Design and Lineage
Proctor designed the Nimrod as Westerly’s new model for 1968. The company built 186 boats between 1968 and 1971, when production ceased.
The moulds then passed to other builders. Nimrod Marine in Shropshire completed another 54 boats. It is also understood that JL Gmach held the moulds, and Anglo Marine bought them in the late 1980s and built about another half dozen. Although these later boats came from the same plugs and may have an identical hull shape, they aren’t Westerlys.
At 17 feet 9 inches overall, with a 15 foot 6 inch waterline and a 6 foot 6 inch beam, the Nimrod sits firmly in the pocket-cruiser class rather than being a scaled-down coastal yacht. Its 1,050 pound displacement made it trailable.
Construction and Keel
Most Nimrods carried a 120 kg ‘L’ shaped centre plate that retracted completely into the hull, simplifying launching and allowing a shallow draft. The wing-keel type listed in the build data, paired with 260 pounds of iron ballast, provides solid low-end grip.
Solid fiberglass hull and deck construction was standard. The 431 kg weight recorded in period specification sheets closely matches the builder’s displacement figure, closely enough to confirm a lightly built but conventionally molded small cruiser.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Nimrod has a fractional sloop rig carrying 140 square feet of sail. With the genoa deployed, a period review gives a generous total of 16.7 square meters.
Rolled side decks and toe straps for sitting out show that this was a boat intended to be sailed actively, with the crew on the rail rather than below. The published assessment is blunt: the Nimrod yacht is a very fast boat. The manufacturer’s own note likewise says she was quick despite her cruising pretensions.
A hull speed near 5.3 knots is respectable for the 15 foot 6 inch waterline, while the 21.68 sail-area-to-displacement ratio helps explain the lively turn of speed.
Accommodation
Below, the Nimrod provided two reasonable berths. A cockpit tent could add two deck berths for children. Even so, the cabin fell short of what Westerly normally provided, according to the period review. The same source suggests that this lack of interior space may explain the low sales numbers.
For a boat aimed at sailors moving up from dinghies, the compromise was deliberate: cabin volume gave way to performance and trailability.
Known Issues
The only documented shortfall is the accommodation, which period reviewers tied directly to weak sales. No structural, rigging, or systems defects appear in the published surveys. The retracting centre plate and solid molding are described without caveat.
The Verdict
The Nimrod 18 is a focused boat: a Proctor-designed trailer-sailer that trades cabin comfort for speed and straightforward launching. She suits a sailor looking for dinghy-like fun with the option of two nights aboard, rather than a cruiser expecting a miniature version of a larger Westerly cabin.
The 186 Westerly hulls, together with the later same-mould boats, make the Nimrod uncommon but not rare. Her shallow-draft, retracting centre plate remains the defining practical advantage.
Pros
- Very fast for her length, with a generous genoa rig and side decks arranged for sitting out
- Retracting centre plate allows easy trailer launching and access to shallow water
- Light, trailable, and simply built in solid fiberglass
Cons
- Minimal accommodation by Westerly standards limits her cruising appeal
- The short production run as a true Westerly may limit marque support
- Later boats from the same moulds aren’t Westerlys, which can confuse ownership history
