouse for protected steering and panoramic visibility. Only a small number were built, making it a sought-after "unicorn" among classic Pearson sailboats. It's ideal for families or couples seeking a versatile cruiser that handles coastal passages, inland waters, or light offshore use, with a cozy interior that emphasizes livability over speed. This model was marketed as a solution for sailors who want to extend their boating season into cooler or inclement weather, thanks to its enclosed helm and warm salon. Designer Bill Shaw (Pearson's chief designer) focused on practicality, with teak joinery and a layout that sleeps up to six. It's not a blue water beast but excels in bays, the ICW, or short hops, with shoal draft for skinny water. LWL 30. Beam 11.5. Disp. 17700. Ballast 7300. Draft 4.5.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Shaw |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pearson Yachts |
| Length | 36.400 ft |
| LOA | 36.420 ft |
| LWL | 30.000 ft |
| Beam | 11.500 ft |
| Displacement | 17700 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 43.17 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 15 ft |
| p | 38 ft |
| e | 13 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43.17 ft | 15 ft | 38 ft | 13 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 38 ft - (11582 mm) |
| Foot | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Leech | * 39.46 ft - (12027 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | 39.73 ft - (12110 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 255.18 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 36.56 ft - (11143 mm) |
| Foot | 20.16 ft - (6145 mm) |
| Leech | 31.31 ft - (9543 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 315.36 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 43.42 ft - (13234 mm) |
| Foot | 24.47 ft - (7458 mm) |
| Leech | 40.6 ft - (12375 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.5 ft - (6858 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 488.43 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | 43.42 ft - (13234 mm) |
| MidGirth | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Foot | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Perc LP | 180 % |
| Area | 996 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.