Westsail 32 - Opinions Needed !

[Cheechako]

FYI: There was a Westsail 32 on Craig's list ...Seattle or Bellingham... for $19k recently...

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by sailingpup

My wife and I are looking at buying a westsail32 to sail and have as a live-aboard, we have also looked at Cape George Cutters and a True North 34. Does anyone have any opinions (of course you do), this will be our first sailboat which we also intend to sail off shore (circum. at some point). Are all westsails deck step masts or just with some of the kit boats?
Rob

Would help to know why you have chosen the Westsail out of all the ones in that category. Obviously a tough boat, but there are lots of tough boats now days that will make better liveaboards.

[roverhi]

The wet issue: It's not that the bow scoops water but water comes over the lee rail as the boat rolls down when driven hard, maybe too hard. The water on the lee rail rolls back to the lee side of the cockpit and can fill the foot well. We installed a set of those large 4" or so hawse holes in the bulwork amidship that the stock boats only had at the bow and stern. That greatly added to the ability for water to escape from the side decks. Adding a dam at the back edge of the cabin or back rests in the cockpit would stop the water from getting back and filling the cockpit.

The water comng back to the cockpit is not an often occuring problem. Delivered one boat from SF to Newport Beach and never saw water in the cockpit. We drove that boat really hard on a reach logging 181nm in 24 hours on the Walker Log. On our boat, coming back up from Tahiti, logged 900 miles in six days in strong trades on a close reach. We occasionally had water in the cockpit. That was the only time that that happened in the 10,000 miles we sailed. It obviously wasn't a problem for the subsequent owners of the boat. They sailed the boat to SoPac twice down to NZ and Oz, in a tropical cyclone, and all through Polynesia and didn't install the cockpit backboards that I'd fitted but not installed. He was a journeyman marine carpenter so it wasn't for lack of ability as they made a host of other improvements to the boat.

As far as the double ender stern's restricted realestate, it does have some disadvantages. For the windvane self steering, it was ideal. Our Aries Hung off the boomkin out of the way and was never an issue. The control lines for the vane took up almost no realestate in the cockpit because of the outboard rudder and long tiller. Radar would probably have to go on the mast but I'd probably never install one anyway. Our stern anchor was a Danforth hung on the boom crutch frame so was out of the way and always available. That leaves the wind mill and this is a possible solution for that westsail 32 - Bing Images

There are a bunch of postings on the internet, a google search will turn up a host of sites including: WESTSAIL - CRUISING BOATS FOR SALE and WOA Home page

[zeehag]

wetsnails do NOT go to weather nor do they sail fast. they do cruise. comfortably, as i recall. bashing into seas is no boat's favorite point of sail--is a wet one on any boat.
is why "gentlemen never sail to weather."

[Cheechako]

Oh contrare'... I've just seen too many class wins posted in ocean races that ended up being on a reach. and from above: "We drove that boat really hard on a reach logging 181nm in 24 hours on the Walker Log. On our boat, coming back up from Tahiti, logged 900 miles in six days in strong trades on a close reach." But your right about going to weather, neither did my HC (pic at left). I would just say to the original poster: get one with a good sized engine. Many were built with marginal sized engines as those were the days when the engine was just to get out of the marina!

[sailingpup]

We'll hopefully have it berthed on Vancouver, BC and sail it eventually (2-3yrs) down to Mexico and then west.

[sailingpup]

We like the full keel boats, and want lots of storage. Length wise, it fits into the size we want, and of course it's history as a tough boat. We also have been looking at the Hans Christian, but they tend to be pricey. Any other suggestions?

[Jon Hacking]

Originally Posted by sailingpup

My wife and I are looking at buying a westsail32 to sail and have as a live-aboard... Does anyone have any opinions (of course you do), this will be our first sailboat which we also intend to sail off shore (circum. at some point)...Rob

Rob, good friends of ours completed their circumnav last year in a Westsail 32 - with their 2 daughters on board! They have a nice website at http://www.sailingestrela.com but the server seems to be having issues right now. If you ping me privately I can put you in contact with them.

[Amgine]

Union cutter
Every double ender ever designed by Perry
Pacific Seacraft
Cape Dory designs
on and on and on...

There are really far too many traditional, heavily-built cruisers of the mostly long-keeled variety to suggest. The reality is you need to go walk docks, beg for free day sail opportunities, and continue saving until you find the boat you love and cannot forget about.

[sailingpup]

Jon,
I got access to your friends site, but I can't find an email address or any link to contact them. Any suggestions?
Rob

[Jamel]

Having cicumnavigated in a West Sail 33 ( Australian version) I would recommend them to anyone! Never a moment of lack of trust in the boat whatever the conditions. I almost bought it back again but the neglect in the mantime was too much to bare!

[s/v Beth]

Sailpup -if you want to try out a valiant I am berthed in Bellingham and would go for a daysail . Pm me.

[sailingpup]

Newt,
Thank you for the offer, but I'm a little out of that neighbourhood. I currently live above the 60lat/104long in the Cdn arctic. If we find a boat we'll have it berthed hopefully on Vancouver Island. We'll probably be down on Van Isl. in Dec/11. If we do get your way, we'll drop you a line and see if the offer still stands. I do like Valiants, hard to find in our price range. Have a safe summer.
Rob

[Simon H]

I just bought a Westsail 33 (Aussie Version), love the room and build quality, yet to hit the water, still on the hard doing refit , hopefully in 2 months i can reply on how she sails.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Simon H

I just bought a Westsail 33 (Aussie Version), love the room and build quality, yet to hit the water, still on the hard doing refit , hopefully in 2 months i can reply on how she sails.

G'Day Simon,

Never heard of this boat, and didn't know that the W-32 was ever built in Oz. Could you tell us something about her? Like what the differences are that make it a 33, who built them and where and when?

I've seen a couple of boats around Oz that looked very similar to the normal W-32, but "somehow different", and I wonder if this explains my puzzlement?

Cheers and good luck getting her going.

Jim