Westerly Merlin - what else to look at

[At_Ease]

Unsure which section to ask this but since I read YM, and it's not done to post the same thing in two sections, thought I'd start here.

I had a look at a Merlin recently, and thought it was a bit pricey for what it was. However, it does have the right attributes, principally:

Aft double cabin
Aft heads
Bilge keel
Max 30ft

There are some things I don't like about the design but overall they are not insurmountable, although one will be expensive.

Hence I find myself looking for alternatives up to say £25k, which meet the four criteria above. Suggestions most welcome.

 

[MoodySabre]

Moody 31 mk1

Have a browse through the archives at Yachtsnet.

 

[JimC]

Hunter Horizon 30

 

[Cantata]

Sadler 29.

 

[LouisBrowne]

The bilge keel requirement rules out the major French boatbuilders like Jeanneau and Beneteau.

The aft cabin requirement rules out Sadlers and the Westerly Konsort.

That leaves other Westerlies, Hunters and Moody.

The Moody 31 is over 30 ft and would cost more than £25,000. The Moody 28 might be more suitable.

The Hunter Horizon 30 has already been mentioned.

Westerly produced the Regatta 26 and 29 in the nineties but they were not built / sold in great quantity and are quite scarce.

Personally, I don't like aft cabins in a small yacht: they are usually claustrophobic and require one person to sleep in a coffin-like space under the cockpit sole. They have the effect of pushing the whole accommodation forward so that the forecabin, which would otherwise have a decent double berth, is restricted.

An aft cabin might be attractive if you have young children whom you want to put to bed early, but for a couple cruising alone or with an occasional friend, the traditional format gives more space and it would give you more choice in deciding what to buy, including the Westerly Konsort and Sadler 29.

 

[RobBrown]

Moody 29

Guess what I've got? Tho mine's a fin, BKs also available.

But doesn't have a pukka aft cabin, just a "double" pilot berth, same as Sadler 29 & Konsort SFIA.

 

[farmerdan79]

Having just bought a BK Merlin, I'm biased.

However we looked at a very good Horizon 30, Sadler 29, and some newer lift keel frenchies, but the Merlin seemed to tick all boxes (compared to some charters I've had the aft cabin seemed a great size). Plus there was a more "solid" feel to her...

Can't tell you too much about how she is to live with as we are waiting for all this s#!+ weather to pass before she's lifted in and we can bring her home!

Happy hunting

 

[johnalison]

We were shopping for a boat of this size in the late 80s. The Merlin was one choice but seemed to be trying to get a quart into a pint pot. In particular, the saloon was not comfortable to sit in as it narrowed markedly forward. We ended up with a fin-keeled Sadler, with a more traditional layout. I think both sail equally well but we were happy with our choice for many years, especially the comfortable saloon and roomy heads. The quarter berth is quite long and we stored folding bikes here as well as sleeping in it. Both boats are decently built. The Moody 31 was outside our price range at the time but is a more substantial boat if you can afford one.

The smallest boat I have been on with a good aft-heads/double cabin arrangement is the Sadler 290 but I imagine these are quite expensive still.

 

[Pete7]

How critical are bilge keels? there is a Moody 31 on Hayling Island for £25k.

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1987/Moody-31-MK-II-2268237/United-Kingdom

That is a lot of boat for the money.

Pete

 

[theoldplucker]

I had same shortlist but with addition of Moody 29, worth a look. Ended up with a Merlin. Never found the aft cabin or saloon cramped at all.
Pleased with choice.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

We have a Beneteau 323, which has a lift keel, but a lovely roomy aft cabin and decent aft heads.

 

[MoodySabre]

The Moody 31 is over 30 ft and would cost more than £25,000.

There's one on ybw for £22,500. Yes it is 30'8"

 

[At_Ease]

Thank you all very much for this information. The Moody 31 is a nice looking boat but too big for my purposes although, to be fair to MoodySabre, you can pick up ex-charter ones comfortably less than £25k.

The Moody 28 is about the right size but struggling to find one under £25k. They are still quite popular charter boats though so one might come up.

The Horizon 30 is a possibility depending on which side of 30ft the actual LOA is. It looks quite a roomy boat which suggests it is a bit over like the Moody, but you can never tell with a retrousse stern. (The Sigma 33 is actually 32'6 - ie 9.9m rather than 10.06, crucial if you are in a marina! Sorry - digression).

One other I have found is a GibSea 84. Don't know much about these but French boats in general did not go for bilge keels as has been mentioned. The galley is not great on these.

So the current list is Merlin, Moody 28, Gibsea 84 and possibly the Horizon.

Please keep posting your ideas - it is all very useful.

At_Ease

 

[SimonD]

We looked at at a Merlin - very nice boat. But, at the time (2003) there were Westerly Tempests around for the same price. Loads more boat for the money. Twin aft cabins (and a proper doubles at that) loads of stowage space, good sized chart table, decent galley and large head. The head is forward and there are no decent cockpit lockers, but you do get a huge forward locker. I must admit, we nearly passed over the Tempest because of the unusual layout, but glad we didn't.

 

[Slow_boat]

We looked at a Merlin but thought the aft 'cabin' was to cramped, so bought a Sadler 29 and convert the main cabin to a king sized bed every night!

 

[At_Ease]

Thanks folks. Unfortunately, Tempest is over 30ft and Sadler does not have aft heads. Both nice boats though.

 

[Judders]

The bilge keel requirement rules out the major French boatbuilders like Jeanneau and Beneteau.

That and the fact that there are boats that have been built properly available for far less money that sail better and...

 

[Judders]

A good friend of mine recently bought his first boat and we looked at plenty (it drove me up the wall to be honest!).

We had a good look at a couple of Merlins. That earlier comment about a quart in a pint pot seemed about right, but then Maej is 6'4 and eighteen or nineteen stone, so room may be less of an issue for you? I've never sailed one but they look to me like they should sail better than your average bilge keeler.

The boat that really seems to tick all your boxes is the Hunter Horizon TK27. As big an aft cabin as you'll find in a boat less than 30'. Good sturdy bilge keels. Built properly with renwable fixings (unlike the French rubbish). They do sail very nicely though the leeway is alarming (no more so than any other BK boat though I'll wager).

Beware of brokers telling you that there are double quarter berths on boats. There are some big quarter berths out there but they're only doubles if shared by Kylie Minogue and Willy Carson.

If you can forego the aft cabin then the Sadler 29 is a great shout. Maej eventually went for a Sadler 34 and now I've got to know it better, I am bowled over by it but I think the 29s we looked at were just as good if not better, but no aft cabin I'm afriad.

Sadly the same lack of aft cabin goes for the Westerly Konsort and I suspect them of not being the greatet sailing boats going, but they do have fantastic accomodation and whilst a lot of **** is talked about 'British build quality', they do seem to be properly put together.

 

[Tranona]

whilst a lot of **** is talked about 'British build quality', they do seem to be properly put together.

Just as a lot of rubbish is often talked about French boats - sometimes even by the same person in the same post!

Perhaps there are different types of "rubbish" - some you approve of and some you don't!

 

[Judders]

Just as a lot of rubbish is often talked about French boats - sometimes even by the same person in the same post!

Perhaps there are different types of "rubbish" - some you approve of and some you don't!

res ipsa loquitur