Westerly Merlin - 1985
Fin keel, Tiller steering, Bukh Diesel 20hp, 6 berths in 2 cabins plus saloon, Large aft cabin, New Genoa in 2019.
An Ed Dubois design for Westerly, intended to compete in the mid-80s yacht market with French imports from Beneteau, Jeanneau and Dufour. The Merlin is a modern-styled yacht with good accommodation and sailing performance, plus Westerly's solid build quality.
Mechanical
Westerly Merlin - 1985
Fin keel, Tiller steering, Bukh Diesel 20hp, 6 berths in 2 cabins plus saloon, Large aft cabin, New Genoa in 2019.
An Ed Dubois design for Westerly, intended to compete in the mid-80s yacht market with French imports from Beneteau, Jeanneau and Dufour. The Merlin is a modern-styled yacht with good accommodation and sailing performance, plus Westerly's solid build quality.
Mechanical
Bukh Diesel - fully overhauled 2011
20hp
Shaft drive
Exhaust elbow - 2020
Cutlass bearing - 2020
80 litre fuel tank
Last serviced - September 2022
Electrical
Starter battery - 2020
Domestic battery - 2019
Solar panel - 2020
Charging from alternator
Rig
Sloop rigged
Standing rigging - 2013
Furling gear - 2013
Running rigging regularly renewed
Slab reefing mainsail
Sails
Mainsail - 2015
Genoa - 2019
Spinnaker
Storm Jib
Equipment
Navigation
GPS - Garmin GPS 128
DSC VHF - Standard Horizon Matrix AIS/GPS - 2020
Tiller pilot - Navico
Echosounder - Stowe Navsounder (1 x below, 1 x cockpit)
Log/speed - Stowe Navigator 2
Compass
Deck
GRP Deck
Tiller steering
All lines led aft
2 x Barlow genoa 20 winches on coach roof
2 x Barlow halyard 23 winches in cockpit
Main anchor with warp and chain (20m chain)
Kedge anchor with warp and chain
Bathing ladder
Safety
Jackstays
Danbuoy
Horseshoe buoy
Fog horn
Fire blanket
Manual bilge pump
Canvas
Sprayhood - 2012
Stackpack type sail cover with lazyjacks
Dodgers
Miscellaneous
Zodiac dinghy
Suzuki DT2 - 2hp
Last antifouled January 2021
Fenders and warps
Accomodation
6 x berths in two cabins plus saloon
Forecabin with V berth
Saloon with two settee berths
Aft cabin with double berth
New headlining in aft cabin - 2008
Head with WC and basin - new heads and plumbing 2022
New headlining in heads - 2010
Vanity storage in heads
Hand-pumped tap and basin in heads
Ample storage space
Chart table with instruments
FM Radio - PYE 40 Watt
Sound system - PYE Audio
Oven - Flavel Vanessa
Grill - Flavel Vanessa
2 x ring burners - Flavel Vanessa
Foot-pumped water tap with basin
Construction
Built from 1984 to 1992, the Westerly Merlin was the second design that Westerly commissioned from Ed Dubois, with the aim of higher performance and a more modern hull form than the Laurent Giles designed Konsort. Although smaller than a Konsort, the Merlin has what may for most people be a better interior, with a good sized double aft berth. The Merlin is also regarded as being generally faster than the Konsort. Merlins were built with fin or bilge keels, the plan at left showing the fin keel.
About 170 were built during the production run, and like all Westerlys the hulls were moulded to Lloyds standards, and each hull issued with a Lloyds Hull Construction certificate. At different times different interior finishes were used, some having light ash veneers on the interior bulkheads. Some were built with vinyl headlinings, other had wood veneer on the headlinings.
Bills of Sale to current owners
Evidence of UK VAT status
Owner's Comments
Westerly Merlins are great sailing yachts. Easily sailable single handed, whilst also providing a surprising amount of accommodation and storage space for friends and family, with 2 double cabins and 2 further berths in the saloon and a decent sized cockpit with no wheel to get in the way.
