The design’s lineage reaches back to Colin Archer’s double-ended pilot and rescue boats. Its direct precursor was the short-lived Kendall 32, of which only a few were built before Crealock reworked the shape for molded fiberglass. The Westsail 32 has since earned a lasting reputation as one of the most seaworthy sailboats ever built.
Design and Construction
The Westsail 32 measures 32 feet overall, with a 27 feet 6 inch waterline, an 11 foot beam, and a 5 foot draft. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 419 places her firmly in the ultra-heavy displacement category and among the most massively built cruisers of her size.
The hull is hand-laid fiberglass, built from twelve alternating layers of woven roving and chopped strand mat in polyester resin. The resulting solid shell ranges from half an inch to nearly an inch thick. The deck is half-inch marine plywood sheathed in GRP, while plywood bulkheads are tabbed to the hull with fiberglass cloth.
That thick fiberglass and solid construction give the boat its strength and durability. Her double-ended hull, heavy displacement, and low center of gravity also contribute to stability and resistance to broaching and capsizing. Below the waterline, she carries a long keel and transom-hung rudder. The heavy, full-keeled hull tracks well offshore.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
Most Westsail 32s were rigged as Bermudan cutters, with a single mast carrying a mainsail, forestaysail, and jib. The forestay terminates at the bow, where a six-foot bowsprit supports the headstay; the backstay ends on a short boomkin. The shroud chainplates are bolted to the outside of the hull.
With a Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 16.7, the Westsail 32 readily approaches her roughly 7-knot hull speed and meets the performance expectations of most cruising sailors. She isn’t known as a fast boat, however. Her strengths are sturdiness, reliability, and exceptional load-carrying ability, qualities that make her well suited to long-distance voyages.
A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.0 means she’ll tend to heel excessively in a gust unless the ballast is concentrated low. She needs early reefing in a moderate breeze.
Her performance record includes the 1988 Pacific Cup, which the Westsail 32 Saraband won on corrected time in relatively light winds. The same boat placed third in 1990. Her Capsize Screening Formula of 1.6 also marks her as a safer choice for ocean passages than a boat with a figure above 2.0.
Accommodations and Comfort
Below, the Westsail 32 combines massive construction with a comfortable, roomy interior. The layout is spacious and cozy, with good headroom, storage, and ventilation. She can accommodate up to seven people, although four or five is more comfortable.
The arrangement begins with a V-berth forward, followed aft by a head with shower. The main saloon has two settee berths, with a U-shaped galley to port and a quarter berth to starboard. The cockpit, by contrast, is very small.
Ted Brewer’s Comfort Ratio of 42.9 puts her motion in a seaway on par with that of a heavy bluewater cruiser. Many owners have circled the globe in their boats, demonstrating the design’s seaworthiness in practice.
Storm Survival and Reputation
Satori, a Westsail 32, was abandoned during the famed Perfect Storm but survived undamaged after washing ashore. The boat’s reputation is for handling any weather and surviving storms that would sink other designs.
The Verdict
The Westsail 32 is a purpose-built bluewater cruiser. Her heavy-displacement hull, Archer-derived double-ended shape, and massively laid-up fiberglass construction have carried hundreds of owners across oceans and through several circumnavigations.
She’s slow by racing standards but steady, load-tolerant, and designed with safety firmly in mind. The interior is roomy, if conventionally arranged. Her tiny cockpit is better suited to watching the weather from behind the trunk than entertaining at anchor.
Pros
- Ultra-heavy displacement and a solid, hand-laid hull provide offshore durability
- Double-ended Colin Archer lineage contributes to stability and capsize resistance
- Proven through circumnavigations and trouble-free long voyages
- Roomy interior with practical cruising berths and galley
Cons
- Tends to heel early and needs prompt reefing in a moderate breeze
- Very small cockpit limits social space near the companionway
- Not a quick boat, with a hull speed of around 7 knots under sail
