Margaritaville goes home

September 2024

By Dave Ashton

At the back of most marinas, there is a death row of old production boats that sadly await their eventual demise by chainsaw and dumpster. These abandoned dreams are easily identifiable by chalky topsides and mildewed brightwork. They are decorated with out-of-date inspection stickers, and are essentially in the process of sinking on dry land. At some point the bond between boat and owner had collapsed. The longer these boats are allowed to languish, the less likely new bonds will ever be formed.

At the other end of the spectrum are boats that get launched every year by owners who dedicate considerable resources to preserving their personal piece of maritime history. Our Pearson 34, Margaritaville, is one such survivor. She has sailed every one of the past 40 summers, and is destined to continue for many more. Here is her story.

Designed by Bill Shaw and built by Pearson Yachts in 1984, Margaritaville is a typical example of the conservative racer/cruiser design that was being built at the time. At 34 feet, she is in the midsize range. At 11,000 pounds, she is neither too heavy nor too light. With 550 square feet of sail, she is not over- or under-canvassed. This particular combination of design integrity and build quality may be the reason why her past owners (three or four, depending on how you count; more on this later) have found her worthy of preservation.

We bought her in 2009 as a step up from our aging Catalina 30. Our decision to buy a boat in this size range was based on a desire for more amenities and the physical abilities of our mid-50’s bodies. Our use of the old Cat 30 was split in thirds between club racing, cruising southern New England, and impromptu single- or short-handed sailing. We wanted a boat that would allow us to continue this routine for at least another 10 years. Since I already knew that I could haul in the Catalina’s 150 genoa in nearly any wind speed we typically sailed in, we limited our search to slightly larger boats with an overlapping jib of about the same size.

We owned our Catalina for 10 years, and one of the lessons we learned was how much good sails contributed to our overall enjoyment of the boat. After our first couple of seasons, we purchased mail-order sails that ended up being okay, but not great. They lasted about five years. We then purchased a new suit of sails from a local sailmaker and the difference was dramatic. The weather helm disappeared, and we moved up in the racing fleet. Note to self: factor in good, new sails when buying a used boat, then enjoy them for as long as they hold their shape (about 10 years, if properly maintained).

A 10-year commitment is no small thing, so we took our time when deciding to move on from the Catalina. We chartered an O’Day 34 and sea-trialed a C&C 33. Both were good boats, but not quite right for us. The O’Day seemed more weighted toward cruising, and the C&C was more of a racer. We kept looking for our perfect combination and found it in the Pearson 34. She had hot-water showers in both the cockpit and the head. A diesel, wheel-steering, comfortable cockpit and refrigerator checked the wants and needs boxes. This was enough boat for us, but not too much, and we could see ourselves sailing her well into our mid-60’s.

After a summer of boat shopping (great fun for us; not so much for the brokers) we took ownership in Greenport, New York, on the day after Thanksgiving, and sailed her to her new home in Riverside, Rhode Island. Performance-wise, she was everything we were looking for – responsive, but not squirrelly, stable, but not stodgy, and above all . . . comfortable. A boat well worth our time and money.

After sailing her for a summer, we invested in a new set of Doyle sails. No exotic materials but a well-built, star-cut main and 135 jib, made from Dacron with a cross section weave designed to reduce stretch and prolong sail life. The second summer we won our club championship and cruised to Nantucket. Since then, we have had many guests aboard and sailed her every summer. We have raced both locally and regionally and cruised from Providence to Provincetown while enjoying many spirited sails on Narragansett Bay, Block Island Sound and Buzzards Bay, along with memorable nights in scenic harbors along the way. We loved this boat and maintained her in a manner that reflected our enthusiasm for her. And so, our 10-year boat turned into a 15-year boat.

In early 2021, we decided that we weren’t going to let the pandemic rob us of a year of our retirement. It was time for our bucket-list trip down the Intracoastal Waterway, where we would be more isolated from Covid-19 than we would be at home. While we could have done this trip on Margaritaville, we decided that the time had come to make the aging sailors’ transition to a trawler. This was a sound decision, and we happily cruised our (new to us) Nordic Tug 37 from Rhode Island to the Florida Keys and back, living aboard for five months and visiting 67 ports, while the world’s medical community figured out how to handle this mysterious new illness.

We kept Margaritaville for another summer, but our attention had shifted. Traveling aboard our trawler at nine knots, in any weather we encountered, and in any direction we chose, had expanded our horizons. We were now thinking about trips to Maine and going back to the Chesapeake. The luxury of an air-conditioned cabin with an island queen berth had also changed our definition of comfort. We were moving on and, unfortunately, Margaritaville had to move on, as well.

An ad in Boat Trader resulted in inquiries from as far away as Arizona and an ad on Craigslist resulted in some local interest. One inquiry was different from the rest. A gentleman named Kyle from New York had seen the ad and emailed with a curious question. “Had we changed her name?” “Well, no . . . why do you ask?” His next text revealed that his fiancé had grown up sailing this boat. As it turned out, we had bought Margaritaville from her father 15 years ago. Yes, the very same boat. We knew immediately that one way or another, Kyle and his fiancé, Caitlin, would be the next owners of Margaritaville, and their bond with her would keep her sailing for many years to come.

When the family traveled from New York to see their former boat, Caitlin sat on the port settee and said, “This is where I used to sleep.” Her father Ed and I had never met, but enjoyed an easy conversation about Margaritaville’s nuances, including the admission that, despite the fact we had each owned her for 15 years, neither of us really understood the hand-drawn wiring diagram in the ship’s documents.

The on-land survey revealed two aging through-hull fittings, but otherwise the surveyor gave her a clean bill of health. We had the boatyard replace the fittings and we were ready for the sea trial. With a surveyor on board, we set sail from Bullock Cove in Riverside, Rhode Island, on a perfect bluebird morning, in a 12-knot southerly. This is Margaritaville’s sweet spot, and after the surveyor went through his engine temp, rpm and speed observations, we set sail and Margaritaville came to life. After sailing for about 20 minutes, the surveyor announced that it was time to return to port, as he had to get back to work. This declaration was well-timed because sitting on the rail, with Margaritaville close-hauled and pulling smartly to windward, I was having second thoughts about selling her. Another 10 minutes on this tack and I might have called the whole thing off.

Dave and Kathy Ashton are members of the Narragansett Terrace Yacht Club and have cruised their Nordic Tug 37, SkipStone, from Maine to the Florida Keys. Their home port is Bullock Cove in Riverside, Rhode Island. If you would like to amuse yourself with an account of their recent trip down the ICW, visit their travel blog at ashtonsgreatadventure.com.

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