Trying to Identify this Sailboat!

[blahman]

Hi there all,

I'm new here and am trying to figure out what make boat is in the picture I'm attaching. I was on a fast ferry running to Key West from Fort Myers, so I couldn't stop to get a better picture. I am looking into purchasing a Westsail 28 or 32, or something similar and this is a bit of a mystery.

Thanks for your help!

Aaron N.

[delmarrey]

A CSY, maybe

Hard to tell from a distance................_/)

[SkiprJohn]

Hi Aaron,
Welcome Aboard!! Looks like a cutter rig with a bowsprit about 36 feet but other than that really hard to tell. It is rigged for cruising with the radar reflector and multi antennas. I'll bet someone here knows who she is.
Regards, --John--

[never monday]

Union 36 or Tayana 37

[Vasco]

to me. I understand they were knocked-off from the Tayana moulds.

[Richhh]

Looks more like a Young Sun (a Tayana 'knock off').
Definitely not a CT36 or Tayana37 as the cabin trunk is too angular to be from that yard. The Tayana yard didnt put rub rails that low. The 'metal work' looks like "Grand Deer" used by Tayana, CT, ... and then Ty 'knock offs'. There are no 'intermediate' shrouds or mast attachment lugs ... again a short cut trait by the 'knock-off' yards.
My "bet" is a Young Sun.

[CaptainK]

Welcome to cruisersforum, Aaron.

Looks like Tayana to me. Or a knock off version.

Welcome aboard.

[keelbolts]

Hans Christian?

[blahman]

Hi again all. Thanks for the warm welcome!

After some "research" into the suggestion, I've decided this boat is a Union 36. Though I only have the one picture, I remember what she looked like and the pictures of U36's I've seen so far strike me as the same.

Anyone have experience with these boats? I know she had the look of a solid boat - you know, that "I can take it!" stoutness factor we all like. Thinking back, she looks much like a Sunrise 36 I've seen, and the T37 is there too.

Thanks again for your help!

Aaron N.

[Richhh]

Most of the 'knock off" boats of this genre have potential problems: inferior stainless steel, and other inferior metals - usually an inferior 304 stainless that is subject to chloride attack and the bronze is usually red brass (inferior to true bronze). Most chainplates and chainplate attachment bolts should be THOROUGHLY examined by a surveyor ... usually hidden behind teak fascia boards; the fascia MUST be removed during survey. Typical chainplate attachment bolts are NOT easily replacable and probably have varying degradation from crevice corrosion and fatigue ... usually needing total rebuild of the chainplate base if you are contemplating serious passagemaking, etc. The chainplate design has a stress anomaly ... in that it is usally bent after it passes through the deck ... and that little bend is called a 'stress riser' which considerably weakens it and causes fatigue fractures AT the zone of the bend. Chainplates when replaced should be MUCH thicker than the originals and should be mirror polished to lessen future fatigue. Ditto the same problem with the cranse collars at the tip end of the bowsprits - very poor design with inferior metal and abominable welding technique by non certified welders.

Most of these Taiwanese 'rip-off' boats were rigged with "Grand Deer" rigging components. Some of these components are cheap 'short cuts' and are very dangerous. Typically the Grand Deer rigging toggle bolts (T-bolts) are not forged but are a screw together assembly that catastrophically fail when crevice corrosion develops in the 'screw-together' t-bolts. They will be 'oversized' in comparison to 'normal' t-bolts and you will notice that there will be exposed threads at the interface of the cross portion/section and the vertical of the Tee. Riggers know these T-bolts as very inferior. If you seriously consider one of these boats, also consider to include an added rigging inspection as part of your survey.
The chainplate attachment bolts when starting to fail will show a 'rust bloom' surrounding the nut .... beware if you see such a 'bloom' on the attachment bolts as this will indicate the 'tell-tales' of crevice corrosion of the bolts and a needed complete removal of the non-removable bolt (rebuild of the chainhplate base).

The propshafts are typically 304 stainless which in the dexoygenated zone of the stuffing box will probably present as severe galling of the shaft where the packing runs .... approx. replacment cost is about US$600 as the tapers are non-standard .... and maybe also the threads that attach the prop locking nut. These thread profiles are usually "Imperial Variant of the British Whitworth System" (used exclusively in Imperial India, Hong Kong and Taiwan) which although a very good mechanical/machine system (much much better than 'metric' machine profiles) is now essentially obsolete.

Teak deck on these boats will be teak strakes over laid on a thick caulk and then screwed into the deck core .... about 3200 screws per deck. The core is asian 'softwood', laid in blocks about 8" square with the ends of each block separated by a 'dam' of polyester. The thought was that little polyester dam would prevent rot from propagating from core section to core section ... well it didnt work and if the deck is soggy under the teak deck it will be a friggin NIGHTMARE to restore the deck.
Most of the bulwarks in these decks are leakey, many will have bulwarks filled with water. Tayana did the best job in sealing the bulwarks but still occasionally one finds a Tayana with water filled bulwarks.

Most of these boats came with 'junk' sails: Lam, Neil Pryde and other purveyors of cheap crap made from inferior stretchy sail cloth. Usually a new suit of 'good' sails is required.

One must understand that many of these designs were "ripped off" of Robert Perrys design for the CT & Tayana yards and were executed by yards that didnt understand 'boatwork' nor had the expertise to build a 'proper' yacht. They are known as "leakey teakeys"... a euphanism for 'fungus farms'. Some you will find are in very good condition (if scrupulously maintained), some will be 'heartaches'. Be very careful and select a surveyor who really KNOWS these kinds of boats and will stake his reputation on this knowledge. Many surveyors dont have a single clue when it comes to these Taiwanese boats.

I own a Tayana. Mine is a well kept one which sails very well including in light air .... but it took a LOT of work and a LOT of refit to get it into "good" condition.

Definitely not a Yung Sun, a CSY, The house is differnt than a Tayana. I would also agree with the Union 36.

[9unit9]

Here are some pictures, I am looking for info on the manufacturer/model, draught and type/shape of keel

[keelbolts]

I think it's an older Westerly. If it is, it's probably a shoal draft bilge keeler. Not a rocket, but great for gunkholing.

[bob perry]

I'll stick my neck out here and say the boat IS a Young Sun. I recognize that weird kink in the sheer at the bow and the lack of a trimline on the edge of the cabin trunk. It's not my design but I am usually credited with it anyway so I know the boat well. It is not a Tayana 37 knock off. I have never been able to determine the origin of the design and I have tried.

[jcpi]

Blahman, westsail are great boat for blue water, but there some of them where sold unfinished and the interior quality is generally inferior so the sking price is lower forthe same sailing capabilities.
It is just a matter of liking the interior.