Yeah, Ferenc Mate really had a goofy interior, eh? Actually, the split
between kit and factory-finished boats was nearly even. And if you do look
at a kit boat, you'll see that they were sometimes finished with a better
cabin layout, better materials and better hardware. No doubt that some may
have been completed with questionable skills, but I haven't seen any to
comment on them. I own a factory-finished boat and can appreciate some of
the improvements implemented by the custom builders, such as a sit-down nav
station, as opposed to the standing one on our boat, and better use of the
starboard-side forward cabin space.

Louis
s/v Synergy
Westsail 32 #679

"Mark Reichow" wrote in message
om...
You may from time to time hear of the Westsail refered to as a
"Wetsnail", sometimes even by their owners. (May give some idea of
the saiiing qualities.) I saw one in the Bahamas named "East Snail" a
couple of years ago owned by a Japanese singlehander. The boat sure
has been the inspiration for alot of dreams. The problem is shopping
for one, since most were sold as kits and "custom finished" by their
owners. You never really know how they were put together or what kind
of goofy interior was installed until you see it. They certainly have
a rep as a solid boat though.