Design and Construction
Rayner's twin fixed iron keels give the Westerly 22 a maximum draft of just 2.25 feet, letting her venture into shallow water and sit on a drying mooring or beach with confidence. The solid fiberglass hull carries 1,050 lb of iron ballast against a 3,150 lb displacement, a 33-percent ballast ratio that, combined with the bilge-keel form, yields the better stability Rayner sought for small yachts. At 7.5 feet beam and 18.33 feet waterline, the hull is a moderate-displacement cruiser whose displacement-to-length ratio of 228 marks her as neither featherweight nor heavy; she lacks any stiffness-enhancing bulb keel, relying on the twin-keel geometry instead.
Rig and Handling
The defining quirk is the Gunter rig: a large roller-reefed mainsail with a jib, and no backstay or kicker to tension the rig. The Gunter arrangement is easier to raise and lower than a conventional sloop and performs well in a good breeze; an optional masthead sloop rig was also offered, carrying a mainsail and genoa instead. On the water, letting the mainsheet out farther than intuition suggests on a reach makes her pull like a train while staying extremely stable, and she can easily top 5.5 knots when the wind cooperates. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio near 17, she approaches her 5.74-knot hull speed readily, satisfying reasonable performance expectations for a boat of this size.
Accommodations
Below, four people sleep comfortably: a cozy forecabin holds a double V-shaped berth with the toilet tucked beneath it, while the main cabin offers two long settee berths. The galley is arranged with the stove and grill on the port side and the sink to starboard, and a small navigation desk sits above the stove on the left. The layout is compact but functional for a 22-footer, prioritizing seated headroom and practical sea-keeping over expansive living space.
Offshore Capability
A Gunter-rigged example named Young Tiger crossed the Atlantic in 1965 with three adults, sailing from the UK to the Mediterranean and on to the Caribbean. Despite that voyage and the boat being described as stable and seaworthy, her Capsize Screening Formula of 2.1 means she is not the wisest choice for ocean passage-making in the modern sense. The distinction matters: a single documented crossing does not rewrite the stability math for routine bluewater use.
The Verdict
The Westerly 22 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser whose Gunter rig and twin iron keels deliver shallow-draft flexibility and surprising reach performance. Rayner's design remains a capable weekender, though her stability index cautions against serious offshore ambitions.
Pros
- Twin iron keels allow 2.25 ft draft, beaching, and shallow anchoring
- Gunter rig is easy to handle and stable on a reach
- Sleeps four with practical split galley
- Documented 1965 Atlantic crossing shows latent capability
Cons
- Capsize Screening Formula of 2.1 unsuited to ocean passage-making
- No backstay or kicker limits conventional rig tuning
- Production ended in 1967; limited to 332 built
