FOR SALE
1971 Pearson competitor
1971 | 39 LOA | 2 BERTHS | SAILBOAT | LA CONNER, WA | OFFERED AT $27,000 USD
Kyler Powell
360.499.3621
kyler@esiyachts.com
Welcome to Pearson Competitor, A no nonsense lightweight cruising / racing sailboat ready to smoothly sail the Puget Sound waters.
"Maggie May" is a classic 1971 Pearson 39 “Competitor” racer-cruiser designed by William Shaw — a boat built for the kind of sailing the Pacific Northwest demands and rewards. Her solid fiberglass hull with encapsulated lead ballast and a retractable centerboard give her a variable draft of 4'8" to 8’10”, letting her sail confidently in open Puget Sound waters and then tuck into a shallow cove along a tree-lined shore where deeper-draft boats simply cannot go. She also moves quickly for her size - capable of 10 knots on a reach with surges to 12 — a boat that
genuinely defies theoretical hull speed and handles the full range of Salish Sea conditions with confidence.
SPECS
Number of Engines
4-108 four-cylinder
Boat Name
Maggie May
Fuel Capacity
30 gal
Condition
Used
Fuel Type
Diesel
Category
Sailboat
Fresh Water Capacity
50 gal
Horsepower
50 HP
Hull Construction
Fiberglass
Black Water Capacity
30 gal
Drive Type
Direct Drive
Length Overall
39 ft
Max Speed
10 pts
Fuel Type
Diesel
Beam
16.58 ft
Displacement
17,000 lbs
Kicker Engine Horsepower
2022
Max Draft
8.83 ft
Number of Engines
1
Min Draft
4.67 ft
Engine Make
Westerbeke
Interior
Below decks, Maggie is comfortable and practical for extended PNW cruising. The salon features a custom dinette with an L-shaped port settee and opposing starboard bench. She accommodates 4 comfortably with a V-berth forward, a starboard portman bunk, and a pull-out double below the cockpit berth.
Interior Layout & Accommodations
Sleeps six: V-berth forward, custom dinette conversion, starboard pilot berth, pull-out double below pilot berth
Custom dinette with built-in bookshelf
L-shaped port settee and opposing starboard bench
Galley & Domestic Equipment
Large rebuilt icebox with added closed-cell foam insulation — holds block ice one week with regular use
Two 20-gallon fresh water tanks (port and starboard)
30-gallon waste holding tank (below V-berth)
Newly installed diesel forced-air heater — ducted to galley, salon, head, and forward cabin (exhaust installation to be completed prior to delivery)
Exterior
The cockpit layout sets Maggie apart from most other vessels. The helm is positioned forward of center, keeping the helmsman sheltered behind the dodger and in easy communication with crew below — a welcome arrangement on those cool Northwest passages. Self-tailing winches are positioned aft of the wheel with the mainsheet led aft of the helmsman, making her exceptionally easy to single-hand across the Sound or up through the San Juan Islands. Her well-engineered preventer system handles jibe control, boom management in a rolling seaway, and man-overboard recovery with equal effectiveness.
Deck Exterior & Comfort
Cadet Gray dodger and sail cover — new 2019
Custom Sunbrella cockpit cushions
Teak folding cockpit table
Magna propane BBQ — three-tank propane capacity
Mechanical, Rigging, & Gear
Engines & Mechanical
Perkins (Westerbeke) 4-108 four-cylinder diesel
Two-bladed Martec folding propeller
Remote oil filter and hand-pump oil extraction system
30-gallon Monel fuel tank (corrosion-proof)
All batteries replaced Summer 2025
Hull & Construction
Solid fiberglass hull, blister-free
Encapsulated lead ballast, 7,300 lbs
350 lb fiberglass centerboard
Displacement: approximately 17,000 lbs
Draft: 4'8" board up / 8'10" board down
Non-cored deck construction at all stanchion bases
New bottom paint, hull buff, new cove stripe - April 2026
Sails, Rigging & Other Sailing Equipment
Full-batten main with three reefs, all lines led to cockpit — Mack Sails, custom offshore spec
9 oz Bainbridge Dacron roller-furling 150% genoa — Mack Sails; UV cover replaced 2024
Storm jib
Spinnaker and spinnaker pole
Hall Spar lightweight aluminum boom — extended to move mainsheet clear of cockpit, boom raised 2" for crew safety
Standing rigging: oversized 316 SS wire with Sta-Loc fittings at all terminations
Harken 53ST self-tailing winches
Baronet Spinnaker winches
Top cabin winch for reefing lines
Let’s Chart Your Course
Ready to set sail on your Pacific Northwest Adventure? Sound the horn and we'll be in touch before the tide changes.