Westerly Tempest and Merlin

[rex_seadog]

Have recently added these two boats to our shortlist but can find little information in my back copies of PBO. Does anyone have any experience of the sailing performance (from a cruising point of view rather than racing) of either of these two boats especially in twin keel form?
Looking at the ballast ratios (using data from the Westerly Owners' website) the Tempest at 32% would appear to be rather tender. The Merlin at 43% is similar to that of the Fulmar which is reputed to sail well in twin keel form. The fin keel Fulmar I chartered for a few day several years ago certainly proved to be an entertaining sail.
The Tempest layout also seems to be a little unusual for a 30 footer in having two double aft cabins with the fo'c'sle taken up by a large heads and a walk-in locker.
I haven't actually seen the Tempest yet but I understand that this layout results in minimal cockpit lockers. Any other pros or cons?
Any comments/advice from forumites would be appreciated.

 

[BigART]

We used to own a bilge keel Merlin, a great boat but not fast. With our mostly original sails (which I confess were not in the best shape) we were pleased with 5.5 kts and saw 6.1 once. Windward performance in weather was not great, the engine was required to make progress. Better sails may improve this.

Having previously sailed on a GK29, which went like a rocket, we were slightly disappointed, however, she was always very stable and secure and felt we could go anywhere. The accommodation was excellent.

 

[chrisb]

i owned a tempest from new 1988-2002.fin keel,twin aft cabin version.sailed approx 18000 miles including two return crossings of biscay [milford haven -corunna].cruised extensively with young familly as crew[including biscay crossings].also single handing and club racing.maximum sea experience f 10[biscay 1991].i think she was an excellent boat -competed well and good at sea. soundly built [as all westerlies were]. adequate sail area and easilly managed. not at all tender. the 2 cylinder volvo gave enough power..the twin stern cabins work well especially with young familly or two couples.much quieter than sleeping in the bow.having sailed against merlins and having a friend who has one whilst not wishing to knock the merlin this is the one to have. unless you have a specific need for a bilge keel i would go for the fin -performance is much better.i fourteen years of good use out of mine with no major problems. when i sold her the surveyor did discover moisture in the hull to a minor extentand i was obliged to epoxy her but i would not have bothered if i had been keeping her myself. i would sugest westerly-owners site for further opinion but i have probably sailed my tempest further and harder than most

 

[philip_stevens]

Have a look on this link http://www.westerly-owners.co.uk/html/westerly_range.html

and also post your question on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Westerly-Owners/ newsgroup, after you subscribe.

If you don't get an answer from there........

regards,
Philip - Westerly owner.


www.stiveswebdesign.co.uk

 

[aidancoughlan]

have a look at http://www.clickspeed.co.uk/ryb2/merlin.html for a review on the Merlin. I've just bought a fin keel one for short handed sailing & am very happy with the accomodation & layout which is massive compared to others for a boat which is just 27ft over the deck. I cant comment on how she sails, as it hasnt been in the water yet, but she seemed ok on a short test sail. The Tempest is a bigger boat and will presumably give better performance - it looks to me a bit racier than the Merlin, a bit like a mini Westerly Storm which is a cracker of a boat for fast cruising.

best of luck,
Aidan.

 

[ex-Gladys]

I chartered a bilge keel Merlin a gazillion years ago. It made enough of an impact on me to vow never to have a bilge keeler. Accomodation was good, but the sailing performance was worse than bad....

 

[beancounter]

Sailing Today did a feature on the merlin sometime last year (can look it up when I get home if you're interested). I've sailed a few times on a friend's Merlin, and they are a comfortable, stable boat (fin keel). Brian sails his mostly single handed, so they can't be too much of a handful.

The forecabin is a tad cramped (if you're 6 foot, as I am).

 

[SimonD]

A late reply, but I've just returned to the Forum after a lengthy absence and now catching up.

I also has this choice before buying my Tempest two years ago. I certainly don't find her tender although she does like to be reefed early to avoid weather helm. Averagely fast for her size I'd say and a comfortable motion. Best point from a sailing perspective is the cockpit. Brilliant layout, very comfortable and easy to work (same as the Storm).

The twin aft cabin feature is something you either love or hate. They are very good size cabins and great for kids or two couples. We usually use ours as a large "spare room" though. Two disadvantages: first there is no large cockpit locker. In practice, this means that the fenders are tied to the pushpit (no real problem) and the dinghy lives in the forepeak locker. That has the compensating advantage of being able to use the spinnaker halyard to pull it out and having it on the foredeck to blow up. Second, the cabin is pushed forward a bit and hence a bit small for the size of boat (cosy I call it).

Further points: there is more stowage than we can use (and that's for a two week cruise with two teenagers). The forward heads works fine and it's well ventilated. The chart table's a decent size although the book shelf could be bigger. The sugar scoop is not to everyones taste but it's great for boarding the dinghy. The anchor well is very unusual for a Westerly, but much more convenient.

On the whole, we love our Tempest, but then we would say that! One last point - compare prices; not a lot of difference for a much larger boat.

Feel free to PM if you you have more questions.

Simon