Letter to P35 Owners

Dear Pearson 35 Owners and Sailors

I hope this letter finds you getting ready for the 2009 summer season of sailing. Some of you are recovering from a very cold winter and others find yourself far away from the coastal US in the Pacific or Atlantic. Where ever this letter finds you, I want to thank you for your continued support of the P35 web site. We are ranked very high with Google and Yahoo search engines and referenced all over the net in association with the Pearson line of sailboats. It’s a wild ride to keep up with you talented guys and gals.

In that light, I want to ask for you help on a project I feel would benefit our sailing community now and in the future. As some of our “classic” boats move into the 40 & 50 year old range, it is obvious to me that there is a wealth of information amount us to be captured for the future. What better way to do this then develop a new Pearson 35 Owner’s Manual. My concept for the contents of this “New” manual is as follows:

It would be developed exclusively by owners of P35 sailboats
Reference material would draw from the past 50 years of use
It would build on the outline of the original User Manual developed by Pearson/Grumman
It would be rich with graphics, pictures and web links.
It would have the resources of parts, projects, design insight and history
The manual would be available on-line via the P35 web site
The manual would be free to owners of a P35
Sections would be assigned to knowledgeable owners to draft, illustrate and write. (A representative section could be On Board Wind Generator or Moving the Boom up 4” or Pre-Sail Check List or Replacing the Center Board) Outline to be developed by the team of writers.
The software standard would be MS Word 2003, with redlines turned on for drafts review
Imbedded pictures would be in “,jpg”
Drafts, redlines and finals will be accessible via a restricted page (writer’s only) on the P35 web site.
All work sections would have a picture and short bio of the author for that section.
I will act as the coordinator, collector and maybe editor of the final document (need a lot of help here)
Draft due ~June 09, final document complete by Aug 09.
User Manual could also be printed out and given to new first time owners from our group. Other uses TBD.
Still thinking here....

So after all that long winded explanation, is there any interested in taking on this task? I will not attempt this on my own and therefore request your help and approval.

Looking to make section assignments by the end of March 09. You can let me know what you think by emailing me.

Thanks

Harris

www.pearson35.com

mikhaya@pearson35.com

Responses thus far (17 Mar 09)

Dr Ralph - In May of 2005 Dr Ralph finished work on a 192 page owners manual. I'll make this manual available once we have a complete list of all the folks that want to help.. Thanks Ralph, you've done it! Although specifically developed for SANDPIPER, this entertaining manual has it all.

Jason - Working on his port hatches now, willing to help

Tom - Has a one-of-a-kind P35, willing to help

Joe - Undergoing going a major retrofit of his boat right now, willing to help

Bob - Extensive background with the P35, willing to help

Barbara & Larry - word editing and compiling computer applications and web site, willing to help

Jack - Just joined the our group with a 1978 model from CT, willing to help

John - Working on his centerboard now, willing to help

Mark - Wrote the SOP for the Navy 44 boats back in 95-98, Started a manual for his boat, willing to help

Terri - Extensive technical background with IT and computers, West Coast sailor, willing to help

Special section being set up with example owner manuals from Hunter, O'Day, Pearson and Catalina.

Step 1 - Establish the manual outline and estimated page count per section

Back to Front Page

________________________________________________________________________________