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Old 27-07-2011, 12:50   #16
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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Originally Posted by cwyckham View Post
We had enough water coming down the side deck on rare occasion to be annoying on about 25 knots of wind broad reaching with staysail and single or double reefed main. I don't believe we were over canvassed.

It became absurdly wet broad reaching in 35 ish knots with staysail and double reef. We were certainly over canvassed then.

It was never really a matter of the rail being in the water. It was the sloppy, confused seas peaking up in a pyramid of water that would slop over the rail. Once it was over the rail, the lack of a cockpit coaming would bring it into the cockpit. Certainly something that could be modified.

I have one week of experience on this boat, and will obviously defer to those who say our conditions were somehow unusual. However, it was a wet week at times!
Sorry that it was so bad that you felt you had to start a topic over it!
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Old 27-07-2011, 14:27   #17
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

You hadn't heard this boat referred to as a "Wetsnail" before you bought her? The solution is obvious - keep sailing south until it's so warm that you find the spray refreshing.

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Old 27-07-2011, 14:34   #18
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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You hadn't heard this boat referred to as a "Wetsnail" before you bought her? The solution is obvious - keep sailing south until it's so warm that you find the spray refreshing.

TaoJones
Point is, its a myth just like the myth that the Westsail needs 20 knots of wind to move.
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Old 27-07-2011, 14:37   #19
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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Point is, its a myth just like the myth that the Westsail needs 20 knots of wind to move.
Shhhhh.... Let em all think we're slow and wet.
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Old 27-07-2011, 14:52   #20
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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Point is, its a myth just like the myth that the Westsail needs 20 knots of wind to move.
Excuse me, but how is someone reporting a real life experience a myth? It may be that his experience was different to your past experiences, but that does not make it a myth. Seems that some folks just can't stand any criticism of their pet beliefs.

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Old 27-07-2011, 15:38   #21
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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Excuse me, but how is someone reporting a real life experience a myth? It may be that his experience was different to your past experiences, but that does not make it a myth. Seems that some folks just can't stand any criticism of their pet beliefs.

Cheers,

Ji,
I own one of these boats and it is not a wet boat. Sure, when its blowing 30-35 and the seas are confused, choppy and I've got too much sail area up it gets wet. What 32' boat wouldnt?
That does not make it a wet boat.... see what I mean?
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Old 27-07-2011, 15:47   #22
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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Sorry that it was so bad that you felt you had to start a topic over it!
Things have to be horrible and traumatic to start a topic? Let's just say I thought the deck design to be odd and noteworthy. It wasn't my boat, but if it was, I would be adding a coaming and oversized hausepipes to fix the problem. For me, it was unacceptable in its current configuration, and I thought it was kind of funny that before we left, it would never have crossed my mind that this 'feature' existed on any boat.

I find it interesting that others who own the boat haven't had similar experiences. It's fundamental to the design of the boat that if water gets on the side deck it's going to slosh into the cockpit. We got a fair amount of water onto the side decks. Just reporting a fact. Doesn't mean it's a bad boat (it isn't), or that people who love them are dumb (they're not), it's just a design feature that I personally have a problem with but that could be modified.

If by some set of circumstances I had the chance to sail around the world but it had to be in a westsail 32, I'd jump at the chance. I'd also install coamings.
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Old 28-07-2011, 06:45   #23
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

Rather this design than one which includes a huge cockpit that would literally hold tons of water if the cockpit was to be pooped or filled by a boarding wave...... oh wait - that's a design feature of the Niagara 35!
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Old 28-07-2011, 09:02   #24
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

Show me a perfect boat and I will show you a liar!
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Old 28-07-2011, 09:48   #25
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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Show me a perfect boat and I will show you a liar!
Exactly!
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Old 31-07-2011, 09:50   #26
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Hi guys,
This is my first post so go easy on me. I own a
W32 hull no. 55. She was custom built by Westsail for a German engineer. We sail her in NY harbor and she performs splendidly In 10-15mph winds and she weighs 21000 lbs dry! Anyway, I am always amazed at people complaining about wet sailing and understand the design flaw that allows the water from the sidedecks to flow unimpeded directly into the cockpit. We don't have this problem at all. Let me explain. We have fiberglass decks but the cockpit is teak which Is about and inch higher than the decks. Where the teak ends and sidedecks begin (at the corner of the cabin top) there is a solid teak block about 3 inches thick and 5 inches high with a 2 in pc of PVC at the bottom outside corner; a simple yet elegant fix to the problem. With all the upgrades and tinkering boat owners do to their boats I'm always amazed that they would have such a hard time figuring out this simple solution. If anyone would like a picture let me know as I would be more than happy to post one.
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Old 31-07-2011, 09:56   #27
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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Hi guys,
This is my first post so go easy on me. I own a
W32 hull no. 55. She was custom built by Westsail for a German engineer. We sail her in NY harbor and she performs splendidly In 10-15mph winds and she weighs 21000 lbs dry! Anyway, I am always amazed at people complaining about wet sailing and understand the design flaw that allows the water from the sidedecks to flow unimpeded directly into the cockpit. We don't have this problem at all. Let me explain. We have fiberglass decks but the cockpit is teak which Is about and inch higher than the decks. Where the teak ends and sidedecks begin (at the corner of the cabin top) there is a solid teak block about 3 inches thick and 5 inches high with a 2 in pc of PVC at the bottom outside corner; a simple yet elegant fix to the problem. With all the upgrades and tinkering boat owners do to their boats I'm always amazed that they would have such a hard time figuring out this simple solution. If anyone would like a picture let me know as I would be more than happy to post one.
I would like to see your photo and hear more about how this fix performs in a variety of conditions.

Our boat is also glass top decks with teak in the cockpit. At the corner of the cabin top we have slats to put in drop boards and secure them in place but I was thinking for just taking that out for a more permanent little dam that would stop the water. My fear was that the velocity of the water running back would just slosh up over the dam or that I'd have to make the dam very high. I'd love to hear how well this idea works.
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Old 31-07-2011, 10:15   #28
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Absolutely. Will take some Picts next time I see her. Don't get me wrong, this fix doesn't make the cockpit impervious to water in all conditions but it is very helpful and prevents a lot of water from rushing back and soaking everyone. We have had water enter the cockpit but never enough to make it into the footwell as it drained out the scupper in the teak block before it could get very far.
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Old 31-07-2011, 10:33   #29
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

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The primary place Westsails leak is in the Caprails...Bud Taplin told me this when I first got my boat. Coming over from Hawaii in two storms with 50 knot plus blows, quickly exposed that. I personally don't like "lifecalk at all", but 4200 or 5200 works brilliantly. But you have to very patiently seal the inner and outer caprail in detail...two plus coats to really fill and seal it. I used 4200 on the inside and 5200 on the outside. When seas break and the gunnels are flooded thats where most of the water come in to the interior including the engine room, but its a bugger to trace it all down, so once again it has to be done very patiently, methodically and properly. I was able to reduce it down to a minor dribble which I only noticed during heavy rainstorms for days when water would sit in the gunnels and would only notice the occasional teardrop after that. I personally never minded the water in the cockpit or on deck and don't have a dodger, its just the interior when it starts geting soaked up in the cushions that make it miserable, and f course water on the engine is no good. Westsails are remarkable off shore boats, especially on a beam reach or down wind...but awful going to wind. I love both Westsails and Ingrid 38s...wonderful vessels. Best of luck.
That's a pity. Each and every boat meant to be sailed on oceans should have their deck/hull joint glassed together. Very few production boats have. It's a shame since it is a major PITA to do after the interior is in place.
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Old 31-07-2011, 12:18   #30
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Re: Wet Westsail 32

My Pearson 35 has the hull to deck joint glassed on the underside. Unfortunately, they screwed in a couple hundred sheet metal screws to secure the cap rail so it leaks around the fastener. I'm considering taking off the caprail, glassing the hull to deck joint on the outside and doing a much more careful job of caulking the fasteners when I reinstall the cap rail. Westsail had the same problem with the cap rail installation.

The hull to deck joint on a W32 has a quite wide flange with plenty of overlap that was sealed with polysulfide or polyurethane sealant and then through bolted. It works quite well as long as the installer got caulk completely along the joint. Then they screwed the cap rail on using Dolphinite bedding compound which is probably where the leaks come from on most boats. Not saying that they couldn't have screwed up in caulking the hull to deck joint but the design was quite good and hard to screw up. Ours had only one small leak in the head that was easy to live with. If you have significant leaks, removing and rebedding the cap rail and fasteners with Life Caulk or 5200 is about the only way to have some hope of curing the problem. Trying to run a bead of caulk between the cap rail and the hull and deck is probably not going to work. It didn't work on our boat or any other boat, Westsail or not, I've seen it tried.

Very early boats had a wood cleat screwed and glued to the hull and the deck sat on top of that. There was some speculation that this could be a problem if water leaked onto the wood cleat causing it to rot. Never have heard if it ever developed into a problem. A friend was so concerned with this that he glassed the hull to deck joint on his early boat during construction.
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