Alberg 37 or Westsail 32 - Apples and Oranges ?

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by cburger;

I won't justify this with a remark: [URL="http://www.westsail.org/satori.html"

SATORI and the Perfect Storm[/URL]

Very interesting reading, and I liked the part where it said the design comes from a boat dated in the late 1800's...
Its interesting how at a time in history a boat or a car for that matter is concidered "state of the art" and the safest to use..
I read an article awhile back about a 1903 "Brush" built with 6 horse power and a top speed of of around 7 miles per hour and equepted with the newest design tires from firestone and the manufacture claimed the "Brush" was the safest vehicle on the road and there was no need for more horsepower and no need to travel any further than the 30 miles per day.. And it came with an umbrella in case you got caught in the rain..
In its day, it probably was the safest, as was the W32 in its day,
But times change, Electronics have come to be standard on boats and a boat going blue water without radar is almost unheard of, as is GPS's..
Sail designs, boat designs, and equeptment have come a long way from the design of the W32 in the late 1800's..
In todays market, it would be concidered unsafe to drive an old car of the early 1900's down the hwy, and the same holds true with the design of the W32.. There is NO need for the heavy built boats as they were designed to withstand anything you threw at them..
In Todays cruising, Its rare to find anyone that has seen over 40 knots of wind in multi year cruising. and its not due to the weather changing but instead we are more in tune to weather conditions, the way the weather travels, Cyclones, and the such..
we have "real Time" information and a good history of where and when to travel at what times of the year..
Better materials, better designs, improved information, quality charting, and satalite information has done this for us..
If I were living OLD SCHOOL, and all I planed on using was a sexton, no electronics, no modern information, and traveled the the routes of the square riggers.. I might concider a W32..
But as times change, all good ideas seem to drift into the past as new overcomes them, and the W32 is no exception..
Its had a good life and served the sailor well for its time, but you have to face the fact, They are not the best option for cruising today.

[cburger]

[QUOTE=Randyonr3;429735]Very interesting reading, and I liked the part where it said the design comes from a boat dated in the late 1800's...
Its interesting how at a time in history a boat or a car for that matter is concidered "state of the art" and the safest to use.



Technically all boats designs evolve fom this:

[Target9000]

Saying the w32 isn't safe is kind of like saying that a man that ran a marathon isn't fit just because some "new" dude ran 35 miles instead of 26. The boat has a proven history and I don't really think anyone can deny that. Even if it was the most "unsafe" of the blue water cruisers, it still has carried hundreds of people around the world safely. And continues to do so.

As far as I can tell, the old and new designs both have pluses, minuses, and in most cases it comes to do to knowing them and handling them so that you maximize what they're good at and avoid what they're bad at.

Isn't that the case with so many things?

[NormanMartin]

Harry Pigeon
Seabird Yawl
What do you think? Is it safe? Will it sail?
Norm
Boston

[Jon Neely]

ok guys, hated to start a flame thread here unintentionally, Looked at bot boats today, liked them both, the westsail just really isnt our style though after being on the whitby/alberg. Come to find out this is "the Shoe" for alberg 37 owners this is the boat from that book/bio, I thought that was really cool. We will see how the offering goes, already have him down some, but needs to come down further, it still need upgrades o certain things. Keep the thread going everyone about these two boats despite if it has to do with my original question for other readers with similar questions about these boats!

Jon

[s/v Beth]

People get all bent out of shape about their boats. IMHO best not to thread a comparison between two boats but rather the good and bad about a particular boat...

[NormanMartin]

Flame thread?

The subject increased my understanding of a few things about how people use and view their own boats. For our part, few things could get us to part with our Averisera. That's part of the fun. We see one another in some romantic port, swop yarns, and sail away.

Keep the reports going.

[tomj]

Go to the Alberg 37 web site (www.alberg37.org) for a good source of info regarding the A-37.....

[perchance]

Originally Posted by Target9000

Saying the w32 isn't safe is kind of like saying that a man that ran a marathon isn't fit just because some "new" dude ran 35 miles instead of 26. The boat has a proven history and I don't really think anyone can deny that. Even if it was the most "unsafe" of the blue water cruisers, it still has carried hundreds of people around the world safely. And continues to do so.

As far as I can tell, the old and new designs both have pluses, minuses, and in most cases it comes to do to knowing them and handling them so that you maximize what they're good at and avoid what they're bad at.

Isn't that the case with so many things?

After reading the Satori story and the comments here I have come to the conclusion that the sea can beat you into submission regardless of the age and design of your boat. Pick what you are comfortable with.

[danblu]

Yeh right on, definitely comfort is due to the weather when underway, the ocean can make a cruise liner uncomfortable.
When anchored is probably important time to be comfortable and the heavy cruisers probably better in this regard as the thick hulls transmit less sound. A beautiful thing I've noticed with the Westsail 32 is the quiet below. To me it gives a real quality experience. Now I'm not without bias , having a Atkins "Thistle" which my wife and I love. Same hull as the Westsail 32. I like the way she sails, a big grunty thing that powers well to windward if set up properly. Yes light airs I motorsail and enjoy doing so, with the motor ticking over just enough she goes quite well and sounds a bit like an Harley motorcycle. I've raced mates cruisers with more modern hull shapes and really the difference to windward is not that great, seems like the more modern hulls point a bit higher but also make a bit more leeway so in the end not such a big difference. I've noticed most people motorsail in really light conditions. With enough wind these old girls really pick up their skirts and fly. Hull speed easily if over 15 knots of wind. Reef the main at 20 knots of wind. Usually goes about half the wind speed. She balances quite well. Ours has a cutter rig without furlers but the wide decks and large pullpit make sail changes manageable. A clean bottom and well set sails and these old girls are great fun to sail. But like I said earlier, we have one and we are biased!

[capnorv]

Mr Neeley, as a lover of Westsails since the mid 70's,I don't believe you could go wrong with one.When I was in the CG in Alameda,I would always drool across the water or at the broker. That said, I believe our little boat which we've outgrown is more comfortable and seakindly, and will be offered in the late spring in your price range. Unlike a previous poster, I find stout standing rigging an asset, and ours makes a Westsails seem light, but to each their own. Oh, the boat I'm talking about is a 1979 Hans Christian 34T. A boat in the W32 catagory, only more, in my opinion.