Westerly Pentland

[Clarky]

Any known problems with these, are the keels suitable for a mud berth ?
I am aware they are not that quick, but how slow are they up wind?
I know about the Westerly owners site but it's not that informative and unfortunately I don't know anybody with one.
Presently I have a Maxi 80 which sails well but is not otherwise user friendly.

 

[philip_stevens]

If you have looked at the Westerly website, have you also looked at the Forum?

There is also the Yahoo Group email you can post on as well.

Follow the links from here, under Resources.

 

[aquaplane]

Searush has had one for years and seems to be happy with it sailing round North Wales. Your priorities may not match his though.
I haven't seen him about for a while but he may be along to add his 2 pennorth.

 

[GrahamM376]

Same hull and keels as the Berwick, very similar design to Centaur. There have been keel failures in mud and estuary swinging moorings but most keel stubs should have been modified/strengthened by now. If not strengthened, then I wouldn't put one in a mud berth.

 

[VicS]

Any known problems with these, are the keels suitable for a mud berth ?
I am aware they are not that quick, but how slow are they up wind?
I know about the Westerly owners site but it's not that informative and unfortunately I don't know anybody with one.
Presently I have a Maxi 80 which sails well but is not otherwise user friendly.

I crewed for a friend with a Berwick for many years. The same as a Pentland but without the aft cabin.

A good solid boat. Maybe not a sh*t-hot racing machine bit quicker than you might think. A boat I'd happily sail anywhere.

He kept it on a drying mooring and his son still keeps it on the same mooring but its a firm bottom rather than deep soft mud.
I have never seen any suggestion that the Berwick or Pentalnd suffer from the keel problems that afflict Centaurs.

There is one problem to be aware of... it's easy to bend the rudder shaft .. done it myself . running onto the east Winner outside Langstone.
When drying out its vital to lash the tiller or wheel to centre the rudder.

 

[Clarky]

Thanks for that Vic, I would be putting it on a mud berth so keen to know if the keels would suffer strain. My other problem would be impatience if it sailed badly.

 

[GrahamM376]

I have never seen any suggestion that the Berwick or Pentalnd suffer from the keel problems that afflict Centaurs.

Mine had, I had to drop keels and reinforce the stubs on our Berwick.

We had been for quite a long time on a drying swinging mooring in Conwy. By the time we floated, the tide was running at 2-3 kts and we were bounced round on hard uneven sand.

Lots of stress cracks in keel stubs to the point the keels were mobile.

 

[Clarky]

If you have looked at the Westerly website, have you also looked at the Forum?

There is also the Yahoo Group email you can post on as well.

Follow the links from here, under Resources.

Thanks for that Peter, the forum was very useful.
Regards,
Clarky

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Great family boat.

I had a 1979 Pentland which I owned for six years but had to sell it to put kids through University. I thought it was a great family boat and on a broad reach with full sail, went like the clappers. I had 9 knots on the log with a fresh offshore wind sailing up the Ayrshire coast.

Best if you can go for a late 79 model as they had all wood interior rather than the formica of earlier ones. Also had the galley at the companionway rather than up near the main bulkhead.

My boat had been kept down at Pool and latterly on the Solway where in both cases, the moorings dried out. I had the boat surveyed in 1992 when I bought it and it was surveyed again in 1998 when it was sold. Neither surveys picked up any problems with the bilge keels.

Great boat, bought it for £21K, kept it in great condition and got £24.5K when I sold it but i had added an Autopilot, furling and electric windless.

Just watch out for ones which still have Volvo MDxxxx, rubbish, engine, smelly, spares are extortionate, leak oil, diesel. Mind you after I totally rebuilt it, it did run OK but never again. If it has an MD engine , put money aside to buy a new engine.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Thanks for that Vic, I would be putting it on a mud berth so keen to know if the keels would suffer strain. My other problem would be impatience if it sailed badly.

Mine had the original sails and it did not go well to windward but then "gentlemen never beat to windward" In my case it was Mizzen, Jib and Diesel (when it was working that was)

 

[VicS]

Mine had the original sails and it did not go well to windward but then "gentlemen never beat to windward" In my case it was Mizzen, Jib and Diesel (when it was working that was)

The ketch version then!. Pentland was available with sloop or ketch rig

Ive sailed a ketch version of the Berwick two or three times too but so long ago Ive forgotten how it handled.

Jib and Mizzen and engine though I do remember were quite a useful combination.

 

[NigelBirch]

There's also quite a lot of stuff on the Westerly Wiki:

http://westerly-owners.co.uk/westerlywiki/index.php?title=Pentland

There is a tremendous pool of knowledge about Westerlies in general....

 

[Clarky]

There's also quite a lot of stuff on the Westerly Wiki:

http://westerly-owners.co.uk/westerlywiki/index.php?title=Pentland

There is a tremendous pool of knowledge about Westerlies in general....

Had a look at that ,thanks.
Still haven't had the definitive answer to the suitability for the twin keels in mud.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

What about a Macwester Ketch

Had a look at that ,thanks.
Still haven't had the definitive answer to the suitability for the twin keels in mud.

You could look at a Macwester White Ketch which (I think) had moulded keels but not 100% sure. Had a bigger aft cabin and BMC 1.5 (cheap as chips to repair)

http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=186548&image=1

or

http://scotland.boatshed.com/macwester_32_wight_ketch_mk11-boat-137661.html

See pic below of keels.

 

[Clarky]

You could look at a Macwester White Ketch which (I think) had moulded keels but not 100% sure. Had a bigger aft cabin and BMC 1.5 (cheap as chips to repair)

http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=186548&image=1

or

http://scotland.boatshed.com/macwester_32_wight_ketch_mk11-boat-137661.html

See pic below of keels.

Thanks for that, the doghouse would be an advantage in the Irish Sea where I am, although I am not sure if the lack of sailing ability would frustrate me, probably not, everything is a compromise.

 

[trevorr]

Had a look at that ,thanks.
Still haven't had the definitive answer to the suitability for the twin keels in mud.

We have both a Berwick and a Pentland at the club here.
Absolutly no problems with them sitting in mud.
One of them has been here for 15 years and gets sailed regularly. Keels haven't fallen off yet.

Trev

 

[Clarky]

Cheers for that Trevorr, that's what I was after.
Clarky

 

[yodave]

+1 for the Macwester ...but then I would say that.

Good luck!

 

[VicS]

The Berwick ( sloop) makes remarkably little leeway. So little that we never really bothered to allow for it in preparing courses to steer.

The sloop rigged Pentland will be the same no doubt. I'd guess the ketches may not be so good

 

[Seajet]

Even with unmodified keels it's not going to blow up on contact with mud !

My father had a late Centaur with modified keel stubs - by him on top of previous owners' efforts - and the only annoyance was a tiny weep from the odd keel bolt.

That was in the softest mud one can get, 24 /7 half tide swinging mooring 7-8 months a year.

I would say most Westerlies of this type actually sail pretty well if one knows what they're doing, the downside is the lack of feel on the helm; performance for passage making is fine, it's just unrewarding to a helmsman used to boats which talk to them.