It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a vertical transom, a skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a wheel, with an emergency back-up tiller and a fixed fin keel.
[1] The boat's galley is located on the port side of the cabin and includes a sink, a two-burner alcohol stove and a 5.0 ft (1.5 m) icebox.
Additional sleeping space is provided by the dinette settee, which has a folding table and the aft quarter berth which is a double.
"[7] Practical Sailor however also faulted the design and its stablemates on company fortunes, saying, "the Pearson 303, and later the 34, 36, 37 and 39 seemed to be nearly the same boat drawn to different lengths.
Not only in terms of the standard hull and deck colors, non-skid pattern, window treatments and interior finish, but in their lines as well.
"[7] David Liscio, writing in Sailing magazine in 2013 note, "Shaw, who was at the helm of Pearson Yachts as chief designer and corporate executive from 1964 to 1986, has been criticized for cranking out different models that look too much alike.
"Solidly built, affordably priced and easy to sail, with voluminous space below decks, the Pearson 303 is an ideal coastal cruising boat for a small family or a big-boat sailor looking to downsize.
The review concluded, "the Pearson 303 is today, as she was in 1983, an ideal boat for a couple or small family on a limited budget looking for a comfortable Bay or coastal cruiser.