Design and Construction
The Merlin line was built from 1984 to 1992, with about 170 hulls completed across the Merlin 28 and 29 denominations. The 29 simply added a small extension to the transom; both versions have identical interior volume, with only minor layout changes.
Like every Westerly of the era, the hulls were moulded to Lloyds standards. Each boat left the shop with a Lloyds Hull Construction certificate, a meaningful baseline for anyone assessing an older fiberglass hull.
The Merlin 29 has a sugar-scoop transom, with a transom-hung rudder positioned beneath it. This detail was carried over from the Merlin 28 modification that defined the model. Below the waterline, buyers could choose an iron fin keel drawing 5 feet 4 inches or twin bilge keels drawing 3 feet 5 inches. The latter provide the grounding tolerance for which Westerly bilge-keelers were known.
Displacement is 7,694 lbs. The fin-keel version carries 2,987 lbs of ballast, while the bilge-keel configuration carries 3,328 lbs. Beam is 9 feet 11 inches, and the waterline measures 23 feet 7 inches.
Rig and Handling
The Merlin 29 is a sloop with 442 square feet of main and genoa. Dubois’s brief called for better performance and a more contemporary hull shape than the Konsort. The result met that goal in practice, and the Merlin is regarded as generally faster than the earlier design.
The spade rudder hung from the sugar scoop gives the helm a modern feel.
Accommodation
Below, the Merlin 29 provides three cabins and six berths without feeling cramped for her length. The forecabin has 72-inch vee berths, with an infill that creates a double when needed. In the saloon, the port settee converts into a 74-by-39-inch double.
To starboard is a short single berth. Its aft end also serves as the seat for an aft-facing chart table. Farther aft are open-fronted hanging space for oilskins and the door to the heads.
The aft cabin contains a berth 74 inches long and 54 inches wide at its forward end. It’s a genuinely good-sized double and an interior improvement over earlier Westerly layouts, according to Yachtsnet. Saloon headroom is a full 6 feet.
Finishes varied between batches. Some hulls had light ash veneers on the bulkheads, while others received vinyl headlinings. Later boats sometimes used varnished plywood in the saloon instead of the panelled foam vinyl fitted to earlier examples.
Engine and Systems
Diesel power came from either Bukh or Volvo. Most Merlins were fitted with 20 hp Bukh engines, while some later Merlin 29s had Volvo 18 hp diesels.
The Verdict
The Merlin 29 is a thoughtful Dubois design that closed out the Merlin line with a modern transom and a genuinely usable three-cabin layout. She competes on her own terms with the French imports she was designed to challenge, combining Lloyds-certified construction with a faster, more contemporary hull than the Konsort.
Pros
- Ed Dubois performance cruiser with a more modern hull form than the Konsort and generally quicker
- Lloyds-standard hull construction with individual certificates
- Three cabins and six berths, including a full-sized aft double
- Choice of fin or bilge keels for draft flexibility
Cons
- Interior finishes varied widely between hulls, so veneer and headlining condition require careful inspection
- Later-model Volvo diesels have less horsepower—18 hp—than the standard 20 hp Bukh
