Kendall / Westsail

[SKG56]

Anybody own, sailed on, or know about the Kendall/ Westsail 32. I would like to here what you have to say about the boat. Sam

[Target9000]

Please see:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ht=westsail+32

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ht=westsail+32

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...light=westsail

WESTSAIL - WORLD CRUISER YACHT CO.

http://www.westsail.org

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...light=westsail

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...light=westsail

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...light=westsail

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...light=westsail

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...light=westsail

I could go on....

The search feature is very helpful. Use this link to search this forum and others for relevant info:
Google Custom Search - Cruising & Sailing Forums

[SKG56]

Thanks T9000 I searched for Kendall/ Westsail and didn't get anything specific about the Kendall. Apparently there are differences, I don't think in the hull, but other areas. I'm probably going to buy a W32 and have seen a couple of these Kendall's around. I'll dig and see what I can find. Sam

[justwaiting]

In summary: Those that own them love them, most who have sailed on them respect them. Most who have had any thing to do with them say they are good sea boats. Most say that they are not the "fastest boat" in light winds but then often campare the to other boats that were designed for different puroses. Some who know how to sail, and sail those boats in particualr have got good preformance. My personal take is that they may not get you there in a hurry (if cruising why bother) but have a well developed habit of bring crew home in one peice. Personaly the main thing that i have against them is lack of space for the toys i want but that could be a weakness in me rather than the design.

[SKG56]

Originally Posted by just waiting

In summary: Those that own them love them, most who have sailed on them respect them. Most who have had any thing to do with them say they are good sea boats. Most say that they are not the "fastest boat" in light winds but then often compare the to other boats that were designed for different purposes. Some who know how to sail, and sail those boats in particular have got good performance. My personal take is that they may not get you there in a hurry (if cruising why bother) but have a well developed habit of bring crew home in one piece. Personality the main thing that i have against them is lack of space for the toys i want but that could be a weakness in me rather than the design.

Yeah, I'm not going to be in hurry. Seems like just the mention of the W32 brings all kinds of heated debate. It's quite obvious that the W32 is a very good " blue water boat " even at 32 ft. It will be just be my wife and I and sometimes just me. Just trying find out more about these Kendall's. The cockpit is different. Looks like it might be dryer. Flush decks. It's an interesting looking boat. Sam

[SKG56]

Westsail Owners Association - Kendall 32 I'm a member of the Westsail owners site. A guy sent me this link for anybody that's interested. Sam

[markwesti]

Kendalls are nice, years ago I knew of two that were making the rounds in southern California. I was amazed at the head room in the Kendall. But I didn't really like the looks of the deck lay out(when I was standing on it) especially at the bow. However when you see one on the water and you are looking at it from another boat ....Oh baby that is a good looking boat. To me looks are very important, when I'm walking down the dock and I see my boat a Westsail 28, I'm not thinking I wish I had something else. However sailing ability , storage , comfort aboard. are big on the list too. But getting back to looks, there is that Westsail bow sprit. In my opinion, It's the best.

[SKG56]

Originally Posted by markwesti

Kendalls are nice, years ago I knew of two that were making the rounds in southern California. I was amazed at the head room in the Kendall. But I didn't really like the looks of the deck lay out(when I was standing on it) especially at the bow. However when you see one on the water and you are looking at it from another boat ....Oh baby that is a good looking boat. To me looks are very important, when I'm walking down the dock and I see my boat a Westsail 28, I'm not thinking I wish I had something else. However sailing ability , storage , comfort aboard. are big on the list too. But getting back to looks, there is that Westsail bow sprit. In my opinion, It's the best.

The guys that I'm talking are telling me there's only about 6' 1" to 6' 2" headroom. I is that what you saw.

[markwesti]

Hi there, SKG. It was many beers ago that I was on a Kendall . I,m 5'10 so I had no problem with head room. the guy that owned the boat was about 6' he fit just fine. I know a gut that has a W32 he is about 6'3 seems to fit. The W32 guy did not fit to well on my W28. If head room is a factor for you, you would really need to get aboard for a test fit.

[SKG56]

Originally Posted by markwesti

Hi there, SKG. It was many beers ago that I was on a Kendall . I,m 5'10 so I had no problem with head room. the guy that owned the boat was about 6' he fit just fine. I know a gut that has a W32 he is about 6'3 seems to fit. The W32 guy did not fit to well on my W28. If head room is a factor for you, you would really need to get aboard for a test fit.

I'm 5'11", so I think 6' 1' or 6' 2" would be okay. There's more head room in a W32 than the Kendall and I would want to bring all the teak decks up. I really want to buy a W32 w/out teak decks. The Kendall is interesting and I like the looks of them, but the ones I'm looking at seem a little under powered, one with 22 HP the other 33. The 33 is a Yanmar and would probably be fine. I think the 22 is a little light.

[roverhi]

Kendalls were designed as flush deck boats. The decks were conventionally framed with fiberglass covered plywood over deck beams. Depending on the arch in the beams, headroom could be effected as the beams were about 2 1/4" thick. Still headroom seemed more than adequate in the three Kendalls that I was in but then I find headroom over 5'7" is wasted space. The Kendalls were cavernous inside with the flush deck. Tremendous amounts of additional storage space because the cabinetry could extend all the way to the deck beams.

AFAIK, the hulls of the early W32 and the Kendall are identical. Westsail used the Kendall mold that they bought at the IRS auction for the first 100 or so boats. They added a mahogany sheer clamp to make the hull to deck joint for the FRP trunk cabin deck that they went with. Later W32 hulls were identical in shape with the slight modification of a glass shelf for a better hull to deck joint.

There was a deck mold for the early Westsails that had a noticably greater curvature/sag in the middle. Made for a better looking boat but had a couple of inches less headroom. Our boat, #163, had this 'feature'. Also, some W32s had deck beams added, more as an aesthetic addition, that would affect headroom.

We had the MD2 Volvo in our boat and had no problems. It would push the boat to 6 knots at full throttle in no wind conditions and sipped fuel. Cruised for more than a year before we had to fill the tanks. I think of an engine as an auxillary to get in and out of the slip and make some time at 5 knots when the wind dies, however. Delivered two boats with the larger Perkins 4-108 and MD3 and they were more responsive if you were willing to use the extra horsepower. The boat with the Perkins was owned by a know it all doctor with no boating experience. He stopped the boat dead with full working sails in a Santa Ana wind in Newport Harbor by throwing the Perkins into reverse and going to full power. He'd taken the boat out solo with no self steering and came back into the harbor without taking the sails down. He was charging along on a beam reach at 6+ knots when he realized the concrete bulkhead at the end of the dead end finger he was in wasn't going to get out of his way. Impressive though very stupid.