Westwind 35 cutter, any horror stories?

jerrytug

jerrytug

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I have seen one of these, there aren't many about and I can't find an owners' club on the web. Does anyone know anything bad about them, please try and put me off the design.
Made in Taiwan, quite expensive, a bit like a Hans Christian, but a heavy-ish long keel cutter which is what I need. Are they really built for global travel, or just far-Eastern lookalikes?
Thanks for any views, Jerry
 
jerrytug said:
I have seen one of these, there aren't many about and I can't find an owners' club on the web. Does anyone know anything bad about them, please try and put me off the design.
Made in Taiwan, quite expensive, a bit like a Hans Christian, but a heavy-ish long keel cutter which is what I need. Are they really built for global travel, or just far-Eastern lookalikes?
Thanks for any views, Jerry
Click to expand...

Like most of the Taiwanese "character" boats the Westwinds were primarily built for the US market, but I saw a few in Hong Kong when I lived and sailed there. GRP construction very low-tech but pretty solid. Stainless steel fittings sometimes poor quality, interior joinery very nice where visible, but like many Far East boats hidden areas sometimes much lesser quality wood.

They look very like the Westsails, of which the Westsail 32 sometimes has the unhappy nickname Wet snail ....
 
Hi Jerry,

I have a Tayana 37 which is very similar.
Owned her for 4 years and delighted with her - my previous boat was a Tradewind 39, so she has a lot to live up to !
As said, lovely internal joinery, fantastic sea boat.
If teak deck, watch out for leaks :eek:

PS. Is she in Foxs' at Ipswich by any chance, cos IIRC there was one there in April when I did a delivery trip from there back to Plymouth?
 
richardh10 said:
If it is the one in foxes, it might be worthwhile comparing it to the tradewind 35 which is at Wolverstone.
I know which one I'd go for!
Click to expand...

Yes it is, which one would you go for then...bearing in mind, that Tradewind has been ruined with some ludicrous in-mast reefing system?
 
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Nikia said:
Hi Jerry,

I have a Tayana 37 which is very similar.
Owned her for 4 years and delighted with her - my previous boat was a Tradewind 39, so she has a lot to live up to !
As said, lovely internal joinery, fantastic sea boat.
If teak deck, watch out for leaks :eek:

PS. Is she in Foxs' at Ipswich by any chance, cos IIRC there was one there in April when I did a delivery trip from there back to Plymouth?
Click to expand...
Yes, thanks Nikia, teak decks replaced with non-slip, although a tired old boat apparently..
 
jwilson said:
Like most of the Taiwanese "character" boats the Westwinds were primarily built for the US market, but I saw a few in Hong Kong when I lived and sailed there. GRP construction very low-tech but pretty solid. Stainless steel fittings sometimes poor quality, interior joinery very nice where visible, but like many Far East boats hidden areas sometimes much lesser quality wood.

They look very like the Westsails, of which the Westsail 32 sometimes has the unhappy nickname Wet snail ....
Click to expand...

Thanks jwilson, low tech but solid is my cup of tea!
 
jerrytug said:
Yes it is, which one would you go for then...bearing in mind, that Tradewind has been ruined with some ludicrous in-mast reefing system?
Click to expand...

I'd go for the tradewind, despite the reefing system. ( how can any one have thought that was a good idea!)
I just thought the westwind looked a bit tatty, and uncared for.
I also got the feeling that the teak decks on both of them were an expense just waiting to happen

I'm hoping to get a tradewind at some time in the future but I don't think it will be that one. I can't even decide whether it will be a 33 or 35, that's how decisive I am.

Have fun with the search

Just read that the teak decks have been replaced, but if I remember rightly, the coach roof has still got teak on
 
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richardh10 said:
I'd go for the tradewind, despite the reefing system. ( how can any one have thought that was a good idea!)
I just thought the westwind looked a bit tatty, and uncared for.
I also got the feeling that the teak decks on both of them were an expense just waiting to happen

I'm hoping to get a tradewind at some time in the future but I don't think it will be that one. I can't even decide whether it will be a 33 or 35, that's how decisive I am.

Have fun with the search

Just read that the teak decks have been replaced, but if I remember rightly, the coach roof has still got teak on
Click to expand...

Hi Richard thanks for the reply, yes the WW still has teak on the coachroof, and yes it's uncared for. I do like the lines though and what's the point of spending that sort of money on something you don't like? I know they are paying out marina fees and losing money on it daily, and it's rare/niche, so might be a bargain.
I would like a Tradewind, but there aren't many around, and all the cheaper ones are sloops, and my next yacht is not going to be a sloop. That one in Woolverstone is gorgeous apart from the in-mast, but luckily outside my budget anyway.
The WW is about 4' longer on the WL as well funnily enough.
Yes it's fun looking! cheers Jerry
 
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