David,
I have been rebuilding a W32 for years now. I can tell you that the factory finished boats were well made but years take their toll. You have said the boat may need a motor. I repowered our W32. Many factors that we don't yet have enough information come into play. If the motor you are replacing is a different make and model you may have to adjust the engine
bed, prop, seacocks, etc. What is the condition of the standing
rigging? Have you checked the chain plates, stem fittings, boomkin,
rudder, pintles and grudgeons,
mast support and
bowsprit?
Each of these seem simple on paper but represent hours of work and hundreds of dollars if anything is wrong or needs replacing.
The seacocks should be pulled apart (if they are the originals), check the rubber cones for wear and tear. If they have groves, cracks, or the handle isn't solid to the rubber they'll need replacing.
Check the
mast to see if it is sagging. This will be noticeable on the
deck and also in the boat around the
passage from the main
salon into the
head. There will be cracks and unevenness there. Check in the
bilge to see if the main beam under the
cabin sole is sagging. Check to see if there is a support installed in the
bilge area under the main mast support beam. Check to see if the main bulk
head is bolted to the
deck beam above. All of these need to be done.
Check to see if the bilge surface is totally smooth and look for cracks. Make sure there are none. The later westsails used putty over the ballast and it can crack.
Check the
rudder for cracks. They are old and can absorb water. Ask the owner to unship the rudder and check the pintles and grudeons for any problems. Hopefully they are
fiberglass, the stainless is still fine but make sure you check for cracks.
Look closely at the boomkins for
rot. Any
corrosion along the
wood is bad. Check the two chainplates on the stern, see how wide they are. The ones the boats were built with were 1" or 1.25" and they were not big enough, you need 1.5" chainplates on the stern. Make sure this has been done.
Look closely for
leaks in the boat. The
hull to deck joint is almost 40 years old. Most of them leak, along with the
genoa tracks. Look for signs of water running down from the bulwarks into the bilge.
Check the
fuel tanks. If they are SS expect to replace them.
If the engine room is one with the engine room liner, you may need to bond it better to the
hull. Ask the owner about this.
There are other considerations. These are great old boats, but they are old boats. Be prepared and know what time has done to them. If you need any help send me an
email. Bud Taplin is a great resource. Also westsail.org. For very detailed stuff involved in our
refit, check our blog,
Sundowner Sails Again | Refit Rebels.
Good luck! We love our W32.