The Westsail 32 is a direct descendant of John Hanna's Tahiti ketch, which
was, in turn, derived from a North Sea pilot boat. Pilot boats were evolved
to be good at staying in one place, regardless of the weather. Westsail
32's were good at that. The ability to get somewhere is another question.
DSK's comment re the succession of builders and their QA issues is spot-on,
so a thorough survey is a very good idea.


"Charlie Morgan" wrote in message
...
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