Design and Construction
Crealock took the tried-and-true full keel and heavy displacement formula of the Westsail 32 and added a canoe stern, while giving the new hull more fullness in its aft sections than the double-ended 32. The result is a 42-foot 11-inch vessel on a 33-foot 4-inch waterline, carrying 11,000 pounds of ballast inside a 31,500-pound displacement and drawing 5 feet 8 inches. The hull itself is built in two sections, each half made up of 12 hand-laid layers of fiberglass roving and mat joined together with adhesive, and the hull-to-deck join uses a two-inch flange moulded into place at the sheer line. The deck moulding is cored with half-inch plywood, and the deck and hull are given a month-long curing process during which any flaws would surface. The three portions of the lead ballast were cast, bedded with a glue and asbestos mixture, and then covered with glass. A year after the 42, the Westsail 43 was launched from the same hull moulds, configured as a rear-cockpit variant.
Rig and Handling
Both ketch and cutter rigs were offered, with the cutter being the more common configuration. The cutter carries 961 square feet of sail and a bridge clearance of 60 feet, while the ketch spreads 1,081 square feet under 57 feet 4 inches of clearance. The ketch rig offers a large range of sail combinations and makes shorthanded sailing a breeze, a point that will be especially appreciated by crews sailing with minimal hands. An inner forestay sail is club-footed. Under way the boat is lively, sea-friendly, and stable, and is easily trimmed and balanced in all-weather situations with either sail pattern.
Accommodations
Laid out as a center-cockpit boat, the Westsail 42 was designed with long-distance liveaboard travelling in mind and has lots of storage space below decks. The volume below reflects that brief: with the aft sections fuller than those of the 32, the hull provides the kind of stowage a cruising couple would need for extended passage work rather than weekend coasting.
Ownership and Lineage
The Westsail Corporation filed for bankruptcy in 1977, a casualty of a bad economy and conventional business procedures, but the marque was rescued and continued as Westsail International until 1979. Jomarco, a yacht manufacturer in Santa Ana, California, bought the moulds for the 42 and 43 and continued with a small production run; Westsail produced hulls 1 through 116 between 1974 and 1979, and Jomarco completed hulls 117 through 119. The boats carry a Perkins 4-236 85hp diesel for auxiliary power. Walter Cronkite, the broadcaster, bought a Westsail 42 for himself, a measure of the model's standing among contemporary buyers.
The Verdict
The Westsail 42 is a purpose-built ocean cruiser from the height of the Westsail era, conceived without compromise by a designer given free rein. Its two-section hand-laid hull, lead ballast bedded in place, and month-long cure reflect a serious approach to structural integrity, while the center-cockpit liveaboard layout and generous stowage suit long passages. The availability of ketch or cutter rig, with the ketch easing shorthanded work, broadens its appeal.
Pros
- Crealock-designed full-keel passagemaker with canoe stern and fuller aft sections than the 32
- Two-section hand-laid fiberglass hull with moulded flange hull-to-deck joint and lead ballast cast in three bedded portions
- Center-cockpit liveaboard interior with extensive below-decks storage
- Cutter or ketch rig options; ketch simplifies shorthanded sail handling
- Stable, easily balanced, and sea-friendly under sail
Cons
- Heavy displacement and moderate sail area suit passage-making over speed
- Sold as kits as well as finished boats, so completion quality varies by hull
- Production split between Westsail and Jomarco across the 1970s
