Westerly...a proper British built boat

[Michael]

By way of introduction I was born in Chelmsford at the tail end of WWII. Dad was US Army and me Mum was British. Live in Florida, work anywhere in the world there is a ship and my own boat is currently in the state of Washington, other corner of the country. Retired military and currently in the merchant marine at Ascencion Island primarily.

Se Langt is my second Westerly. The first, a Centaur with two circumnavigations to it's credit, has gone back to one of the original owners. The current boat is a Berwick and is currently finishing up a rather long, extensive refit.

Baby stay gone but an inner forestay with jib hank capability can be removed and stowed up along the mast. Roller furling on the outer jib. Strong Track on the mast, Selden boom and power vang with all the sail trimming lines most running to cockpit and a mid boom three block mainsheet on a traveler. Sail is loose foot full batten with two deep reefs and as are all the new sails built for offshore work. Separate trys'l with it's own track and storm jib. Full chord down wind asymetrical spinny and a shallow chord drifter reacher.

Stanchions raised to 30" new pulpit and stern rail/arch. Arch supports solar panel(s), wind genny and antennas for CARD, AIS, GPS. Radar above the spreaders.

Bridge deck in the forward end of the cockpit plus a nice dodger. Aries windvane, the newer sort and an auto tiller. All new anchors and ground tackle. UHF, SSB, and VHF radios and a few other upgrades including new dinghy, liferaft etc.

Thats the fast version. The boat is set up for singlehanding OR single watchstanding.

Figured the boat was more interesting than me so I'm playing second fiddle.

Photos on the yahoo westerly owners group under SV Se Langt.

Posted the need for crew in the appropriate section and for the interested ladies it's 60+DWM/NS/LD and painted toenails are all right as long as they are chipped here and there. If you know diesel, marine electric systems that's a plus.

It's tough having a mix of British and US sense of humor.

Cheers and may I say you have a very nice BBS. I shall be reading all I can. Any questions on the refit I shall be glad to answer as soon as possible.

Michael

[Nick]

Always good to hear about other peoples' boats, especialy when they are doing something interesting!

The Centaur is a good tough boat - we met a couple (he French, she German) in San Sebastian, La Gomera in December on board a Westerly Longbow, the fin keeled version of the Berwick, who are now in Brazil. It was Andrea's boat - she had been living on board for 16 years. I was very impressed with it - a tough no-nonsense sort of boat.

I wonder though - why did you choose a bilge keeler for blue water work?

[cpedw]

We bought a Westerly Falcon (33 feet, built 1986) in 2003 and we haven't regretted it at all. Michael, in case you didn't know, there are several websites dedicated to Westerlies:
the Westerly Owners Association http://www.westerly-owners.co.uk/
the WOA yahoo site http://groups.yahoo.com/group/westerly-owners/
and a WOA forum http://www.westerly-owners.co.uk/woabb/

There are probably others but that's all I know.

You wrote " it's 60+DWM/NS/LD " . I can work out 60+ and NS but what are DWM and LD or shouldn't I ask?

Best wishes,
Derek

[Michael]

DWM is Divorced Male of Caucasian heritage. For me it's Scandahoovian Norwegian and Norman English which traces back to Scandinavia again.

LD is Light Drinker.

Why twin keels? I had two missions for any boat.

Mission #1 Safe blue water cruising on it's part, not sailing in or close to storm seasons etc. and not getting in a hurry for my part.

Mission #2 Superior gunkholing, canaling, river running and shoal water ability.

The two are almost diametrically opposed. Was looking at shoal draft 3/4 cutaway keel, double ender cutter rig that sort. A broker mentioned Westerly twin keel boats. So I investigated. Obviously they fulfill Mission #2 and then some. Then I found they had done many trans oceanic passages, and many had circumnavigated. They had a good reputation for rough water being built for the North Sea AND had a Lloyds Blue Water certification.

Not willing to take someone else's word I flew to UK and tried them out both in Hamble and at Walton-On-Naze.

After all of THAT went back to the US and found Centaurs and a Berwick were available in and near Seattle, WA. So....

The Berwick has sold (damn!) and I looked at the Centaurs. One traditional with inboard diesel was being sold (SV Desire owned by my since then good friend Kai Schwarz who has got it out as far as Hawaii) and one, maybe the only Centaur with only an outboard SV Lookfar which I bought that boat and translated to the Norske SV Se Fjern. How to make it personal without changing the name.

Se Fjern the second Centur had made two circumnavigations under previous owners and has right now at 100,000 logged miles under the keel. Se Fjern is now back to being S/V Lookfar and belongs to the son of the original circumnavigator. Over the years I found this boat surpassed my mission capable requirements and then some.

Re-enter the Berwick. Known as SY Attilla it had sold to a girl from Seattle who named it SV Child Support ....the money for that purpose just paid for the boat, marina dock fee and insurance. Presto she and her son had an instant home. Some time later her boyfriend was bit by the sailing bug and they know have their own Westsail 40.

I had lost track so put a letter to editor in 48 North sailing magazine, a Seattle publication looking for leads. They printed it under the heading "Wants To Pay For Child Support!" The issue hit the street and I had an email in less than two hours from the owner.

Was able to sail on Child Support and found it was a good sea kindly, sea worthy version of the Centaur just a bit too deep for the Brittany Canals but not by much. Again both missions had been met.

A while later and realizing the little boy was now size 12 (US) shoe and a young man she decided to sell and I was first in line.

Which brings me up to date and when the refit/upgrade is finished I'm off to see the world again.

I'm doing a lot more than was probably needed. The one thing I would recommend for the Berwicks and similar is the bridge deck at forward end of the cockpit. It's too big a volume and too open to the main cabin.

So Child Support, after due ceremony became Se Langt another Norseke way of saying Go....and Look at Far away places. Why the change to a new hull? Needed room for Scuba gear.

and that's the way of it.

Cheers

Michael

[Merlyn55]

Very old thread but had to reply. i understood you perfectly when said difficult having american/British sense of humour. I also had dad who was a sergeant in the Air Force and British mum. came to the states as a boy. Also live in Florida and am retired military. Your enthusuastic remarks about the Westerly along with other research got me to look for one. Sadly good ones are not easy to find. Thought I had one but she failed survey. Ended up finding a different gem, a well restored Cape Dory 28. Lovely lines, sea kindly boat. Refitting her now for the Caribbean and beyond by adding mack pack, roller furling, refrigeration, solar panel upgrade, jacklines, dinghy, and other goodies. Love her as she is. only disappointment so far is that her shoal draft of 4' is still a bit tricky for our shallow florida waters.

Cheers!

[Silkie]

Wow nearly 8 years! Not sure if this our record revival or not but it must be in the top five.

Welcome aboard Merlyn.

[cpedw]

It's all very well you Americans surfing over here but Google translate doesn't recognise the difference between our languages.
What's a mack pack ?
Derek

[claymore]

I think it will be a pac-a-mac. I still have one, its dark blue.
My Gannex, sadly has not lasted as long....

[BlowingOldBoots]

I had a Cagool when I was a wee lad, every one had them, it was a sort of fad. Mine was orange in colour and was completely useless at keeping any sort of moisture out. They stuck to you like a shower curtain to glass and I have loads of pictures of me as a lad at Largs in the pissing rain, orange Cagool drawn tightly around my face and all my clothes visible through the opaque wetness. It was disgusting to try and remove, cold, minging and wet dragging over ones face and head. The 1970s should be scrubbed from the collective memory, it was a futile time as far as fashion was concerned, especially if, like me, you were a recipient of hand downs. A total fornicating fashion disaster and it scarred me forever. I feel like chibbing anyone who I see wearing a Cagool, which is thankfully rare. I think there was a slight attempt at reintroducing them as a retro style fashion which failed. Rayon underpants, how sad, celulose fornicating underpants that chaffed and had all the absorbent properties of glass and were terrifying to take off due to the van de graffe effect caused by the complete non existence of natural fibres from floor to ceiling. Dr Frankenstine would have had a field day in our house.

Edit: The swear filter has actually improved the story no end. A right fornicating success!

[Nick]

The 1970s should be scrubbed from the collective memory, it was a futile time as far as fashion was concerned

Surely not; I was a picture of elegance in loon pants, velvet scoop-necked t-shirts, cowboy boots and an Afghan coat.

Back on topic, here's a MackPack.

[pagoda]

I had a Cagool when I was a wee lad, every one had them, it was a sort of fad. Mine was orange in colour and was completely useless at keeping any sort of moisture out. They stuck to you like a shower curtain to glass and I have loads of pictures of me as a lad at Largs in the pissing rain, orange Cagool drawn tightly around my face and all my clothes visible through the opaque wetness. It was disgusting to try and remove, cold, minging and wet dragging over ones face and head. The 1970s should be scrubbed from the collective memory, it was a futile time as far as fashion was concerned, especially if, like me, you were a recipient of hand downs. A total fornicating fashion disaster and it scarred me forever. I feel like chibbing anyone who I see wearing a Cagool, which is thankfully rare. I think there was a slight attempt at reintroducing them as a retro style fashion which failed. Rayon underpants, how sad, celulose fornicating underpants that chaffed and had all the absorbent properties of glass and were terrifying to take off due to the van de graffe effect caused by the complete non existence of natural fibres from floor to ceiling. Dr Frankenstine would have had a field day in our house.

Edit: The swear filter has actually improved the story no end. A right fornicating success!

Oh dear. Been there too. Cagoules were great when almost new, they were akin to waterproof ponchos / cycling capes of that era. Once th e waterproofing had gone west, they were as nasty / cold / clinging / minging as BlowingOldBoots suggests. Other evil '70s inventions like brushed nylon pillowcases (turn over rapildly- get zapped) come to mind.
My sailing foulies are slowly leaning towards the more damp than dry stage. I find it difficult to ditch them as mechanically they are OK . Has anybody found any waterproofing that works (more than once!) Nev/ variants?

[Merlyn55]

It's all very well you Americans surfing over here but Google translate doesn't recognise the difference between our languages.
What's a mack pack ?
Derek

My apologies, Mack Pack is a term used by Mack sails in Stuart Florida to help single handed sailors. It's a system of lazy jacks, a battened main sail and top mounted zippered sail cover. Raising the sail is like any other but lowering is dead easy as the main drops between the lazy jack ropes and flakes quickly into the sail cover. Really quick and safe.

[Silkie]

Ah - that would be a stack pack in English then.