Westsail 32 Owner Advice

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

True, a friend had the boomkin come apart on his W32, but thankfully did not result in rig loss.
A good mod is going to a twin backstay set-up like an Alajuela 38.
It opens up the stern for easier wind vane installation and eliminates a lot of "claptrap".
The redundancy of backstays is a given.
Whatever the speed that boat is truckin right along.
The absence of an "air vane" makes me think they're using a "Tillermaster" of some sort, or hand steering?

To get rid of the boomkin you would need to shorten the boom, which would change balance as well as decreasing sail area.

[ThereAndBack]

Originally Posted by Adelie

To get rid of the boomkin you would need to shorten the boom, which would change balance as well as decreasing sail area.

This probably isn't -that- big a deal. The W32 suffers from serious weather helm in its default configuration. Many owners will cut down the foot of the main and put a "super yankee" or big genoa on the front to try to help balance out the boat. I don't personally know of anyone that did away with the boomkins and shortened the boom, but I add this based on my personal experience.

That said, I installed a stainless steel pipe boomkin that also added an arch, a ladder, and a great mount for a monitor windvane. It was way more substantial than the wooden boomkins and was surprisingly easy to install.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by ThereAndBack

This probably isn't -that- big a deal. The W32 suffers from serious weather helm in its default configuration. Many owners will cut down the foot of the main and put a "super yankee" or big genoa on the front to try to help balance out the boat. I don't personally know of anyone that did away with the boomkins and shortened the boom, but I add this based on my personal experience.

My friend that I referenced earlier who had his boomkin fail is going this route.
Yes, too much weather helm on stock boats.
As a pro welder/fabricator he's built an arch for mid-boom sheeting, (closer to 2/3rds,) with a traveler that mounts just above the rear arch for the dodger.
Next step is eliminating the boomkin and going to twin backstays, like an Alajuela 38, (one of which will be the Ham/SSB antenna).
And since the foot of the main has already been shortened the boom will be cut down.
The end result will be a main that can be trimmed so much better and it gets rid of all the line swinging across the cockpit with a tack.
It really will "clean up" the whole aft end of the boat.
The first Westsail 43s suffered the same weather helm.
In that case the fix was fairly easy, simply switching-out the "cutter boom" for the shorter "ketch boom" from the 42 model eased the helm.
As an aside, using some 3/8ths HT chain for the bobstay is prime.
Having a swedged fitting, (or a Staylock,) constantly immersed in salt water is not the greatest of ideas.

[Adelie]

Has anybody lengthened the bowsprit to ease weather helm?

[zachduckworth]

Originally Posted by ThereAndBack

This probably isn't -that- big a deal. The W32 suffers from serious weather helm in its default configuration. Many owners will cut down the foot of the main and put a "super yankee" or big genoa on the front to try to help balance out the boat. I don't personally know of anyone that did away with the boomkins and shortened the boom, but I add this based on my personal experience.

That said, I installed a stainless steel pipe boomkin that also added an arch, a ladder, and a great mount for a monitor windvane. It was way more substantial than the wooden boomkins and was surprisingly easy to install.

Hi Thereandback. Do you have any pictures of it?
Based on the Westsail.org readings I think I'll be looking for a stainless boomkin. Although the wood one really looks nice, there are a few stories about them being torn apart by some failure. I haven't seen a single story about a stainless boomkin failing.

[Ryban]

Ironically when I bought my westsail, it had been configured with at twin backstay (to a boomkin) but I switched it to a single back stay when I was re-rigging the boat for a variety of reasons, but mostly because the new boomkin didn't have tangs at the right locations.

I did dig into it a bit though, and couldn't find any evidence that a double backstay added any strength to the mast, given that when you're on one tack or the other, only one of the stays is really under the load of the sails. If it failed, the other would almost certainly go too from shock loading -- at least these are the things I tell myself now that I've already made the decision to switch from 2 to 1. There are other advantages to two.

[hankstein]

I never respond to these forum threads but felt compelled.

I've owned over a dozen sailboats between 27 and 42 ft. in the past 50 years, and the best boat I've ever owned was my Westie 32.
The boat pointed and sailed very well. I once sailed from Havre de Grace to Baltimore with a guy I know sailing his Allied 36.. He tried everything he could to catch me and couldn't .. wouldn't speak to me he was so upset after dissing my Westie about being slow and how fast his allied was.. My Westie sailed well. And offshore "seakindliness" is exponential to displacement (see Skene's elemants of yacht design). SO they are super comfortable in rough weather.

I would advise getting a later model since they changed hull designs in the last of the boats they built (I had hull 800+) - Personally I would only buy a factory finished Westie. You wont' save enough money to make it worth that compromise plus the resale will be better. I would try and avoid teak decks.. Mine were a LOT or work to maintain.

Again, Don't believe people who have never sailed or owned a Westie 32...
I loved mine and if I was going to do passage making I'd look at getting another one.. but I'm past those days.

Good luck. Fair winds and following seas

[Patience W32]

The original post was for present or past owners of W32s to give advice , not from someone who’s never sailed one but “knows” about them.
I’ve owned my W32 Patience for 30 years and put over 50,000 miles on her. They are great boats and take care of you when the crap hits the fan. I’ve seen them in every anchorage you can think of worldwide. Yes they are heavy at 20000 lbs displacement but that means you can take on 2000 lbs of cruising gear, supplies, water, fuel, dinghy, outboard motor etc. Don’t try that with any other 32 foot boat.
Jerome Rand just sailed his W32 Mighty Sparrow around the world, single handed, non stop, in the southern ocean below all the great capes. Think about that for a moment. I don’t pretend to “know” how he did that as I’ve not done it myself.
My advice, buy the boat and bugger off out there.

[Heinf]

Also have a look at the Southern cross 31

[Ryban]

Originally Posted by Patience W32

Yes they are heavy at 20000 lbs displacement but that means you can take on 2000 lbs of cruising gear, supplies, water, fuel, dinghy, outboard motor etc. Don’t try that with any other 32 foot boat.

This is worth seconding. My last boat was 27-feet with 5,000lbs of displacement. Adding gear/batteries/more chain/dive tanks/etc always meant we'd ether need to take something off, or accept that our water line was now going to be lower. It's not something you really think about when you're buying a boat, but can be important. It impacts the sailing performance, the cosmetic condition of the hull (we'd get algae growing on the hull paint, which over time, diminished the integrity of the paint), and can even put your cockpit scupper drains in the water.

I feel very spoiled in this regard now. Even with a full cruising load of provisions and toys, we won't make a serious adjustment to how the boat sits in the water.

Also, this wasn't the boomkin you asked for, but here's ours:

[bullislandken]

My old Baba 30 with old sails could outsail a Westsnail 32 on almost every point of sail. Tashiba 31 even better, and a Tashiba 36 or Baba 40 are what I would buy next for double-Enders.

[bullislandken]

As stated, they are stout vessels to take you anywhere …slowly.

But who cares about a knot or so? The boat can handle it, if you can.

[ThereAndBack]

Originally Posted by zachduckworth

Hi Thereandback. Do you have any pictures of it?
Based on the Westsail.org readings I think I'll be looking for a stainless boomkin. Although the wood one really looks nice, there are a few stories about them being torn apart by some failure. I haven't seen a single story about a stainless boomkin failing.

Sorry I don't have any photos readily at hand but I see someone else posted a photo. I've never heard of the SS setup failing either, mine saw some very stiff conditions indeed and I never had a problem with it.

I'll echo what other folks have said here in the thread. I loved my W32. It sailed well with a few modifications and it handled heavy stuff beautifully. Over 30k miles I averaged about 5kts, through light and heavy weathers, currents included mostly against.

One thing the W32 will not do is go upwind in a chop though. Something to note.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by ThereAndBack

One thing the W32 will not do is go upwind in a chop though. Something to note.

We can acknowledge that all boats are a mixture of compromise and requirement.
The original designer, William Atkin, was quite aware of the "chop" issue.
He spoke about it in his writings, and in his later designs, (he designed a whole series of double enders,) he reduced the beam.
Even his last double ender design, (Little Ranger, 42',) the beam is no more, and I believe less than a W32.
While volumes have been written/spoken about the multitudes of US and Tiawan double enders and their sailing characteristics, as being of a "Colin Archer" type/form, with the exception of perhaps 1>2, NONE of them are really that close to a CA design.
I don't think this is a protected work, so I'll just cut-and-paste William Atkin's own words.

"Your true North Sea fisherman is a beamy craft of generous displacement having a breadth of about one third its over all length. As many of you know I have tried my hand at producing replicas of the better types of these North Sea double enders, the excellent ones that were designed for the Scandinavian fisher folks by the late Colin Archer. The only fault any of this American fleet of Colin Archer boats have is excessive beam. To be sure beam provides a roomy cabin, and gives stiffness, and a broad deck. But beam also is a sure road to slowness against a short sea. The kind we have in Long Island Sound. Take one of these same boats to sea; then you have found her home. She'll coast down the big ones and behave like the little ship she is. "

The key sentence; "But beam also is a sure road to slowness against a short sea".

[harbin2]

I had an Bahama 30 for almost 10 years. It was light and wet. But it sailed very well to windward and was fast on all points of sail. I've always admired the Westsail 32s but these two boats are nearly at two ends of the spectrum and for two different types of sailing. Of course, the Westsail would be good for offshore but be ready for a different type of sail.