Opinions on Fairweather Mariner 39 ?

[Dr. Moreau]

My wife and I are considering purchasing a Fairweather Mariner 39. The boat itself is in good condition, the owners have lived on it for the past decade part time. The interior is in good condition, but it definitely needs a deep cleaning. The outside also in good condition, nothing outstanding that needs immediate repair.

The boat itself has not really been setup for long-range cruising, so the boat is missing electronics, watermaker, solar panels, etc. I consider this a positive as I can outfit the boat for our circumnavigation from scratch.

I know very little about the lineage of the Fairweather Mariner 39. I know it came from the same mold as a Westsail 39 and is a Robert Perry designed boat. Does anyone know any real-world experience with this boat? Anyone ever owned one or sailed one?

I am more concerned to find out later that these boats are a total wreck and should be avoided at all costs. Anyone know of any good reason why I should NOT put a offer on this boat?

Thanks in advance!

[rossir]

Wandering the Oceans

A retired singlehander cruising in a Mariner 39.

[Vasco]

Doc,

These boats were built in the mid to late eighties by a Taiwan yard that also built Alajuelas and Island Traders. The American company was based in San Pedro CA. I think they built about thirty of them. The hulls were solid glass and the deck and house has a marine plywood core. All the hardware and spars were brand name, Lewmar, Isomat, Edson, Merriman, Franspar. The engine was a Perkins M60 with Hurth transmission and on some others a Mercedes Nannidiesel.

They seemed to be very well built with lots of features for the cruising sailor. I have all the brochures as I nearly bought one in 1988, just didn't quite have the $170,000 they wanted.

Robert Perry has a consulting service for boat purchasers and it might be worth your while to give him a call.
Robert H Perry Yachts Designers Inc. - CONSULTATION SERVICE

[Charlie]

Hi Aaron:

I'm not sure if this is the same boat but here is the story of a family that cruised in a Mariner 39. Boat Specs

Charlie

[Dr. Moreau]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Hi Aaron:

I'm not sure if this is the same boat but here is the story of a family that cruised in a Mariner 39. Boat Specs
Charlie

Unfortunately the Mariner 39 and the Fairweather Mariner 39 are completely separate boats from my research...

If I ever design a boat, I will make sure not to include the words Island, Mariner, or Fairweather in my boat names... Island Packet, Islander, Fairweather Mariner, Mariner.. *sigh*

[squarerigger]

Hello:

I have had a Fairweather Mariner 39 for about 5 years. Actually, someone who worked for Westsail at the time they were being made as the Westsail 39 has told me he thinks that my boat was actually the last Westsail, travelled to Taiwan in the mould for construction of the interior and systems, etc. and then came back for sale in the US. Anyway, I have about 2000 miles on it, love the boat, and want to go cruising in her someday. I can't imagione that you would be sorry to acquire one.

Ray

[bmiller]

Dr.Moreau,
Are you looking at the 1989 listed in San Francisco? Good looking boat.

[bob perry]

Vasco has the facts right. I designed the FWM initially as the Westsail 39 but Westsail went bankrupt about the same time the first three boats were finished.
The tooling ended up in Taiwan and I visited that factory several times. The men behind the Taiwan version were good men and very honest with me. They actually paid their royalties.

It's a great cockpit and a well balanced boat designed for good reaching speeds. I alwasy thought that cockpit was one of my best.

[Tartan37]

Vasco, would it be possible for you to scan and e-mail a copy of the Fairweather brochures? The Fairweather is on my short-list of sailboats should I ever sell my Tartan 37. Thanks, Jay

[Brrabbit]

I own a FWM39 and my wife and I have sailed her for eight months over two years in the Sea of Cortez. She is faster than I would have thought when I bought her. On a beam to broad reach in mid-teens knots of wind she will knock down eight knots all day. She has excellent rough water sea keeping abilities, and when sailing in parallel with both a Pacific Seacraft 37 and a Westsail 32 on a nasty downwind sudden thunder squall last year, our RAVEN was not hobby horsing around the way those rounder hulls were. We also passed them by very quickly. The Sea of Cortez has a bad habit of throwing up amazingly steep seas, locally known to cruisers as "square waves". Busting head on into this stuff with 20 knots of head wind and seas like hitting ten foot high walls is no fun. But RAVEN will do it if she has to, under bare poles and power. She does not pound or leap about and although the going is miserable, and to be avoided, if it gets you to a snug harbor a few miles uphill its well worth it. Even in these conditions, with water sometimes sweeping the bow, there is NO water in the cockpit. None. She's the driest boat I have ever sailed. She will diagonally carve big waves with absolute tracking and solid confidence, including holes in the water much bigger than I like. All in all I am very impressed and pleased with the boat. She's not a light weight speeder, nor is she a wallowing snail, but rather a solid cruiser with a turn of speed and the ability to get you home in one piece, long after you wish you were already there. Besides the tough stuff, she will ghost along in almost no wind and in flat water can take five knots of breeze and turn it into 3 knots of steady progress, even though she weighs in at 20,000 pounds. It's no surprise. Her hull is almost identical to a Passport 40, although a touch smaller, and has the same long heavy fin keel and skeg hung rudder. Bob Perry did a good job on this design.

[JMP]

A question for anyone with the answer . I have a line on what I believe is a Westsail 39 built before the molds were sent overseas. I have not seen it yet but am wondering if any of these few built (<6?) were factory finished? Would any of the original US built versions have the beautiful wood finishes in the interior?? The more I read about this design the more I like it and want one! Thanks in advance for any feedback.

JMP

[Harry Thompson]

I have a Westsail 39 with no hull number. She was completed in Oceanside Ca. In the owners driveway and launched in 1988. There are some noted details that are different. The bridge deck height is lower on the FW39 by three or four inches. The engine controls are low in the cockpit on the FW 39. My boat is basicly a custom instalation with new Yanmar, Watermaker, Wisper generator, 4 solar panels, new fuel tank, new v drive, remodeled galley with new refer, hotwater heater, new sails, stainless arch and davits and on and on. This boat is incredibly thick and the decks are balsa core sandwiched with glass. The Hull color is a little darker cream color than theFW 39. My mast and boom are black and seem a little oversize and are Kenyon. This boat was originally named Zingaro and for the past 20 years has been named Whitecap. She has reportedly been thru the Panama Camal and survived hurricane Hugo. I have owned her for 17 years.

[durango]

Here is some good info
Westsail 39' | Westsail Owners Association

[Cpt Pat]

I have an opportunity to acquire a Fairweather Mariner 39. It may be the last FWM to come out of a mold.

The boat is bare hull and deck. It has been in that condition for well on 20 years -- tucked away in someone's back yard.

After inspecting it, I have qualms because it lacks stringers inside the hull. The descriptions I've seen describe the hull having both horizontal and vertical stringers. I could add stringers, but getting a good bond to 20-year-old resin might be next to impossible.

Attached is a photo of the forward inside hull. Does anyone know the story on the supposedly missing stringers?

Thanks!

[durango]

It looks like the stringers are already there . On my factory finished boat, there were storage areas between the stringers. It just looks like they covered them up in your boat.