Westerly Pentland vs GK29

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Stevedud

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I need a bit of help.
I live out in Turkey and am on the lookout for a cruiser. Being a fairly novice "big boat" sailor (having sailed lasers and hobiecats in the past) I want something that is enjoyable to sail. That said my wife is not a confident sailor and therefore I have to bear this in mind. Can anyone give me some definitive answers regarding these two boats. I read a lot about the Pentland being the so called caravan of the sea but then goes on to say its faster and sails better to windward than its bilge keel suggests. On the otherhand the cruising version of the GK 29 will give me a bit more excitement but would it put my wife of sailing for life.
Any comments / recommendations about both boats would be very much appreciated
I await your responses with interest.
cheers
Steve
 
Can you really compare the two boats? One a pure cruiser and one a cruiser / racer?

Pentland is as you state a caravan on the water. Used to 'sail' one regularly in the late 70s and it didn't point, waves slammed between the bilge keels etc but it was spacious and your wife would feel safe in the cockpit with a lot of boat all around her.

I have only chartered a GK29 for a week but found the sailign performance much better. Can't really remember the accom but guess it was fine as I would have remembered if it was horrendous! Wife will feel more exposed in cockpit.

Is bilge keels an advantage in the Med? If not then imho you are losing sailing performance by having them. But then again I may be biased and sail a fin keeler in teh East Coast mud!
 
Thanks for that flipper
Problem out here is limited choice of boats in my price range.
I am biased towards the GK but I think it my scare the hell out of my wife. Hull speeds on the two boat are about 0.5kts but can you remember what sort of speeds you got out of the Pentland
 
Having sailed a GK29 for a over a year and on reading your email you wish to introduce your wife to the comforts of sailing then the Pentland wins hands down.

The GK29 is very light in comparison and becomes a lively handful in any kind of wind. Saying that she's bags of fun !

Its really an unfair comparison as both boats were designed for different purposes.
 
Consider the possibility that your wife may not be a wimp and might enjoy the more responsive sailing of the GK!
Some girls don't like being overtaken.
I would have the the GK was not too extreme personally.
Depends on the individual boats for sale as well. I would say try to get a boat where all the gear works easily, e.g. you don't have to be a gorilla to pull the main in above force 2, decent winches etc.
Just a thought.
 
You can't be serious!
Wotta ridiculous debate- go back to bed and sort out your priorities. And find time to sign up for a sailing course where you both share the learning experience. That might just help SWMBO come to terms with your hobby and start to enjoy it. Or have you made the mistake of cluttering the decks with a family already?
Knowall? Just a very happy sailor - divorced of course.
Best of luck!
 
Our family (two teenaged children) cruised a GK29 for several years, Anglesey based, visited Brittany, Hebrides, SW Ireland. It's a 'big' 29 footer, with a surprising amount of accommodation. Although performance was pretty good I don't think I would call it anything like extreme. We found it very comfortable and sea-kindly. In its day known as a cruiser-racer but nowadays would be a fast cruiser, better ballast ratio than many modern production boats.
 
Entirely agree with vyv cox on this one. I've only sailed the Pentland X-channel perhaps five times and it was a perfectly adequate and capable boat. Always felt she would competently cope with anything that was thrown at us. So yes, your good lady would be happy sailing in her I'm sure.

However, I would definitely go for the GK29 which, by comparison is a fair bit 'sportier', but only really by the standards of those days. What I mean is, they are nothing like as tender as many modern 'cruising' boats, so will feel more 'solid' and stable if thus compared. It would not feel quite as solid' if directly compared with the Pentland.

The GK will give you far more pure sailing 'feel' if you see what I mean, though I must caveat my remarks with the fact that I have only sailed the GK relatively short distances (Plymouth/Falmouth type of thing) and NOT X-channel.

If I were a devious blighter, I'd take the good lady out sailing on the GK first and judge her reaction. Choose a gentle day weatherwise. If all goes well, try the Pentland. I think I agree with an earlier Poster, she may well prefer a faster sailing boat that's fun to drive and will allow her more time ashore! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
If (like many women) your wife is made nervous by boats heeling, then there isnt any difference between the two. all that will re-assure her is a cat.

if she can cope with the heeling, then the GK29 will be more fun for you.
 
I have had & enjoyed my Pentlad for some 25 years. I appreciate the ability to dry out on the beach with the grandkids - you won't get much chance to do that in the Med. I would agree that bilge keels are a waste of time in the Med - but vitaol to me in N Wales with 11m tides & lots of sand banks/ beaches.

The Pentland is easy to single-hand, mine is a ketch so the sails are all easily managed. It has loads of space (3 double cabins) but as already mentioned it is no flyer. It will motor at 6-7kts and can exceed that under sail, but in light winds I will use the engine rather than struggle to get 1-2kts out of tired, baggy sails.

You need to sail both boats with your partner - ask the owners to take you out for a trial sail. Then ask yourselves, which would I regret NOT buying? Note that malaprop is a happy sailor, but divorced. I am a happy sailor and still married (40 years in Sept this year). You make your own choices, but you must then live with the consequences.
 
I dont know why you have picked out the Pentland in particular. The fin keeled version is the Renown which may sail better.

Unless it is the aft cabin that attracts you then the Berwick (which sold best) is the twin keeled version without the aft cabin and the Longbow is the fin keeled version of that.

All four versions were produced with ketch or sloop rig

They sail better than they look as though they might.

If its a Westerly you fancy these 31 footers were replaced by the 29 foot Konsort which you'd hardly know was shorter and the Fulmar 32 and (later a 33) which is more of a cruiser racer but not a racer to the extent that the GK29 was.

Details can be found on the Westerly Owners Association website http://westerly-owners.co.uk/
 
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