Design and Construction
The Konsort's most striking characteristic is her beam: at 3.27 metres — roughly 42 percent of her waterline length — beam relative to waterline length puts her well outside the proportions of her contemporaries. That breadth, combined with full bow, broad stern and generous freeboard, produces an interior volume that Practical Boat Owner noted practically matched that of her 31ft sisters. Laurent Giles preserved continuity with the broader Westerly range by incorporating the distinctive knuckle in the bow found across the line, and specified a transom-hung rudder that both maximised cockpit space and simplified construction.
Hull lamination is solid chopped strand mat throughout, with rovings added in high-stress areas. The deck uses a balsa core. Every Konsort left the factory with a Lloyds hull construction certificate — a reflection of Westerly's in-house Lloyd's surveyor arrangement that underpins the model's enduring reputation for structural integrity. Keels, whether twin, fin, or the rare swing variant, are bolted to shallow moulded stubs. The majority are twin-keelers; a small proportion carry fin keels.
Rig and Sailing Characteristics
The Konsort carries a conventional masthead sloop rig of modest proportions. The headsail does the bulk of the work, and a long boom allows the mainsheet to run at an angle to a traveller across the wide transom. Under test in a brisk northeaster with 25 knots over the deck, the Konsort demonstrated her characteristic tolerance and capability when pressed beyond the comfort zone. Sailing upwind with full canvas — deliberately over-canvassed by the tester — the boat plugged upwind remarkably comfortably at four to four and a half knots, maintaining no more than 15 degrees of heel with a beautifully light helm. As helm load increased approaching the limits, weight on the tiller built progressively before the rudder lost grip, giving clear forewarning rather than a sudden departure.
Reaching is where the Konsort comes alive. The tester recorded 7 knots on a reach in a breeze, and Yachting Monthly similarly described her as nimble, lively and roomy, correcting the common dismissal of heavy-displacement twins as sluggish. Upwind the boat tacks through around 90 degrees, creditable for a twin-keeler with a fixed three-bladed propeller. The hull's volume also acts as a shield: despite the lumpy conditions during testing, spray rarely found its way back to the cockpit. Directional stability is a noted limitation — Yachting Monthly observed she is not directionally stable, which rewards a watchful helmsman but need not trouble an experienced crew.
Accommodations
Below decks the Konsort departs sharply from the interior-moulding conventions of her era. Westerly used no interior mouldings at all; all woodwork was bonded directly to the outer hull, creating what the PBO test described as the feel of a hand-crafted yacht. Teak and teak-faced ply dominate throughout, finished to a standard that set the Konsort apart from cheaper contemporaries.
Because the design omits an aft cabin, the saloon sits further aft in the beamiest part of the hull, producing settee berths that are wide and parallel and a saloon that outguns most boats of this size. Yachting Monthly noted the saloon table could hold a banquet, which captures the spirit if not the precision. Full standing headroom of 6ft throughout is a genuine achievement in a 29-footer. The forecabin is separated from the saloon by the heads to port and a hanging locker to starboard — a traditional layout that keeps the forward cabin genuinely private. The chart table accommodates a folded Admiralty chart, though its seat doubles as the head of the quarter berth, meaning the chart table and quarter berth cannot be used simultaneously. Galley workspace is acknowledged as limited; the projecting engine box fills the gap between table and galley but its top makes useful additional work surface.
Known Issues and Points to Survey
Konsorts are widely regarded as structurally sound, but pre-purchase inspection should address several recurring concerns. Westerly used orthophthalic resins until the mid-1980s, and osmosis is quite common on earlier boats. Chainplates are prone to fatigue and corrosion where they pass through the deck, though replacement is straightforward. The hull reinforcement beneath the keel merits close attention: early boats used plywood that was less robust than the chunkier foam-cored sections introduced from 1981. Fin-keel examples require particular scrutiny given the limited depth beneath the floorboards, especially on boats that have grounded or been badly stored upright. Keel bolts that have been glassed in rather than simply gelled over warrant suspicion. The transom-hung rudder is easy to inspect but the gudgeons and pintles are joined by a rod and not especially robust, though replacement is simple. On deck, gelcoat is prone to UV degradation and star-crazing is common. The most pervasive cosmetic fault below decks is the vinyl headliner separating from the deckhead — known informally as "Westerly droop" — by far the most common problem on older examples.
Refit Considerations
The Konsort's construction philosophy simplifies many running repairs. Exposed teak-faced ply bonded directly to the hull means the structure is visible and easy to reach without dismantling interior mouldings. Chainplate replacement is described as relatively simple even where corrosion is present. The transom-hung rudder, while vulnerable, offers easy inspection and uncomplicated replacement hardware. The cockpit's blue non-slip paint — a Westerly trademark — can be made to look like new for the price of a tin of paint, giving a practical route to refreshing the deck's appearance. Engine access through the central box is reasonable by the standards of the era, and Westerly specified both Bukh and Volvo diesels across the production run.
The Verdict
The Konsort rewards owners who prioritise liveability, seakeeping robustness, and real-world usability over speed or modern styling. She is not a fast passage-maker, but she handles well, sails honestly, and fits far more boat than her length implies. Surveyors' lists for the model are well established, the owners' association is active, and the common faults — osmosis, chainplates, headliner — are understood and fixable.
Pros
- Interior volume and headroom that rival boats several feet longer
- Genuinely good sailing performance for a heavy-displacement twin-keeler
- Hand-finished woodwork bonded direct to hull; no mouldings to rot or crack behind
- Straightforward repairs: exposed structure, standard chainplates, simple rudder hardware
- Twin-keel option enables cheap drying moorings
Cons
- Galley workspace is limited
- Chart table and quarter berth cannot be used at the same time
- Orthophthalic hulls built before the mid-1980s require osmosis assessment
- Not directionally stable; demands active helming in confused conditions
- Fin-keel keel-to-hull interface requires careful survey, particularly on boats with a grounding history
