| Twenty-five-knot gusts from a late summer sou'easter had whipped Narragansett Bay into a cauldron of whitecaps as we prepared to get Pearson's True North 38 under way. I was concerned, although not about the boat. The construction specs of this new model were impressive, from the triaxial glass knit and full-length preformed stringers to the stainless steel-backed motor mounts. These were just a few of the brawny touches that assured me the True North would hold together in any kind of weather.
I was more worried about losing my eyeteeth. I needed to measure speeds and decibels in a series of runs at a variety ofrpm, and then get behind the wheel to evaluate the Pearson's handling. Most boats need relatively smooth, quiet water to show their best during a sea trial. But, on this day, smooth water was definitely an endangered species.
"Maybe we could find a lee behind Prudence Island," I said to the skipper, Jono Billings of Pearson Yachts. He just smiled, then kicked the bow away from the dock with a shot of the standard bowthrust-er and spun the brushed aluminum wheel-complete with "suicide knob" for really quick maneuvering. With the aid of a big, five-bladed prop, the Pear-son turned in its own length. Dollops of water from the occasional five-foot sea defied the pronounced flare of the bow and splashed across the windshield, but the True North glided through that stuff like it was on Golden Pond.
I remembered the drawings of the boat I had gone over the previous evening. They showed a sharp, work-boat-like entry (this Pearson was inspired by the commercial New England lobsterboat) with a 26-degree deadrise amidships that gradually flattened to 12 degrees at the transom. Why was I concerned about the conditions? The hull was bred for this stuff. If we needed to haul pots, we could have done it without spilling our chowder.
It didn' t take long to record the speeds and sound levels. With my eyeteeth and equanimity intact, we went gamboling in the chop. There was no pounding and no cavitation as we slammed through seas, and tracking was sure. I was even able to leave the wheel for a few minutes at a time before the True North wandered off course.
The seas became more pronounced as the outgoing ebb met the incoming southeast breeze. Outside of a couple of lobstermen hauling the last of their pots, we were the only boat on the bay.
"Tide's changing," I said to Billings. "Must be really rolling out there. Good thing we're in the bay."
"We built this boat to roll with the punches," he said, with what I imagined was real New England humor. "Let's get out there and see what's going on." He pointed the bow south towards the wide-open waters of Rhode Island Sound.
As we shouldered through the growing seas with a quartering breeze heading down bay, I remembered doing the same thing not long ago in a deep-V hull. During that run, I'd had to use the tabs to compensate for the boat's tendency to chine-walk or lean into the breeze. The True North has no tabs and is far from a deep-V, but it handled seas as well as any deep-V that I've seen-and it exhibited none of the negative characteristics associated with that hull type, such as pounding or chine-walking.
Out past the last protective land shadow of Brenton Point and beyond the Brenton Reef buoy-focal point of numerous America's Cup races-the seas, straight in from the Atlantic, went from a chop to rolling six- to eight-footers. I firewalled the throttle and charged into them. The Pearson went airborne and slammed down. If anything were going to break loose, it would have done so then. Returning, the seas obscured the horizon. Again, the Pearson tracked like a dream with none of the near-broaching and tail-swinging that you would expect from a boat surfing with a following sea. The Pearson's rudimentary skeg enhances its tracking abilities and also affords prop protection.
Back in the relative protection of the bay, we shut down and went through the 38 looking for damage. She was as solid as the moment she left the factory. However, I did notice water leaking into the self- draining cockpit from under the clamshell doors that comprise the True North's transom.
Clamshell doors? Yep, and they're among the most defining features of this boat. The whole transom opens up. ne water heater; Frigoboat air-conditioning package; fire-suppression kitw/engine shutdown; Northern Lights M673K 5.5-kW genset; AM/FM/CD lows you to pull aboard your hard or inflatable dinghy (up to 10 feet), or a PWC, if that's your inclination, while you run from one gunkhole to the other. Does anyone really enjoy towing their dink or water toys? Of course not. The doors are secured with a solid, positive-locking stainless-steel latch and there's even an electric interlock so the engine cannot be started with the doors open. If you want to run the engine intentionally, there is an override function.
The water intrusion was due to a lack of gasketing on our test boat, which was the prototype. It was an oversight, and Billings said the gasketing would be installed when the boat returned to the factory. It will also be installed on all production models, a number of which have already been sold, thanks to the Pearson name and reputation.
Those doors are unique, but there are other features that make the True North stand out from the crowd. One that touched my heart was the stainless steel, apartment-sized Frigoboat cold-plate refrigerator. If you purchase the True North without opting for the air-conditioning package, you need not buy the optional Northern Lights 5,5-kW genset. Those cold plates run off two massive gel-cell household batteries (there's another dedicated to the engine). They'll keep the fridge cold and even make ice for at least one long, quiet night on the hook. No need to fire up the Yanmar.
That fridge shares space in the galley-noteworthy for its simplicity-with a three-burner Princess propane stove, microwave oven and double sink with a single-lever, hot-and-cold pressure water faucet. All appliances are surrounded by enough Corian-like countertop space to prepare major meals for the two couples who can comfortably weekend on this cruiser.
Innovative thinking
The dinette across from the galley breaks down to an oversized double berth (6'6" long). The forward cabin sleeps two more. If you're bringing a kid along, there's room above the berth in the forward cabin for an optional loft that children can use for sleeping or playing. The head is also forward and it's big for this size of boat. It has a shower stall that's separated from the throne by a sink and cabinet that has plenty of room for everybody's toiletries.
While the ceiling in the forward cabin is lined with Alaskan yellow cedar, much of the molding and trim on the Pearson, including the forward cabin sole, is comprised of high-density cork. The stuff is easy to maintain, and it's wonderful for its sound-absorbing and mildew- and odor-resistant properties.
The boat's topside layout speaks of more innovative thinking. Wide side-decks-wide enough to accommodate two flush-mounted stowage hatches on either side-accessible handrails and serious molded-in nonskid make deck work safe. Heavy-duty mooring cleats, as well as retractable amidships cleats, are workboat-solid. An electric windlass with chain, rode and a 45-pound CQR anchor are standard.
The gearheads among us can take heart, too. Access to the engine compartment is via a single-ram, electrically operated hatch and everything down there is a cinch to reach, including piping, filters and valves (an electric oil change kit is standard).
Have no illusions; the True North 38 is not a luxury liner. If your version of boating is darting from one marina umbilicus to another, look elsewhere. But if you've an eye for top-notch quality, an appreciation of traditional beauty and believe that the essence of cruising is being under way, then welcome home. |
