Built during the British yard’s solid-fiberglass era, the Medway 36 sits at the comfort-oriented end of its size range. Its fin keel and moderate-racer displacement profile favor patient passage-making rather than outright speed.
Design and Construction
Both the hull and deck are solid fiberglass; the deck is not a cored panel. Loaded displacement is near 16,125 pounds, including 7,167 pounds of iron ballast. That gives the Medway 36 a ballast ratio of 44 percent, higher than 73 percent of similar designs, and contributes to a settled, deliberate feel in a seaway.
A length-to-beam ratio of 3.21 and displacement-length ratio of 256 place the boat among “moderate racers” under the standard index. Even so, 54 percent of similar sailboats are categorized as heavier, so the Medway is no extreme lightweight.
Its reported motion comfort ratio of 31.1 is more comfortable than 73 percent of similar designs. A capsize screening value of 1.77 marks it as a vessel the formula would admit to offshore work.
Rig and Handling
The ketch rig divides 502 square feet of total sail area between two masts, allowing shorter, more manageable sails than a sloop carrying the same area. The sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 12.59—modest, but adequate for a boat designed with livability rather than speed as the priority.
Known sheet specifications give a practical sense of the running rigging a buyer inherits:
- Jib and genoa sheets: about 35.8 feet long and 14 mm in diameter
- Mainsheet: 89.4 feet long
- Spinnaker sheets: 78.7 feet long and 14 mm in diameter
Theoretical hull speed is 7.4 knots. With a wetted surface near 387 square feet, this is a voluminous hull. Its beam of just over 11 feet provides more interior room than half of all similar designs.
An immersion rate of roughly 1,182 pounds per inch means the boat sits heavily to its load. That’s a useful figure when considering how provisions and water will affect trim.
Accommodations and Cruising Range
The Medway 36’s proportions help explain its accommodations without assuming details about the interior layout. A waterline length of 30.4 feet and beam of 11.16 feet make it beamier than the median comparable cruiser. Its comfort ratio also points to a stable platform at anchor and under way.
Tankage comprises 71 gallons of water and 42 gallons of diesel, supporting extended cruising within the limits imposed by the boat’s draft and access to marinas.
Draft and Access
The fin keel draws between 6.0 and 6.3 feet, depending on load. This limits the Medway 36 to major marinas with sufficient depth and keeps it out of some shallow harbours and anchorages.
Engine, Age, and Inspection
The original engine is a 36-horsepower Volvo Penta MD3B diesel. Any surviving example will likely have undergone injector, cooling, or transmission work over the past four decades.
The principal cautions are inherent to the design rather than faults. Although the solid-glass hull and deck are robust, they provide no buoyancy benefit from coring. As with any 1970s fiberglass yacht, through-hulls and chainplates warrant careful inspection.
The 14 mm sheet diameters are standard for the period, not a defect, but buyers should expect aged running rigging on a boat of this vintage. The ketch rig also adds a second mast and its associated standing rigging, meaning doubled inspection points at the mizzen chainplate compared with a sloop. Overall, the hull encourages confident but still prudent survey practice.
With fewer than 100 boats built, the ownership pool is small. That limited production run also reduces familiarity with the model among parts suppliers and surveyors.
The Verdict
The Westerly Medway 36 is a thoughtfully proportioned ketch for sailors who value comfort and stability more than racing pace. Its high ballast ratio, strong comfort index, and manageable two-mast sail plan make it a plausible coastal and offshore cruiser. The trade-offs are substantial draft, restricted access to shallow water, and a small production run that limits familiarity with the boat and its parts.
Pros
- Ballast ratio of 44 percent, higher than 73 percent of similar designs
- Comfort ratio exceeding 73 percent of comparable boats
- Ketch rig divides the sail area into more manageable sails
Cons
- Fin-keel draft of 6.0–6.3 feet restricts marina and shallow-water access
- Fewer than 100 built, complicating parts and surveyor familiarity
