Westerly 33
Claudio Forghieri
A ketch produced in year 1975 by Westerly Marine, project Laurent
Gilles.
Opinions from owners, informations, interesting sites ... mail me please
Thanks
Claudio
Matt Koch
Try Sailnet's boatcheck pages at: http://www.sailnet.com/boatcheck/index.htm
Search for Westrerly and you'll get a page with an owner's reviews and
his e-mail address. The review is very incomplete but you may be able to
e-mail the person to get more info
Hope this helps
Matt
Claudio Forghieri wrote in message <35E423C9...@comune.modena.it>...
PFCOR
Well good for you! How nice it is to have one's taste in boats validated. Boy
are you in forsome fun!
My husband and I bought a Westerly Renown in the early 70's. Our reason for
buying it was that we had heard that the boat was built to take North Seas
sailing conditions and therefore could not be more seaworthy for a couple of
rank amateurs trying to sail around Boston Harbor and Mass Bay.
Well, what we heard was correct as we found out as soon as we owned it. But
guess what: there are very few days when the sailing conditions in summer in
and around Massachusets are like those you'll find in the North Sea. For
instance, the boat was built like the proverbial brick outhouse; and because it
was a ketch with an unusually small main and a ridiculous mizzen, it couldn't
get moving unless we had winds around 15 knots. If the winds were howling at
20-25, then we could crank maybe six knots of speed out of her. Heeling over?
You gotta be kidding: In 20 years of sailing her, I don't believe we ever had
the lee rail under water.
Want to discuss pointing close-hauled into the wind? Don't bother; she just
wouldn't sail close hauled. I can't tell you how many "real ly experienced
sailors would come on board saying, "Don't worry - I'll show you how to get
more speed/point up better/sail close hauled, etc., etc." and get off saying,
"Your right; she sails like a Mack truck!"
We were certifiably the slowest boat in Boston Harbor. I know this because we
ignominiously lost every race we ever went int. Kids carrying their lunch in
their mouths while doing the dog paddle past us like bullets. Other boats past
us and wanted to know if we had our anchor still attached. We probably
consumed more fuel than any other sail boat because when the winds dropped
below 10 knots, we stood still and the only way to get back to port in order to
have the boat hauled for the winter was to turn on the engine.
Let's talk about a few other interesting aspects that reflect on Laurent Giles'
dubious ability to design a boat.
1.) In order to navigate the stairs into or out of the cabin you really had to
be about 6 feet tall. Cute.
2.) Of the four opening ports, one was in the hanging locker and the other in
the head. Most people I know keep both of these doors closed.
3.) Getting in and out of the rear cabin was a real tour de force. After you
scrunched yourself up to swing out of the berths, theyou had to climb out -
raising yourself up about three and a half feet from the floor, through the
entry and onto the deck whereupon you immediately banged your head into the
steering wheel which was less than two feet away from the opening.
4.) Don't ask about getting out of this hole at night in a rough anchorage and
having to squeeze by the wheel, jump over the strut supporting the mizzen,
and then do a monkey imitation into descend into the main cabin in order to use
the head.
5.) We never found out why the temperature guage always indicated that the
motor was in imminent danger of overheating and exploding or doing whatever it
is engines do when they overheat. Ultimately it turned out that the motor
didn't do anything, but it made for some increased blood pressure waiting for
the supposed inevitable.
But the Westerly does have it's good features. You will never see such
incredibly strong hardware on any boat other than a Camper & Nicholson. The
brightwork is beautiful. teak floorboards and trim. I personally did not care
for the fact that the interior was sheathed in Formica or some similar
laminate. But it did make for easy maintenance. The main cabin was dark and
unable to be ventilated since the air flow from the vee-berth was inadequate,
but if it's cold when you're out there on the North Seas you'll be grateful for
this feature.
The boat handles like a baby carriage. she turns on a dime and sails smoothly
through a chop. She provides her owners with the pride of knowing that when
other boats are running back to port with bare poles, she's perking merrily
along under full sail.
Finally, we named our Westerly "Fendel" which we found out subsequently was the
Yiddish word for bedpan. She certainly sailed like one, but we have many
pictures taken of her and she was a pretty boat and as parents continue to love
an unruly child, we really loved her.
Good luck - and hope for lots of wind!
Paula Corman
>I'm looking for information about Westerly 33.
>A ketch produced in year 1975 by Westerly Marine, project Laurent
>Gilles.
>
P. F. Corman
pf...@aol.com
Stephen
> My husband and I bought a Westerly Renown in the early 70's.
That would be an aft cabin of about 31'.
> Heeling over? You gotta be kidding: In 20 years of sailing her, I
> don't believe we ever had the lee rail under water.
My Centaur is stiff sailing. But I've dunked the rail a few times.
> Let's talk about a few other interesting aspects that reflect on
> Laurent Giles' dubious ability to design a boat.
>
> 1.) In order to navigate the stairs into or out of the cabin you
> really had to be about 6 feet tall. Cute.
I have o idea what this means. I have been on the twin keel version, a
Pentland, and not noticed this. I am under 6'.
> 2.) Of the four opening ports, one was in the hanging locker and the
> other in the head. Most people I know keep both of these doors
> closed.
Kidding??? I love the fact I have a port in my head. Especially since we
had to change over to a holding tank. As for the locker, I built a
simple shelf under the port to keep occasional spray off the clothes.
> 3.) Getting in and out of the rear cabin was a real tour de force.
> After you scrunched yourself up to swing out of the berths, theyou had
This was an aft cabin in a 31' boat. If you want that center cockpit and
aft cabin, you have to make allowances. Now in a 36' Westerly - or other
boat - this would not be a problem. You could have bought the aft
cockpit version.
> 4.) Don't ask about getting out of this hole at night in a rough
> anchorage and having to squeeze by the wheel, jump over the strut
> supporting the mizzen, and then do a monkey imitation into descend
> into the main cabin in order to use the head.
See above.
> 5.) We never found out why the temperature gauge always indicated
> that the motor was in imminent danger of overheating and exploding or
> doing whatever it is engines do when they overheat.
Not Mr. Giles problem. you had a bad engine - or sensors - which he did
not design or install. The engine and gauges on my '76 Westerly have
been fine.
> But the Westerly does have it's good features. You will never see
> such incredibly strong hardware on any boat other than a Camper &
> Nicholson.
=snips=
> The main cabin was dark and unable to be ventilated
> since the air flow from the vee-berth was inadequate, but if it's cold
> when you're out there on the North Seas you'll be grateful for this
> feature.
Uh, hello? Want more ventilation? Most boats don't come with enough,
regardless of brand name. But this is remedied by buying vents and
cutting holes. I added two 4" vents to the fwd corners of the main cabin
and two 3" to the fwd Vee cabin. I have great ventilation. Made dorade
boxes for them. Also added an extra vent for the engine compartment. >
The boat handles like a baby carriage. she turns on a dime and sails >
smoothly through a chop. She provides her owners with the pride of >
knowing that when other boats are running back to port with bare >
poles, she's perking merrily along under full sail.
Absolutely true. :)
Btw, there is a Westerly e-mail discussion list. If you would like to
join send an email to the following spam-protected address:
"sames" (at) "mindspring" (dot) "com".