Today’s assignment was at Lowestoft Yacht Services to Survey this rare Yacht for Insurance. They only built 14 of these Westerly Spirits.
The little Spirit, which itself came from an altered and shortened Griffon mould, became the 260 in late 1993. In the early 90s, the Company was just reforming itself from bankruptcy and needed to have something new to claw back some of the attention and sales that had been going Moody’s way since the turn of the decade.
There was no money to do anything dramatic, of course, so no new boats could be developed (it costs at least half a million to bring on a truly new yacht). Which is why the idea of making a whole new range out of existing boats was so exciting.
The Regattas which included the Spirit would capitalise on the fast image of the Storms that had been such a success in the late 80s, while the Oceans would carry forward the proud tradition of generations of Westerly cruising boats.
(First published in WOA magazine No. 67, Winter 2001)WOW says...So after only building 14, why were these boats such a total failure, in commercial terms? Probably, the changes were just too much to take in. That was certainly the feeling of WOW. Boat interiors had all looked the same since the last time Westerly took a big step forward in the late 70s, with the GK29s and Konsorts leading in to the look of the 80s and 90s followed by almost every boat built in Britain since. In fact, and with hindsight, these are wonderful designs, with more interesting new woods, more curves, more comfort, better stowage, better galleys, better chart tables and a fresh, bright, light and truly interesting look. One person’s breath of fresh air may be another’s draught, but as fresh air types, living in a modern world, buying new design in every other walk of life, isn’t it time we gave these super boats a second look?
Surveyors comments generally on rigging: Regularly check the rigging for tensioning and the lock nuts or pins for safetying. Have owners regularly secure, lubricate and check the bottle screws for tensioning: if the rigging is loose, the chain plate friction may generate wear. Never lubricate bottle screws with silicon grease: use tallow, graphite grease or other. Change all shrouds or stays exhibiting kinks, severed wires or other defects. Regularly check the chain plates and stays for condition.
This disclaimer applies to all content in this blog, along with much of the article & tool content as well. I provide information, advice & content based on my personal and professional experience. This content is, by-and-large, opinion, and although I do my best to limit false or misleading information, the practices of search engine optimization and search engine marketing are rarely an exact science and my results applying this information may vary.
Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I specialise in Boats of all types, and I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com
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| Designed by Ed Dubois check out the Westerly Owners Association for more info |
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| A view over to Haven Marina |
There was no money to do anything dramatic, of course, so no new boats could be developed (it costs at least half a million to bring on a truly new yacht). Which is why the idea of making a whole new range out of existing boats was so exciting.
The Regattas which included the Spirit would capitalise on the fast image of the Storms that had been such a success in the late 80s, while the Oceans would carry forward the proud tradition of generations of Westerly cruising boats.
(First published in WOA magazine No. 67, Winter 2001)WOW says...So after only building 14, why were these boats such a total failure, in commercial terms? Probably, the changes were just too much to take in. That was certainly the feeling of WOW. Boat interiors had all looked the same since the last time Westerly took a big step forward in the late 70s, with the GK29s and Konsorts leading in to the look of the 80s and 90s followed by almost every boat built in Britain since. In fact, and with hindsight, these are wonderful designs, with more interesting new woods, more curves, more comfort, better stowage, better galleys, better chart tables and a fresh, bright, light and truly interesting look. One person’s breath of fresh air may be another’s draught, but as fresh air types, living in a modern world, buying new design in every other walk of life, isn’t it time we gave these super boats a second look?
Surveyors comments generally on rigging: Regularly check the rigging for tensioning and the lock nuts or pins for safetying. Have owners regularly secure, lubricate and check the bottle screws for tensioning: if the rigging is loose, the chain plate friction may generate wear. Never lubricate bottle screws with silicon grease: use tallow, graphite grease or other. Change all shrouds or stays exhibiting kinks, severed wires or other defects. Regularly check the chain plates and stays for condition.
This disclaimer applies to all content in this blog, along with much of the article & tool content as well. I provide information, advice & content based on my personal and professional experience. This content is, by-and-large, opinion, and although I do my best to limit false or misleading information, the practices of search engine optimization and search engine marketing are rarely an exact science and my results applying this information may vary.
Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I specialise in Boats of all types, and I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com
