S/V Rhythm

Our 1979 Pearson 424

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About Rhythm

Rhythm is a 42 foot Pearson 424 sailboat. She was built in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, completed in 1979, and the 41st of her kind.

History

What we know of Rhythm's story begins in Duniden, Florida in the late 80's. She was up for sale, and Andy Greenshields of Everett Washington came to Florida to become her newest owner. He purchased Rhythm in August of 1988, and he sailed her as far as Miami before he met his wife, Mette. In the year that followed they travelled together through the Carribean, along the Gulf Coast, through the Panama Canal, Central America, Mexico, and finally North to Seattle. Rhythm was then repowered and overhauled at Lake Union, and belonged to the couple for the next 20 years. Andy's death forced the sale of Rhythm in 2009, and she belonged to another couple from Everett for the next 5 years. Then, we purchased her in Anacortes Washington in August of 2014, 26 years to the day from when she was purchased by Andy in Florida.

Equipment & Amenities

The Pearson 424 comfortably sleeps 4, but can house up to 6 if everyone is good at living together in tight quarters.

She has an aluminum stern arch that supports 400 watts of solar power and a 400 watt wind generator, which in turn supports a 500 amp-hour house bank. When the sun isn't shining, we fall back on a small 2000 watt inverter-generator.

Rhythm has a very basic but reliable set of electronics. We have an older Garmin chartplotter, an older Furuno radar, Raymarine Autohelm, depthsounder, VHF radio and AIS receiver. Most of our chartplotting is done with an Ipad connected via bluetooth to a BadElf GPS. For poorly charted areas we usually cross reference Garmin and Navionics charts with local cruising guides.

For short range exploration she carries a 10' zodiac rigid inflatable powered by a 6hp nissan outboard.

General

1979 Pearson 424
Sloop Rig
Fin Keel / Skeg hung rudder
Length: 42'
LOA: 47'
Beam: 13'
Draft: 5.5'
Displacement: 23,000 lbs
Diesel: 80 gal
Water: 120 gal
Holding Tank: 15 gal

Mechanical / Electrical

Isuzu C-240 50 HP - 2400 hours
30 amp alternator
Racor dual fuel filter
Racor fuel polisher
Feathering MaxProp
Vetus Bow Thruster
Trace inverter/charger (wired for 12VDC and 110VAC)
2 x 245 Ah AGM batteries
400 W solar array
400 W wind generator
Watermaker 20 gal/hr

Rigging / Sails

In-mast furling (gearbox replaced Nov 2019)
Hood roller furling jib (2015)
Standing Rigging (2015, aft lower shrouds Oct 2019)
Chainplates: 2015
Main and Genoa (2017)
spare main and genoa
1 asym spinnaker

Nav & Comms

Raymarine ST6000 autohelm
Garmin GPSmap 540
Furuno 1621 Radar
Standard Horizon VHF
Iridium GO! w/external antenae

On Deck / Ground Tackle

Stainless steel cap & grab rails
Rocna 20kg
35 lb CQR
210' 5/16 chain
Aluminum Stern Arch
Canvas Dodger
Canvas Bimini
LED work lights
LED anchor light
LED tri-color light

OTHER

Zodiac 310 ALU w/canvas chaps (2016)
6hp Nissan 4 stroke outboard
1600W inverter/generator

Under Way

Rhythm has proven herself to be a happy compromise between the stability of a classic full keeled cruiser and a faster modern boat. We can generally count on somewhere between 120 and 150 miles per day. With the help of her oversized second-hand spinnaker, she'll move along quietly at 5 knots in an 8-10 knot breeze. If the winds pick up to 15 knots or more she'll cruise comfortably at 6-8 knots. By 20 knots, or if she starts consistently hitting 9 knots or more it's time to reef. She won't point particularly high, but she can work her way up wind if she has to. She can beam reach with the best of 'em and tracks nicely even when a swell is running.