Hustler 30 vs Westerly Longbow

[Spuddy]

Old thread resurrected? Very different boats.
I'm biased as an H 30 owner. Yep, a bit limited on volume downstairs. In every other respect head and shoulders above the Westerly.
If you want something more towards the floating cottage ( and why not ), go for the Westerly barge.
Don Pye did most of the design work I understand and did it brilliantly I'd say. I can sail mine with two fingers on the tiller. Goes to windward like a dream but rolls a bit dead downwind.
Mine fitted out by Landamores - superb joinery. Engine is a VP 2002 ( 18 HP ) but original was a small petrol. Saildrive on mine so no offset prop problems.
I won't go on but I know which I prefer

 

[Akestor]

That's my 31 Longbow just before few days in Poros during the Medicane... we were lucky there as there were only some gusts no more than 30knts and rain.
Some feedback regarding the boat...

Pros:- It's very seaworthy and sails very smooth in all points of sail, never felt steering or anything else is out of control out in strong Aegean Meltemi.
- you rarely get wet in closed-hauled-closed reach.
- Lots of headroom in the cabin even for me that I am 1.85m

Cons- You pay for the smooth sail behavior. This baby loves to roll when in anchorage, even with the slightest swell. So forced to select anchorages with zero swells which are not always an option.
- Except being sweet for the eye, the mizzen doesn't really contribute to sailing... I plan to remove it an install bimini and solar panel fittings.

 

[pvb]

That's my 31 Longbow just before few days in Poros during the Medicane... we were lucky there as there were only some gusts no more than 30knts and rain.

I've never seen a Longbow with 3 cabin windows before - did you add one?

 

[Akestor]

I've never seen a Longbow with 3 cabin windows before - did you add one?

Neither do I, I've only seen with 2 large windows. That should be a special custom order with 3 windows as there are no signs of glassing old holes and re-cutting.

 

[yoda]

Thanks to all for your very informative replies.

Yes the westerly has definitely more living space but the particular one we are looking at does seem a bit tired and people around the yard did mention she was at time treated for osmosis.

The Hustler on the other hand belongs to a very dedicated careful owner and looks like she is in very good condition.

The only thing that worries me is her 20 year old 10 hp volvo. MD1B i believe the owner said.

What do you people think about this engine ?

As usual.. thanks to all..

Tyrone Galea

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It's only 20 years old, I had mine rebuilt at 30 years old. If the last owner looked after the boat (and presumably the engine) it should be good for a few more years unless he did a ridiculous number of hours over many years. Sailing boats are for sailing however do think about the needs of your crew...

Yoda

 

[Concerto]

I've never seen a Longbow with 3 cabin windows before - did you add one?

If you check out these photos you will see there is plenty of room on the coachroof side for an extra window to be fitted. Just hope the coachroof has been strengthened as a 3rd window may have weakened the whole deck.
Westerly Longbow archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

 

[ashtead]

I didn’t realise Longbows had mizzen masts - is that quite rare ? Won’t the currentmainsail be smaller leading to under powering if the mizzen is removed? Woodwork looks in good condition for the photo.

 

[Akestor]

I didn’t realize Longbows had mizzen masts - is that quite rare ? Won’t the currentmainsail be smaller leading to under powering if the mizzen is removed? Woodwork looks in good condition for the photo.

The mainsail is 5 sq.m smaller than the sloop version. The thing is that the 5 extra sq.m of the mizzen can't make up for the mainsail as it cannot be trimmed for any point closer than beam reach because the airflow of the mainsail flops the mizzen...So no mizzen but still the boat goes at hull speed easily because of the large Genoa.
Moreover, when beam or broad reach where you can hoist the mizzen, again you have hull speed and more without it. So, I rarely hoisting it, just for shadow or just to play with it. Sorry, not meant to highjack OP'S thread.

Another Con of the westerly is when you want to reverse with the engine to Med-moor, as she is a little bit capricious about it but once you get used to it it's ok.

 

[ashtead]

Thanks yes appreciate reversing was not a selling point of this era of westerly having sailed a 76 centaur but still have a copy of original Berwick brochure on island

 

[KevO]

I have a H30 and she will be going on the market soon as I went mad and bought a Sadler 34 that dropped into my view this time last year. And no, I’m not punting for a sale yet, I want to swap out the engine mounts on the 2GM20F first. I rewired her right through, new canvas work, and completely stripped back the interior woodwork and redid it. She looks lovely and sails like a dream. X channelled her many times and down the western Atlantic coast and she sailed beautifully. Pointed very well, and I never considered her particularly rolly off the wind either as long as the sails were set appropriately... the Navik self steering never struggled. Well balanced, no slamming, surprisingly nippy and I never found her overly wet to be honest ... I’ve certainly been in much worse. Yes she is compact below but I never considered that a major downside. If I hadn’t stumbled on my dream Sadler I would have not even considered changing.

 

[pvb]

I didn’t realise Longbows had mizzen masts - is that quite rare ? Won’t the currentmainsail be smaller leading to under powering if the mizzen is removed? Woodwork looks in good condition for the photo.

Quite a few of the 31ft Westerly yachts were ketches. You have to remember that the mid-1970s was a time before a lot of the easier sail-handling techniques had been introduced. Also, at the time, a 31ft boat was thought to be pretty big, and so buyers were enticed by the smaller sail areas of the ketch rig.

My wife and I had a 1976 Westerly Centaur, and were looking to go bigger, and were interested in a Westerly Pentland. At that time, Westerly had a sales centre in Bradwell Marina, in Essex, with several demo boats available. We booked a trial sail on a 31ft Pentland Ketch for Saturday 5 November 1977 - Bonfire Night! We turned up at Bradwell that afternoon. It was freezing and blowing a gusty F6/7. We found the Westerly guy and went to look at the boat, and naturally we said that it wasn't a great day to go out for a trial sail. The Westerly guy was insistent, and took the boat out virtually single-handed (as we were novices and not really dressed for the weather). Under jib and mizzen, the boat was docile enough to convince us that even we could handle it! We got back to the marina, ordered one, then went and sat in the car with the heater on full blast for about 15 minutes until we'd thawed out enough to talk properly.

Our new Pentland turned up in 1978 and we had many happy times on it, only selling it in 1983 because we needed the money to buy a bigger house.

 

[ashtead]

Thanks pub ,my father bought a centaur in 76 , he wanted to buy a Berwick but was told by the westerly salesman it was too big a boat for his first boat? I Remember we visited the factory and went for a test sail off the wall near Dolphin dive tower at Gosport and the steep seas didn’t exactly make the flattest conditions for a test sail but he still went ahead.

 

[Geo1000]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I've seen a nice looking Hustler 30 in Oban which looks good. Before I drive 3 hours to see her, does anyone have any opinions on head room? I'm six feet, and I don't want to be stooping down all the time I'm below.

 

[HTS]

great boats but you wont have 6ft head room.

 

[steve350]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I've seen a nice looking Hustler 30 in Oban which looks good. Before I drive 3 hours to see her, does anyone have any opinions on head room? I'm six feet, and I don't want to be stooping down all the time I'm below.

A while ago I had the Hustler 30 as a contender on my shortlist of possible next boats. From what I could gather the headroom is 5' 10" which ruled it out for me as I'm just shy of 6'2". There aren't many boats around the 30ft mark with sufficient standing headroom for my height. My shortlist is now Halmatic 30, Longbow, Rival 31/32, Contest 29 and I think the 30 as well. I believe the sadler 32 provides almost 6'3" headroom.

 

[johnalison]

It's all about waterline length. The Hustler 30 looked much like my Mystere 26 of that era but somewhat larger and more solid. They each had a cabin porthole facing ahead, which made them hard to distinguish at times. The Hustler needs to be compared with 28' boats of the Sadler/Trapper type, when she will be seen to be better-mannered and more seaworthy, a bit like an S&S of the period but shorter on accommodation. It all depends on who is ruling the roost, the skipper or his other half. Great boats for someone who takes pride in his (usually) sailing. The relative lack of comfort will then be irrelevant. I have owned boats from 22' to 34' and I can't say that I have had any less fun in any of them.

 

[Whiterose]

It’s easier to Sell a Westerly As they say happiest days in your life are when you buy a boat and when you sell a boat???