Philiz
Well-Known Member
I'd appreciate views on the Westerly Riviera please, has anyone on the forum got one?
Westerly Riviera
- Thread starter Philiz
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Juggler7823
Well-Known Member
The large wrap around window is prone to leaks. I suggest you ask for more views on the Westerly Owners Association forum.
Philiz
Well-Known Member
Thanks Juggler
Duffer
Well-Known Member
Lots of room but I can't believe they sail particularly well.
tom_sail
Well-Known Member
I understand your part of the NW mob, There's one for sale in Conwy in network. I guess this is the one you have seen for sale?
If so a gentleman on here was asking about that exact riviera a few months back and went for a viewing, might be worth a PM.
E39mad
Well-Known Member
The same hull was also used for the Seahawk and Falcon, available in fin or bilge.
robyonfrome
Well-Known Member
Was looking at one of these myself, looks an amazing amount of space and so bright in the cabin, but my last boat (power) was that age and so many things went wrong so I went for a newer Jeanneau 2000 hope I made the right choice, buying it tomorrow.
Searush
Well-Known Member
Stuff on yachts is generally designed for a longer life than powerboats, engines are used less & run more gently, much less vibration & pounding, often fewer complex electronic systems too. Stuff like ropes & sails tends to get treated as consumables.
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
Wow, you looked at a Riviera and bought a Jeanneau 2000, was there nothing between that you fancied the look of?
Philiz
Well-Known Member
That'll be the one, we viewed it on Sunday. It's good for its age, needs a little bit of tidying but it's had a lot of money spent on updates etc. Quite spacious but not sure how it would sail.
Searush
Well-Known Member
How well do you want to sail, Phil? 
I understand that they sail better than you might expect by looking at them. As already pointed out the hull design is good & well tested, and the superstructure will only affect you in light winds or when manouvering in the marina in strong winds - but you will be used to the latter & probably use the engine for the former. Buy a boat that sails like a witch & you & Liz will hate the interior. Steve K
I understand that they sail better than you might expect by looking at them. As already pointed out the hull design is good & well tested, and the superstructure will only affect you in light winds or when manouvering in the marina in strong winds - but you will be used to the latter & probably use the engine for the former. Buy a boat that sails like a witch & you & Liz will hate the interior. Steve K
Philiz
Well-Known Member
How well do you want to sail, Phil?
I understand that they sail better than you might expect by looking at them. As already pointed out the hull design is good & well tested, and the superstructure will only affect you in light winds or when manouvering in the marina in strong winds - but you will be used to the latter & probably use the engine for the former. Buy a boat that sails like a witch & you & Liz will hate the interior. Steve K
I know where you're coming from Steve, they're all a compromise after all eh. Just don't want to stitch myself up with a pig in a poke which nobody wants
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Juggler, where did you get the impression that the Riviera window suffers from leaks? As I understood, the unusual expanse of glass led sceptical types to expect leaks in the early days, so Westerly arranged a very tough trial for it...
...effectively they placed a whole deck, complete with wrap-around window section, under a meter of water - vastly more testing than real world boisterous conditions are ever likely to be.
Here's the passage where I read that - actually from the Westerly Owners Association motorsailer page:
The Mark II came about as a result of feedback from the Sales team, who found that there was a groundswell of worry about the size of the windows in bad weather.
Once these things get going, no amount of logic will stop them, so that the Riviera’s great advantage (the un-interrupted view) was compromised by adding GRP pillars at the corners. In fact the matter of structural integrity had been taken care of by building a test rig which allowed us to put the windows under the same pressure that they would experience 1.5 metres under water.
Passed with flying colours.
As the coachroof was built as a cantilever (one sees some pretty heavyweight concrete structures using the same principle) and the Perspex is pretty tough stuff anyway, and the mast was forward of the windscreen and supported on its own bulkhead, there is no cause for concern about the strength of the windscreen.
Is there any genuine reason (other than habitual pessimism!) to doubt that all that glass can't be a good thing?
I always reckoned the Riviera was one of the best sailing motorsailers - less windage than other yachts with an interior con.
The fact that Westerly crammed in two ensuite double cabins and a choice of bilge or fin keels, makes it still very persuasive.
If the vessel's safety isn't in doubt, is there likely to be any leak aboard, which modern flexible sealants can't deal with?
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Searush
Well-Known Member
I know where you're coming from Steve, they're all a compromise after all eh. Just don't want to stitch myself up with a pig in a poke which nobody wants
I'd have one like a shot if I had the 30 grand spare to upgrade from SR, plus the extra berthing costs etc! It would have to be twin keel for me so I can still sail up a beach with the g-kids, but definitely a boat I could lust after.
burgundyben
Well-Known Member
I worked for Westerley Sea School in the late 80's looking after the boats.
I've extensive experience of the Seahawk/Falcon, to my mind, its a truly awful sailing boat, but for accomodation its great.
In that size, I reckoned the Corsair was the best of the Westerley's.
I've extensive experience of the Seahawk/Falcon, to my mind, its a truly awful sailing boat, but for accomodation its great.
In that size, I reckoned the Corsair was the best of the Westerley's.
chinita
Well-Known Member
Not owned one but sailed often on a friend's B/K Riviera which he kept on a swinging mooring on the Kyles of Bute for a few years.
Four of us would drive up from Yorkshire about once a month and have a great long weekend.
He moved her to Guernsey via Cork where she was moored in Beaucette Marina. Again, we had several great mini-holidays.
OK, she did not bring a wide smile to the face when under sail but the very comfortable accommodation more than made up for that IMO.
They also seem to hold their price pretty well.
Four of us would drive up from Yorkshire about once a month and have a great long weekend.
He moved her to Guernsey via Cork where she was moored in Beaucette Marina. Again, we had several great mini-holidays.
OK, she did not bring a wide smile to the face when under sail but the very comfortable accommodation more than made up for that IMO.
They also seem to hold their price pretty well.
Robin
Well-Known Member
Someone had to tell it like it is! The Seahawk/Falcon in fin keel form are better options but I sailed on a friends seahawk many times as well as in company with them, this when we had a Westerly 33 Ketch. The W33 was by far the better boat to sail (or motor for that matter) but the attraction of the Seahawk and why our friends bought theirs was the huge stern cabin and the galley. It was the huge stern IMO that spoiled it, because it would be going along happily until a wave came from behind whereupon the back end would be lifted up and plonked down again randomly, leaving Pontious the pilot scratching his head. The main cabin is way down too, like descending a mine shaft and the galley (on the Seahawk) was downstairs and round the corner so no chance for the chef to get a bit of fresh air underway.
In the Westerly range, look at the W33, the Discus (same hull but aft cockpit, or the Conway 36 (bit older but good) or as mentioned the Corsair. The Fulmar 32 (tiller steered unlike the others) is also good but smaller. Moodys had a 346 centre cockpit that might also suit.
burgundyben
Well-Known Member
If I recall correctly, long time ago now, the boat I spent most time fixing was a Riviera, and I think a Falcon at one point, both I recall were bilge keelers, terrible, terrible boats.
I recall a delivery trip from the Westerley Yard in Pompey Harbour to St Malo, no wind, we motored the whole way, dreadful trip, hard to steer the boat on a nice straight course, pig of a thing.
Fulmar/Corsair/Sealord and Oceanlord I recall being the best of the bunch.
I also recall, a well sailed fin keel Fulmar being very close to a Storm and Tempest on performance.
Philiz
Well-Known Member
This one is twin keel, another reason why it appeals.
