Westerly Longbow info sought

It's been hugely mucked about with, and will be very difficult to sell again. I'd be tempted to ignore it and look for a more standard version if you really want a Longbow.
 
I would be worried about those humungous windows weakening the main saloon structure. It looks like an early model with the galley amidships. A good one should sell at between £14-20k with 20k being for very fully equipped later ones.
 
Searush will be along shortly to tell you all about his Pentland, the aft cabin bilge keel one in the same range of 31 footers. Oh he beat me

I have sailed a Berwick a good bit .. the bilge keel version of the Longbow

good solidly built seaworthy boats .. all of them.

Narrowish beam, old fashioned but dependable! Faster than they look as though they might be.

Assess the overall condition ..and of all the goodies ,and there is a very good selection of those lots lots more than on the boat I sailed.

Condition of the engine is a very very important consideration. I note this one has been fitted with a Beta 20 .. that's good.

Dont like that strange structure that looks like a wheel house but isn't! Going to be a PITA seeing through it from the cockpit when helming. Different if it had been fitted with a wheel in there.
I expect it could easily be removed and replaced with a conventional pram hood

Oldish one I think with that wooden post at the aft end of the table.. but a good thing to grab hold of when going below.

The galley has I think been altered... moved aft a bit? If so the bunk on the starb'd side may be a bit short.
No oven I notice :( I bet it had one originally.

Check for droopy headlings. Big job to renew.

Check electrics.. original was not good.
Check gas installation is up to modern standards .. Original gas lockers next to useless. Badly routed pipework, not properly supported either.

Ask about age of rigging no specific worries though

Apologies if I've mentioned things covered by the ebay ad
 
Hi Searush-

'Tell all' was aimed at PVB's comment about 'huge mods/muckings'-
(cross post)

I am looking for any insights from people who have sailed/owned/surveyed/repaired these and similar, like your BK boat.

Any weaknesses, essential/desirable updates and how I may check these have been done (like the Centaur's splaying keel fix, long ago..)

Also how they sail, motor, etc.

Thanks for your post-

Nick
 
I would be worried about those humungous windows weakening the main saloon structure.
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I was looking at those. They've been enlarged then ? Or have the original framed ones been replace with bolted on ones.

Surely on one would have nlarged then that much other wise
 
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I kind of know this boat, it's the very first one I went to see when I started looking for my first boat towards the end of 2009. Somebody said it's been mucked about with and I would say that's true. It even had flowery wallpaper lining a quarterberth which I thought was a bit odd to have in a boat, but one way of dealing with sagging headlinings I guess. It was for sale at a shade under £20k, the then owner I think had lost his job, price was gradually reduced and it ended up on ebay where I think it sold for around half the original asking price. I'm guessing the current owners will be the ones who had it off ebay around a year or less ago. Go and have a look and see what you think, it does have good points as well, notably newish engine and sails but you would find yourself undoing a lot of previous tinkering...
 
4 main variants, Berwick, Longbow, Pentland & Renown, with sloop & ketch available in each. A total of over 1,000 boats sold (1973-80), very popular model but looking a little dated now. Built like a brick outhouse with strong & over specced rig (mine is 38 years old & still OK).

The big replacement windows fitted in that one have removed most of the GRP cabin top supports & that is a potential weakness. Lots of them have a GRP doghouse like the one shown, it adds a lot of protection & doesn't detract too much from the "looks" :D.

The early boats had the galley half way down the starboard side of the saloon (like that one). From around 1978/9 it was moved to by the main hatch.

PY no is around 1000, so not speedy, but not too much of a slouch either. Loads of spacious accom. headlinings can be held up with DIY beading for under a tenner & an afternoon's work - getting them professionally replaced will be over a grand. No keel issues with the fin keel whatsoever, except it falls over when the tide goes out.
 
From around 1978/9 it was moved to by the main hatch.
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Both the Berwicks I have sailed, one ca 1977 the other older, had the galley with the cooker up against the bulkhead, then the sink unit.
 
NickRobinson said:
'Tell all' was aimed at PVB's comment about 'huge mods/muckings'-
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As others have said, the cabin windows have been significantly enlarged, potentially leading to structural weakness. Whether the windows are 6mm glass (as djbreeze said) or 15mm polycarbonate (as the eBay ad said) makes no difference, there will be reduced structural strength. The awful wheelhouse construction is another major change.

The original Longbow was a relatively good-looking boat. See pics below from the Westerly brochure...

pentland1-1.jpg


pentland2-1.jpg


I bought a Pentland (similar boat) new in 1978. It was, at the time, a solid, steady performer. My wife & I were relatively new to sailing, and we had a lot of fun with it.
 
VicS said:
Both the Berwicks I have sailed, one ca 1977 the other older, had the galley with the cooker up against the bulkhead, then the sink unit.
Click to expand...

Mine's a 1973 boat, but has been modified to the later layout. I was quoting the date from the WOA site & the OP might benefit from a look at that site too.

Nick
The Macwester 26 is not a patch on a 26' Centaur, never mind the W 31 range. McW 26 had awful weather helm & many have been modified with bowsprits as a result, they do not sail well & do not have good accomodation either. 4-5k is a reasonablble price for a McW26, that Longbow will have a reserve of around 10k min I would expect, and at that price is not bad, but I wouldn't try transAtlantic in it.
 
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The Macwester 26 is not a patch on a 26' Centaur, never mind the W 31 range. McW 26 had awful weather helm & many have been modified with bowsprits as a result, they do not sail well & do not have good accomodation either.
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.legendary leeway as well I believe.
Macwester 27 isnt a bad boat though
 
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VicS said:
The Macwester 26 is not a patch on a 26' Centaur, never mind the W 31 range. McW 26 had awful weather helm & many have been modified with bowsprits as a result, they do not sail well & do not have good accomodation either. legendary leeway as well I believe.
Macwester 27 isnt a bad boat though.
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Now Vic...

Don't hold back, don't mind Mac owner's delicate feelings, say what you think!....:p

Seriously, my Mac has been the perfect 'next boat' after my Seawych.

Safe, strong, simple, able to dry out, full headroom in main cabin, a foot more beam than the Centaur so accommodation is very good, IMO, encapsulated keels so no Centaur splay, no Centaur headlining, cheap(!)

It is slow and has weather helm, but it is possible to balance that out with trimming.

Nick
wanna buy it??
 
Now Vic...

Don't hold back, don't mind Mac owner's delicate feelings, say what you think!
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My bad editing I didnt say all of that. .......... It was Searush!
I only added the bits about leeway and the 27.

I know someone with a Mac27, had a Berwick before it. Pleased as Punch with the Mac 27
 
I am not a Westerly or Macwester owner, never have been, but I have to say from observation I reckon Westerly's go forwards in a strong wind while Macwesters go sideways.

I'm not against the solid cockpit canopy on this Longbow, could be handy though by modern standards the engine is small !

Have to say if I was operating this sort of boat I'd want twin keels, if a fin I'd think of a performance design.
 
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