Design and Construction
The Westerly 22 has a solid fiberglass hull, 7.5 feet of beam, and an 18.33-foot waterline. At 3,150 lb displacement, she carries 1,050 lb of iron ballast, giving a ballast ratio of 33 percent.
Rayner’s fixed twin iron keels limit maximum draft to just 2.25 feet, allowing the boat to explore shallow water and sit confidently on a beach or drying mooring. Combined with the bilge-keel form, the ballast provides the improved stability Rayner sought in small yachts. There’s no stiffness-enhancing bulb keel; the design relies instead on its twin-keel geometry.
A displacement-to-length ratio of 228 identifies the Westerly 22 as a moderate-displacement cruiser—neither a featherweight nor a heavy boat.
Rig and Handling
The Westerly 22’s defining feature is its Gunter rig, with a large roller-reefed mainsail and jib but no backstay or kicker to tension the rig. The Gunter arrangement is easier to raise and lower than a conventional sloop rig and performs well in a good breeze. Buyers could also choose an optional masthead sloop rig with a mainsail and genoa.
On a reach, letting the mainsheet out farther than intuition suggests makes the boat pull like a train while remaining extremely stable. When the wind cooperates, she can easily exceed 5.5 knots. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is near 17, and she readily approaches her 5.74-knot hull speed—reasonable performance for a boat of this size.
Accommodations
The Westerly 22 sleeps four comfortably. A cozy forecabin contains a double V-shaped berth, with the toilet tucked beneath it, while the main cabin has two long settee berths.
The split galley places the stove and grill to port and the sink to starboard. A small navigation desk sits above the stove on the left. It’s a compact but functional arrangement for a 22-footer, favoring seated headroom and practical sea-keeping over generous living space.
Offshore Capability
In 1965, a Gunter-rigged Westerly 22 named Young Tiger crossed the Atlantic with three adults aboard. She sailed from the UK to the Mediterranean and then continued to the Caribbean.
That voyage, along with descriptions of the design as stable and seaworthy, demonstrates the boat’s latent capability. Even so, a Capsize Screening Formula of 2.1 means the Westerly 22 isn’t the wisest choice for ocean passage-making in the modern sense. The distinction matters: one documented crossing doesn’t rewrite the stability math for routine bluewater use.
Verdict
The Westerly 22 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser. Her Gunter rig and twin iron keels provide shallow-draft flexibility and surprisingly strong performance on a reach. Rayner’s design remains a capable weekender, though its stability index argues against serious offshore ambitions.
Pros
- Twin iron keels provide a 2.25 ft draft and allow beaching and shallow-water anchoring
- Gunter rig is easy to handle and stable on a reach
- Sleeps four and has a practical split galley
- Documented 1965 Atlantic crossing demonstrates latent capability
Cons
- Capsize Screening Formula of 2.1 is unsuited to ocean passage-making
- Lack of a backstay or kicker limits conventional rig tuning
- Production ended in 1967, with only 332 boats built
