# Westsail 32 opinions



## Gulf Coast Sailor (Jun 18, 2015)

Had a friend suggest the westsail 32 as my next boat for a good cruiser and part time liveaboard. Said they're very well built and can handle more than I can throw at it. What does everyone else think? And how roomy is it? Thank you in advance!


----------



## SeaDubya (Sep 5, 2015)

First off, I have never sailed one, but there were two WestSail 32's on the abandoned list at a marina work yard in Mexico and a good friend of mine (in his 70's, merchant marine, lifelong sailor, delivery captain, etc.) mentions those two boats about once a month. 

The marina tries to get retail for abandoned boats, so they are just gonna rot there and it drives him mad. He already has four sailboats in various parts of the world, but always talks about them being good open ocean, blue water boats and he would love to have one if the marina wasn't so difficult to work with on acquiring them.

I have also heard of others going on about them, so if you can get one in good shape you can make a serious blue water boat out of them. Regards to space, they are double-ender boats, so you aren't going to have the aft space like you would normally have.

I'm pretty sure it won't be long before someone who actually has one will chime in with their comment. I'll bet they recommend you get one.


----------



## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

I have friends with Westsail 32's and they all love them....solidly built and very seaworthy. The folks I know that have them sail them out of the Merritt Island / Port Canaveral area, and draft can be an issue in the shallow waters of the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon....not sure what the water depths are where you sail but think about that also.

Since a lot were owner finished the interior layouts and quality of the interior build can vary greatly from one to the next. The ones I've seen are really comfortable for a couple or single sailor. And like any older boat you need to be careful to either find one that's been taken care of and is in good shape or at least get a good survey and understand the issues that need to be addressed.

Here's a link to a great blog by a couple that cruised extensively on their Westsail 32........

June | 2010 | Rode Trip


----------



## Gulf Coast Sailor (Jun 18, 2015)

Thanks for the replies. I've heard several good things about them, sturdy construction being one of which. They have a heavy displacement for a 32 foot boat. I also ready that the width of 11 feet is carried much farther through the boats length. I want something very sea worth and spacious together. And not to mention a used westsail 32 isn't all that expensive. Any other suggestions on a good roomy Bluewater cruiser?


----------



## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

Here's a link to some good info on bluewater boats.....

Full List of Sailboats

Are you positive you want / need a real "bluewater" boat? If you're planning a circumnavigation via the three great capes that's one thing, but if you're planning for coast cruising, daysailing, and part time liveaboarding there are tons of great boats out there to choose from that don't carry the "bluewater" tag.


----------



## Gulf Coast Sailor (Jun 18, 2015)

It's not that I won't be making some Bluewater trips. I just want the option to do whatever I want. I have accommodation for a big boat with that kind of draft. Doesn't have to have the Bluewater tag but needs at least 6 foot 2 headroom with ample space inside.


----------



## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Lots of boats have the headroom and space you want - and sail a whole lot better than a Westsail and can take you where you might want to go.


----------



## Gulf Coast Sailor (Jun 18, 2015)

Any good suggestions? And price is a factor as well.


----------



## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

The cockpit in Westsail 32 is very exposed and thus very wet in heavy weather. You need a lot of sail up to keep it moving. If you are going to be sailing mostly in light wind area, you will be motoring a lot. Good boat on long passages in strong winds, but not your casual sail boat or daysailer. Not a cheap boat either.


----------



## joyinPNW (Jan 7, 2013)

Lots of info on the Westsail out there, both good and bad. I recently helped a friend bring his Westsail 32 down the coast from WA and I was surprised with the yaw motion out there in the swells-much more than I had anticipated. She is also slow to get started unless you have a stiff breeze--after that, she goes! 

The other factor may involve where you intend to sail and whether you expect to have insurance. My friend's boat was a complete refit-I mean everything had been replaced and he couldn't find insurance that would cover him beyond a limited area. No Hawaii for him this year!


----------



## Gulf Coast Sailor (Jun 18, 2015)

Roger that. I sail the Texas gulf coast, sailed a little today and had a solid 7-15 and gusting to around 25. If I had an ideal boat. It would sail well in light winds, have plenty of headroom and interior space, but could handle Bluewater well and high winds.


----------



## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

What is your budget?


----------



## Gulf Coast Sailor (Jun 18, 2015)

It sounds low but ideally I don't want to spend more than 30 thousand. So I am up for something a little older and used.


----------



## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

You are correct when you say the hull can probably take more than you can throw at it. Perhaps not the chain plates, the rig, the mechanical equipment or the sprit. This is an awful old boat with a pretty good chance of neglect some time over her lifetime.
On the other hand, given that the one you pick is in good nick, she will take you anywhere. Not very quickly, and not nearly as comfortably as a more modern design, but she will get you there.
A more modern design will have a much better use of space than the WS 32. Many times, what is a daylight run for a newer boat, will be an overnight passage for a WS32.
But if none of that is important to you now, then given she passes survey, sail off into the sunset on a fiberglass copy of John Hanna's classic Tahiti Ketch.


----------



## Gulf Coast Sailor (Jun 18, 2015)

I'm completely open to all options though. Saw a nice D&D 40 for sale but have never heard of them.


----------



## CaptTony (May 22, 2011)

I delivered a Westsail some years ago from the Turks and Caicos to Venezuela. Once we picked up the trade winds, the self steering vane took over and we didn't touch the helm for four days. 

It was a great ride with one caveat. It was wet. We had the rail down and the water flowed into the cockpit unimpeded. If you buy a WS 32, you definitely want to do something about that. Some sort of cockpit combing should do the trick. Most WS 32's I've seen don't have one.


----------



## Siamese (May 9, 2007)

Never sailed one, but like a lot of people, I find them intriguing. You kind of expect to see Popeye at the helm. 

As others have noted, it's no day sailor. I live very close to my marina, and like to take my Catalina 28 out several times a week. Sometimes we'll leave the slip a couple times in one day. And, a few times a year we go on a short trip of 3 to 7 days. A W32 would be a total butt for that kind of sailing. 

How long is the bowsprit on a a W32?!?! That would be a deal killer for my king of sailing. My 40 foot dock might be a little cramped. 

Here, we have to consider off season storage fees. My marina will absolutely charge me for every foot of the bowsprit, and for the gear hanging off the stern. Ouch. 

Getting in and out of a slip would be annoying. I doubt they're easy to back, and you'd have that bowsprit swing around. 

They sure do have a lot of exterior wood to maintain. I like nothing but fiberglass, stainless, and Starboard on deck. There's still no shortage of things to maintain on my Catalina. 

It's not a "mainstream" boat. They have eccentricities. If their eccentricities contribute to you being able to sail the way you want, then they're viable for you. But, there are some pretty solid reasons why most folks prefer their Hunters, Catalinas, Beneteaus, Pearsons, and so on.


----------



## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

A southbound trip in the eastern Caribbean is ideal for almost any boat and would suit a Westsail just fine - 15 to 25 knots on the beam. You mention winds considerably below this however. There are just so many possibilities. When we were looking for a bot in the mid 30s with offshore capabilities our finalists were the Niagara 35 (which we bought), CS 36T, and Tartan 37. Might be out your budget range. A sleeper that would be much cheaper is the Niagara 31. Frers design that would be fine for going to Bermuda or something like that but probable not crossing the Indian Ocean. These boats sail very well in lighter winds and you still get the Hinterhoeller quality.


----------



## GBurton (Jun 26, 2007)

I have to take issue with some of capta's statements above. As the owner of a W32 I can tell you that it is a very comfortable boat. Spacious inside (6'3" headroom to boot) and a lot faster than what you read on these boards.
In light air the boat moves just fine. This is one of the biggest fallacies about this boat. Of course, if you have working sails up in 5k wind, it will be hard to get the boat moving. With the appropriate sails the boat sails very well.

As for the chainplates, bowsprit, rig etc ...well, yes those things need to be checked, just like you would have to do on any 35 year old boat. 

I'm also curious what the solid reasons are that people prefer Hunters, Catalinas, Beneteaus, Pearsons. ....?

This is a lot of boat for what you can get them for. If you have specific questions about a Westsail 32 please ask and I will do my best to answer them.


----------



## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

THESE GUYS KNOW

About our Westsail 32 Sundowner | Sundowner Sails Again

I just have to add, in response to your "OK, what other boats..." comment: It's like asking your mom what girl you should marry or what car you should buy.

For goodness sake, there are so many out there, how can anyone possibly even begin to answer that? And, oddly enough, this is a recurring question on internet boating forums.

There is no answer to "What's the best...?" anything.

Just like boats.

It takes research and homework on your part to even begin to narrow it down. Only then can someone here start to help you, if, for example, you ask: "I've done my homework and narrowed it down to a Whatchamacallit 36 or a Catalina 320. I intend to use the boat for... Any ideas?"

That question would elicit help.

Asking "What boat can I use for lake sailing, coastal cruising and going offshore, too?" means someone doesn't understand boats. Boats are not "one size fits all uses" kind of vehicles.

Kinda like cars. And chicks! 

Good luck.


----------



## Triumphant (Aug 13, 2014)

GBurton said:


> As for the chainplates, bowsprit, rig etc ...well, yes those things need to be checked, just like you would have to do on any 35 year old boat.
> 
> .


The 2 Westsails I have come across in Rio Dulce both had problems with chain plates


----------



## nordbydouglas (10 mo ago)

bigdogandy said:


> Here's a link to some good info on bluewater boats.....
> 
> Full List of Sailboats
> 
> Are you positive you want / need a real "bluewater" boat? If you're planning a circumnavigation via the three great capes that's one thing, but if you're planning for coast cruising, daysailing, and part time liveaboarding there are tons of great boats out there to choose from that don't carry the "bluewater" tag.


How about the NWP??


----------

