What yacht should I buy. Westerly, Seadog, Hurley, LM or Pioneer Pilot.

[Jcorstorphine]

I have been sailing and motor boating for the last 60 years having had my fathers converted lifeboat, a 4 ton sloop, a small motor sailer, a Westerly Pentland ketch and laterally, another small motor sailer.

So at the age of 72 and finding my present motor sailer (motor boat with aux sails) pretty dull, I would like to buy a new (used) yacht and have identified a number of yachts which I like for different reasons, these are

Westerly Berwick/Longbow
Seadog 30
Hurley 9.5 motor sailer
LM 27
Pioneer Pilot 26

I sail on the Clyde so you may see the attraction of the latter 3 with wheelhouse steering but I really would like to go for the Westerly. Also have a thing about the venerable brick outhouse Seadog. Any thoughts on any of the above boats. I should also say that my lady does not like yachts which heel too much and she did like the Westerly Pentland.

All thoughts gratefully received.

 

[seadog30]

Hi

The Seadog has a fixed windscreen and a canvas hood which gives good shelter. My crew also dislikes it when a boat heels over, the Seadog is very steady and is a good seaboat. It would appear that the majority of Seadoggers are retired couples.

Contact the Class Association they might be able to find an owner willing to take you out on a demo sail.

Good luck.

 

[richardbrennan]

It seems a bit of an odd selection to me; the Westerly will almost certainly out sail the others comfortably, but you will be in the rain and spray.

 

[lpdsn]

I should also say that my lady does not like yachts which heel too much and she did like the Westerly Pentland.

More modern boats are designed to sail more upright than the older ones you're looking at.

 

[Seajet]

As the Westerly already obviously appeals to your sailor's instincts - rightly IMO - one with a good srayhood & dodgers, and ideally a fully encloseable cockpit tent to attach to the sprayhood when stopped, seems the best bet to me.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

It seems a bit of an odd selection to me; the Westerly will almost certainly out sail the others comfortably, but you will be in the rain and spray.

I agree with you 100% but the problem is I want my "cake and eat it" I have been set on going for a westerly but then we have a wet period and I swing back to the MS. I supose the LM27 would be the best compromise but they are by far the most expensive at almost £1000 per foot. The Westerlies 31s are about £400 - £500 per foot and some within that range have new engines. All of the LM27s have had the original Bukh's.

 

[VicS]

I have been sailing and motor boating for the last 60 years having had my fathers converted lifeboat, a 4 ton sloop, a small motor sailer, a Westerly Pentland ketch and laterally, another small motor sailer.

So at the age of 72 and finding my present motor sailer (motor boat with aux sails) pretty dull, I would like to buy a new (used) yacht and have identified a number of yachts which I like for different reasons, these are

Westerly Berwick/Longbow
Seadog 30
Hurley 9.5 motor sailer
LM 27
Pioneer Pilot 26

I sail on the Clyde so you may see the attraction of the latter 3 with wheelhouse steering but I really would like to go for the Westerly. Also have a thing about the venerable brick outhouse Seadog. Any thoughts on any of the above boats. I should also say that my lady does not like yachts which heel too much and she did like the Westerly Pentland.

All thoughts gratefully received.

If you have leanings towards a Westerly but prefer the comfort and shelter of a wheel house how about a Westerly Konsort Duo if the budget will stretch to one

 

[baff]

Hurley and Seadog are ultra heavy displacement - the others are not - so very different boats

 

[steve yates]

I Have a longbow with a hard dodger, you could buy that and just get one added to your spec. (you may know her, she was a clyde cruising club boat, pot & kettle owned by lenoard & catherine macneil). Lennie took her over to bangor in NI from the clyde to get the harddodger fitted. Its an absolute boon. I took her south round lands end last winter and I can attest that the dodger made the triop a damn sight more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.

 

[LadyInBed]

Years back, when I had a 22 footer the LM27 was on my list of boats I liked. Now, for different reasons, I still think it's a good steady boat but for an older more relaxed sailor.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

I Have a longbow with a hard dodger, you could buy that and just get one added to your spec. (you may know her, she was a clyde cruising club boat, pot & kettle owned by lenoard & catherine macneil). Lennie took her over to bangor in NI from the clyde to get the harddodger fitted. Its an absolute boon. I took her south round lands end last winter and I can attest that the dodger made the triop a damn sight more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.

Hi Steve. I was looking at Pot & Kettle before you purchased it but I felt at that time I would prefer to go for a bilge keeler such as a Berwick or another Pentland for various reasons such as easier handling in our boatyard and being able to run up on the beach. However as far as getting a new boat is concerned, time has moved on and I have decided to abandoned due to loss of upper body strength, there is no way I can wrestle with large mainsails at 74.
How did you get on with Pot and Kettle, it did seem to require a bit of TLC and I do remember the hard doghouse.

 

[johnalison]

Hi Steve. I was looking at Pot & Kettle before you purchased it but I felt at that time I would prefer to go for a bilge keeler such as a Berwick or another Pentland for various reasons such as easier handling in our boatyard and being able to run up on the beach. However as far as getting a new boat is concerned, time has moved on and I have decided to abandoned due to loss of upper body strength, there is no way I can wrestle with large mainsails at 74.
How did you get on with Pot and Kettle, it did seem to require a bit of TLC and I do remember the hard doghouse.

I'm not part of the boat discussion but I'm sorry that you feel that you can't cope with large mainsails. I have to hoist the fully-battened main of our HR34 myself. Although I am a 10-stone weakling with a history of hospital treatment for back trouble, it is something that I can manage, except for the final tensioning. A properly sorted-out boat of the size of a Longbow shouldn't be a strain, and I'm a fair bit older than you BTW.

 

[steve yates]

It did need some tlc, as it had sat on the hard for a few years, and the owner had more pressing concerns to look after, but she was fundamentally sound, with a brand new engine and new sails. I dont think her main had ever been used actually. Some of the kit needs replacing. The steering was knackered, but a few days of wrestling with it got it sorted, the cables had jumped off the drum and were kinked and twisted. The electrics are bad, lot of shorts, and the headlining is the usual westerly droop as it's past its time. A bigger issue, unknown at the time, was the fuel tank. I had decided it would be replaced in the first major works, but ended up having to replace it! I made the mistake of having it steam cleaned, which blew out all the old gloop that was holding it together so it couldn't hold any fuel! I got it for under £5k though, so it was a bargain boat for sure. And she sailed from cumbria to essex through the winter, with a layup at milford haven to replace the fuel tank. Now I have her ashore on Canvey, she will get stripped and headlining redone, completely rewired, new steering cables and rudder bearings, new morse controls and cabling, a new paint job and she will be as good as new.

 

[steve yates]

I Have a longbow with a hard dodger, you could buy that and just get one added to your spec. (you may know her, she was a clyde cruising club boat, pot & kettle owned by lenoard & catherine macneil). Lennie took her over to bangor in NI from the clyde to get the harddodger fitted. Its an absolute boon. I took her south round lands end last winter and I can attest that the dodger made the triop a damn sight more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.

Justb realised that may not read right! I meant buy the longbow you are looking at and add a hard dodger, mine isn't for sale

 

[Trop Cher]

Steve, any chance of a photo of your boat with the hard dodger please?

 

[steve yates]

 

[Caer Urfa]

To answer most of your needs have you looked at a Colvic Watson 28'-6" but the open cockpit version not aft cabin version,
You can sail happily from the tiller all day long and take three steps forward and be undercover if the weather turns. at the helm
Also has full head height in the saloon

 

[Concerto]

I know someone mentioned the Westerly Konsort Duo as a possible choice. This one on the WOA website has just been reduced.
https://westerly-owners.co.uk/advert/westerly-konsort-duo-1988/
No connection to the owner, just thought it may be of interest.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

We are selling or trying to sell our Westerly Pentland as the ketch rig meant it impossible to give a sheltered helming position, though we built a hard doghouse instead of the sprayhood to give shelter to a person on watch and in bad weather run on autopilot to minimise trip out into rain. We will miss the sailing quality however. A similar Westerly hull with sloop rig would make the addition of shelter more practical.

We bought an LM27 as layout much preferable though I am having to get specialised auto helm to operate from pilot house or tiller position (tiller pilot plus remote). She sails OK as sail displacement ratio same as Pentland, except the fishing boat hull means she is less slippery. Her longkeel and shallow draft means she rolls a bit unless some sail is set (Pentand bilge keel bucket effect stops rolling surprisingly well by comparison). I thought about Sea Dog as heavy built and clearly canopy possible across the centre cockpit as mizzen to the rear of it. I think SeaDog would be slow but steady.

I don't know the Hurley but has good reputation, however if the OPs lady does not like the rolling of a 31ft Westerly it is hard to see what will please her. We took, and until we sell will take, ours out in all manner of shite weather in perfect confidence and only slightly green about the gills.

 

[Trop Cher]

Many thanks Steve. It's something I've been thinking about and trying to get as much information as possible.