Westerly 25 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Westerly 25 means looking at an early British glassfibre sloop designed by Denys A. Rayner and built by Westerly Marine Ltd from 1964 through 1969. She is a 25-foot coastal cruiser with a triple keel and a masthead rig, and the used fleet reflects both the original specification and the varied engine choices owners have made over the decades.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Westerly 25 carries the same fundamental arrangement: four berths, a galley, and a toilet, with a mahogany interior typical of the period. The triple-keel hull draws about 2.5 feet, so most examples are equally at home on a shallow marina berth or a drying mooring. Because the builder offered different engine alternatives, you will find both inboard diesels such as the Volvo Penta MD1 and outboard installations used for docking and maneuvering; the latter is common and worth weighing for simplicity of ownership.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used boats show a range of equipment, but the items that matter most to a buyer cluster around power and handling. Many examples rely on an outboard for low-speed control rather than a permanently mounted inboard, which simplifies the engine space but shifts maintenance to the transom. The masthead rig originally specified 3/8-inch sheets throughout — 25-foot jib and genoa sheets, a 63-foot mainsheet, and a 55-foot spinnaker sheet — so check that running rigging has been renewed to those diameters rather than downsized. Navigation and comfort upgrades on individual boats are owner-dependent and should be assessed per listing.
What to Inspect
The Westerly 25 is built of solid fibreglass hull and deck, so the laminate is the first place to look for age-related issues. Because the boat can sit on her triple keels in a drying berth, examine the keel roots and the solid-glass hull for stress or repair at the bilge points solid fibreglass hull and deck. The immersion rate of about 542 pounds per inch indicates how loading changes trim, and the shallow draft of about 2.5 feet should match the boat as she sits.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm the triple-keel structure and hull integrity, verify the engine type (inboard diesel or outboard) and its condition, check that running rigging matches the original 3/8-inch specification, and assess the mahogany interior for rot or modification. The Westerly 25 remains a practical, shallow-draft entry into glassfibre cruising for the careful shopper.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 25 | 25' | $ 7,590 | 58 | 14 |
| Cape Dory 25 | 24.83' | $ 9,000 | 29 | 8 |
| Winga 25 | 25' | $ 6,119 | 9 | 1 |
| MacWester 26 | 26' | $ 4,759 | 6 | 1 |