Merlou – A Westsail 32
After 4 boats I think I’ve finally found the one that suit my style of cruising.
Big enough to carry all my tools and my life, small enough to be single handed and good capability offshore. They are heavy and robustly build, but after so many times having issue with boat breaking up on me that’s what I was aiming for. I am now working on this new project to make it the way I want after so many years on boats, it is nice to work while I have experience and know exactly what I want.
Specifications
Merlou, waiting for the summer!
LOA: 40′ (including bowsprit and boomkin)
LOD: 32′ 0″
LWL: 27′ 6″
Beam: 11′ 0″
Draft: 5′ 0″
Displacement: 19,500 lbs.
Ballast: 7,000 lbs.
Sail Area: 629 sq. ft.
Hi. I saw the photo of your boat on a wooden Boat cover. Wonderful looking work.
I live in Sackville NB, but grew up my summers in,Gaspé
mostly New Carlisle. My mother was from the Town of Gaspé.
Mywife’s mother is from Gasçons.
In l969-78 I Built a Herreshoff Marco Polo on a male mould I built in Montreal, in fibreglass. This boat I sailed to Mahone Bay where I kept it for 20 years, It now has Dutch registry and is in Luperon in DR. Am going to Gasp´next summer and would love to see the boat if possible. I Like the Gartside designs as well.
Good luck with the new baby and the new boat!
Hi Stéphane, Catherine and little George-Emry.
First of all, thanks for sharing with us this great build. I’m following you here and on the WoodenBoat forums since the beginning and surely, we’re many to do so.
I’m a fan of Paul Gartside and i have purchase the study plans for the #116a. On paper, it seems to be a great boat and you are lucky to have the opportunity to build it.
Since i’ll be in your “little corner of the world” next week, i was wondering if you could spare 5mins to show me the #116a?
Take Care!
JR
The Westsail 32 has a crazy beam. It looks almost absurd, standing in the cockpit. But I will not rule it out. We’re at anchor for maybe 80-90% of the time, and the Wetsnail is a lot of boat for the price, and a good alternative in cold weather. I’m not sure if you know, but we’re planning to do a Nick, and sell Bika in Australia, in order to buy a bigger boat in the US. Our parents are getting old. We need to spend more time in Norway. So… if we buy the boat on the east coast, we’ll visit you for sure. Give me a chainsaw and I’ll help you out in no time.
True, and being more confortable does make you more patient when sailing
I didn’t know, and if I had to do it again I would do the same as him. I didn’t know Contessa was worthed so much there. So I guess you guys are getting ready for the Pacific?
You guys are always welcome were we are, and will always have a place for you to stay as long you are not too fancy
But we both know that you will help me empty the rum when Nina will actually get the work done! 
Which actually there is nothing wrong with that!
We’ll be in Norway 5 months, then half a year in Alaska (in a house). After that we’ll be ready for the Pacific. We’re glad we trucked Bika to San Francisco, it’s a great place, and the sailing down to Mexico was fantastic. We’ve never seen so much sea life. Maybe 40 whales, and close encounters with the grey whale and the humpbacks. The Sea of Cortez has some areas that’s just unbeatable, anywhere in the world.
Sailing around… Yeah that make me remember a old scar
We should all sail together, you going around me, and them going around you!
Well every rig have bad and good. The boom on the Contessa did touch the water often when beam reach on a heavy seas, but I always found that the wind pushing the sail was enough to keep the boom in place. You could always increase the angle of the lower reef so you actually raise the boom when taking the last reef, as with strong wind the shape of the sail is not crucial…
I think production boat use the simplest rig to reach more customer this is why all fiberglass are not gaff rigged. Inga! We actually love Atkins design! We almost build one of his design but changed mind as the designer pass away and we really wanted support during the building. We wanted the Fore an Aft http://www.boat-links.com/Atkinco/Sail/ForeAnAft.html
Nick have made a charter in the Pacific on a westsail, he really didn’t like it. Too much beam and slow he said, but after sailing on a Contessa for so long I can imagine the difference…
I’m getting more and more interested in gaffed-rigged boats, and wouldn’t be surprised if they made a come-back, and a valid alternative to the bermuda rig. However, I wonder if the gaff would be too heavy, at least on bigger boats, without a different material than wood. Some composite, maybe. But I guess this is unthinkable as you guys dig deeper and deeper into the religion of wood.
Hi Henrik
Yeah we love gaff Rig too.
Actually hollow wood laminated spar(It’s not a full wood, even if it’s possible) are the best for gaff rig, it’s the flex of it that make the sail keep a good shape.
Actually we do prefer wood as if you lose a spar, or get dismasted the mast float in the water and you can repair it easily everywhere.
But that’s us, as Nick said we are going back to bronze age time!
Would it be possible to fly a (small) spinnaker? I can’t really see any reason why not, although I guess it may look odd.
Actually it’s not necessary but possible. The reason is spinnaker was invented because the bermuda rig sacrifice point of sail to have better upwind performance which is crucial in racing.
Gaff rig are powerful and stable in all point of sail but less upwind where it need more fine tuning. So the boat is perfectly balance with a Gaff downwind and powerful so no need of a spinnaker. This is why it’s rare to see one with it, but it is possible yes.
You are getting converted?
Well, I wouldn’t say no to a gaff rigged boat. But there’s not many among the fiber-glassed hulls. I’ve seen a Ingrid 38 and a Westsail 32, though.
Your main is huge, and I guess that would be a challenge in heavy seas, with the long boom slicing the waves. But you could do without the trysail while heaving to. The boat will balance nicely. By the way, we met an Inga boat, http://www.boat-links.com/Atkinco/Sail/Inga.html
and that boat look like it should be gaff rigged. That huge main really pulled downwind. They sailed around us (and I guess you know the feeling…).