BoatsPearson Yachts 385

Pearson Yachts 385

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1984–1986

A William Shaw-designed center-cockpit cutter built for stability and comfort with a skeg-mounted rudder

Designed by William H. Shaw.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Pearson Yachts 385, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 38 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 38
CoastalBluewater

At 1.69 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.69
LightHeavy

340 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 340
EasygoingPowered-up

13.2 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.2
TenderStiff

47% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 47%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2895 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Pearson Yachts 385, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Pearson Yachts 385 is a William H. Shaw-designed cutter-rigged sailboat built by Pearson Yachts from 1984 to 1986, featuring a fin keel with a rudder on skeg. It is the center cockpit variant of the Pearson 386, with an overall length of 11.7 meters, a beam of 3.5 meters, and a displacement of 9332 kg. The 385 has a draft of 1.7 meters, though a keel/centerboard version was also available, offering a draft of 1.32 meters with the board up and 1.83 meters with it down. Practical Sailor identifies the Pearson Yachts 385 as a heavy-displacement cruiser with a conservative sail plan, noting its high ballast ratio and moderate proportions contribute to resisting heel and providing a steady motion.2:27

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
47.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.2
Displacement / length
340.2
Comfort ratio
37.5
Capsize screening
1.69
Hull speed
7.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1241
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1984–1986
Designer
William H. Shaw
Builder
Pearson Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

RM Yachts 118011.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed performance cruiser featuring a wide beam, dual rudders, and a powerful cutter rig
Why This "Wooden" Sailboat Is Faster, Warmer, and Stronger - the RM 11800:47from Practical Sailor
Aragosa Yachts 3811.61 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1988 masthead sloop with a 35% ballast ratio, designed by Ted Brewer for balanced offshore performance
DIY furniturefrom Velero Regina
Warrior 3811.58 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-run 1980s cruiser featuring a shallow 1.52m draft and a heavy ballast-to-displacement ratio for steady offshore work
Sail Life - Hauling out with a nasty surprise 😬0:03from Sail Life
Westsail 3911.79 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed cutter with a production history spanning three different names and international builds.
Im selling my sailboat | SMLS S11E033:22from Sailing Miss Lone Star
Morgan Yachts 38211.68 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ted Brewer-designed masthead sloop built for offshore stability, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff displacement
Morgan 382 - The $30K Boat Nobody Talks Aboutfrom Practical Sailor
Sabre Yachts 38 MKII11.79 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1988-1995 production cruiser with a 1.98m draft and a skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
The Amazingly Cheap Sabre 34 Mk IIfrom Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Pearson Yachts 386A William Shaw-designed cutter featuring an aft cockpit layout and a skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stabilityPearson Yachts 365A William Shaw-designed masthead sloop built for comfortable cruising with a stable, heavy-displacement hullPearson Yachts 38A late-production masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built in very limited numbers just before the yard closedPearson Yachts 33-2A William Shaw-designed masthead sloop built for a decade, balancing a fin keel with spade rudder for responsive handlingPearson Yachts 390A William Shaw-designed cutter built for the charter trade that served as the hull foundation for the 419, 424, and 422Pearson Yachts 36-2A 1980s production masthead sloop with a high-aspect fin keel and spade rudder, optimized for performance cruising

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Pearson Yachts 385, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Pearson Yachts 385

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue