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#1
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
"Charlie Morgan" wrote
I'm interested in opinions on Westsail 32's in general. It's the perfect boat for a fictional character. Maxprop wrote: "Wetsnail" 32s are seriously overbuilt, which can be a distinct advantage when the going gets rough. Well, they're very heavily built. That's not necessarily the same as being very strongly built. I understand there were several different builders and some QA problems. Remember the story from the Baja, where a sudden storm blew a lot of anchroed cruising boats ashore, including a Westsail 32 and an Olson 40. The Olson had scratches. The Westsail was in pieces. You may recall the one that survived "The Perfect Storm" despite being abandoned. A great recommendation for somebody who is going to ignore weather forecasts. FWIW almost any boat that didn't have major leaks is likely to survive a really bad storm, provided she doesn't encounter a really bad combination of waves by chance. OTOH, if the luck is really bad, nothing is going to survive no matter how heavy. A friend had one for years, and while I used to blow him a lot of crap about it, it really was a boat of some merit. In light air it could be terribly frustrating. Under 10kts. it generally sailed along at 3kts. or so and just didn't seem to 'free up.' It was not particularly weatherly in such winds, leading one to use the diesel to weather in anything under 15kts. Your friend must have had good sails, a lightly loaded boat, and been a good sailor. I've never seen one move at all under sail when there were't whitecaps. However when the wind blew (15kts. and above) it came into its element. We often beat longer, faster boats, such as C&C 34s and 36s to weather, and on beam or close reaches. ?? ?? You're joking. Or the other boats were anchored. ... Downwind she doesn't make that sort of speed, but she wasn't particularly slow either. We once sailed her on a beam reach for about 12 straight hours of 20+ kts.--made a bit better than 80nm, and in complete comfort. Comfort is the strong point. The boats feel very solid and the motion is very smooth. Kinda small inside but the factory offered layouts were very practical and made the most. Just before he sold the boat and bought a trawler we installed a couple of thru-hulls. That hull near the point where the bottom fairs into the keel is amazingly thick--about 1.5"+ solid lay-up. I saw a guy putting a thru-hull in a one of the more piratey-looking crab crushers, and he had been bragging about his thick thick thick hull. "Back then, they didn't know how strong fiberglass was" was one of his favorite sayings. Well, as he worked on the hull, he started finding odd things.... hull lay-up with headlines, or scraps of what looked like indoor-outdoor carpet. I'm not saying Westsail did stuff like that. I'm just saying that really really thick fiberglass is not, all by itself, a great recommendation. .... Under diesel--a 24hp Universal in my friend's case--she makes 5.5kts without straining. I think "without strain" is a good descriptor for the whole boat & it's operation. The cockpit is well laid out, as is the deck although it's bit crowded for my taste. The rig & it's gear is properly done and nothing takes gut-busting effort. I love the bulwarks. The nicest thing is that the boat is very steady underfoot, no bounciness... anti-bouncy, if anything. One downside of this characteristic is that they tend to throw spray in a chop. The Westsail 32 is often described as a "Colin Archer" type but it's really not. It's more like a workboat that looks Colin Archer-ish. There is little flare and little keel salient. Fresh Breezes- Doug King |
#2
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
"DSK" wrote in message ... Maxprop wrote: FWIW almost any boat that didn't have major leaks is likely to survive a really bad storm, provided she doesn't encounter a really bad combination of waves by chance. OTOH, if the luck is really bad, nothing is going to survive no matter how heavy. From the damage sustained by that boat, it was assumed that the waves had rolled it several times, or perhaps pitchpoled the boat. Are you implying that, say, a Hunter 30 built during the same general period would have fared as well? A friend had one for years, and while I used to blow him a lot of crap about it, it really was a boat of some merit. In light air it could be terribly frustrating. Under 10kts. it generally sailed along at 3kts. or so and just didn't seem to 'free up.' It was not particularly weatherly in such winds, leading one to use the diesel to weather in anything under 15kts. Your friend must have had good sails, a lightly loaded boat, and been a good sailor. I've never seen one move at all under sail when there were't whitecaps. You must not have had much experience with them. His was an owner-finished boat. The interior was gorgeous, but no concession was made to light weight joinerwork. Everything was teak and overbuilt below as well. My friend's sails were new when I first sailed with him, and he indeed was a fine sailor, and the boat moved very well in 15kts. However when the wind blew (15kts. and above) it came into its element. We often beat longer, faster boats, such as C&C 34s and 36s to weather, and on beam or close reaches. ?? ?? You're joking. Or the other boats were anchored. No joke. If I had a dollar for every time we passed faster, leaner boats under those conditions, especially around 20kts. or better, I wouldn't be rich, but I could probably buy a new pair of Topsiders. Above 15kts. the lightweight boats reduce sail. The Wetsnail (sloop, in this case) carried full sail to 40kts. with my friend at the helm. I typically reduced sail a bit sooner, but then I prefer to keep a boat on its feet. Max |
#3
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
"Maxprop" wrote in message nk.net... "DSK" wrote in message ... Maxprop wrote: FWIW almost any boat that didn't have major leaks is likely to survive a really bad storm, provided she doesn't encounter a really bad combination of waves by chance. OTOH, if the luck is really bad, nothing is going to survive no matter how heavy. From the damage sustained by that boat, it was assumed that the waves had rolled it several times, or perhaps pitchpoled the boat. Are you implying that, say, a Hunter 30 built during the same general period would have fared as well? A friend had one for years, and while I used to blow him a lot of crap about it, it really was a boat of some merit. In light air it could be terribly frustrating. Under 10kts. it generally sailed along at 3kts. or so and just didn't seem to 'free up.' It was not particularly weatherly in such winds, leading one to use the diesel to weather in anything under 15kts. Your friend must have had good sails, a lightly loaded boat, and been a good sailor. I've never seen one move at all under sail when there were't whitecaps. You must not have had much experience with them. His was an owner-finished boat. The interior was gorgeous, but no concession was made to light weight joinerwork. Everything was teak and overbuilt below as well. My friend's sails were new when I first sailed with him, and he indeed was a fine sailor, and the boat moved very well in 15kts. However when the wind blew (15kts. and above) it came into its element. We often beat longer, faster boats, such as C&C 34s and 36s to weather, and on beam or close reaches. ?? ?? You're joking. Or the other boats were anchored. No joke. If I had a dollar for every time we passed faster, leaner boats under those conditions, especially around 20kts. or better, I wouldn't be rich, but I could probably buy a new pair of Topsiders. Above 15kts. the lightweight boats reduce sail. The Wetsnail (sloop, in this case) carried full sail to 40kts. with my friend at the helm. I typically reduced sail a bit sooner, but then I prefer to keep a boat on its feet. Max Just think of all that excess loading on the sails and rigging. |
#4
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
"Gilligan" wrote in message Just think of all that excess loading on the sails and rigging. . . . which for a Wetsnail is no problem. Everything is overbuilt, including the rigging. Most W32 owners specify their sails in the very heavy fabric range. Max |
#5
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
Maxprop wrote:
"Wetsnail" 32s are seriously overbuilt, which can be a distinct advantage when the going gets rough. You may recall the one that survived "The Perfect Storm" despite being abandoned. A friend had one for years, and while I used to blow him a lot of crap about it, it really was a boat of some merit. In light air it could be terribly frustrating. Under 10kts. it generally sailed along at 3kts. or so and just didn't seem to 'free up.' It was not particularly weatherly in such winds, leading one to use the diesel to weather in anything under 15kts. Was that John O. from Grand Rapids? |
#6
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
My bad, Charlie...I got the worng boat...Michael replied:
Michael Orton wrote: Ect chew lee (actually) I have a proper British built boat, a Westerly Berwick 31 twin keeler.....but I can vouch for the worth of W32's as good cruising/liveaboard boats..... M. On 12/3/06, katy wrote: Mike..if you send me a reply I'll post it for you since you are probably not siubscribed anymore... Charlie Morgan wrote: On Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:44:06 -0500, katy wrote: Charlie Morgan wrote: I'm interested in opinions on Westsail 32's in general. The one I'm considering is factory finished with the dinette layout. It has been constantly maintained and upgraded since new, so condition is not a big worry. This is not a bargin priced derelict. Of course I'll have a survey done if things progress that far. This one was made without teak decks, which to me, is a major plus. Low hours on the Yanmar. I'm more interested in hearing about how the boat sails and what it is like to spend long periods aboard. I already like the looks and the size, although I've also considered some larger boats. The boat would be used initially for frequent daysails (often single handed) long weekends, and cruises of a week or two at most. In a few years, we'd be on the boat for six or more months at a time. Once we transition to the longer term situation, we might even consider leaving it somewhere nice like the Med, and flying to the boat. I've long admired these boats, but I've never spent more than an afternoon on one. CWM Michael Ortin has a Westsail...want me to forward on your post since he no longer reads asa? Thanks. I'd appreciate it. CWM |
#7
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
"katy" wrote My bad, Charlie...I got the worng boat... Duh! Cheers, Ellen |
#8
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
"katy" wrote My bad, Charlie...I got the worng boat... From Google Groups : katysails s/v Chanteuse Kirie Elite 32 http://katysails.tripod.com I agree with you. You did get the *worng* boat. Cheers, Ellen |
#9
posted to rec.boats.cruising,alt.sailing.asa
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Westsail 32 - opinions
"katy" wrote in message ... Was that John O. from Grand Rapids? No. Larry Sullivan. Max |
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