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| © Yachtsnet Ltd. 2000/2024 |
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Yachtsnet's
archive of boat details and pictures
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The following information and photographs are
displayed as a service to anyone researching yacht types. HOWEVER THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD. Details and photographs
are normally based on one specific yacht, but could be a compilation.
No reliance should be placed on other yachts of the same class being
identical. Where common variations exist, we have endeavoured
to indicate this in these archive details. |
Westerly Merlin 28/29 |
Brief details |
Builder |
Westerly Yachts, Hampshire |
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. The last of the range were
sold as Merlin 29s, with a small extension to the transom. |
LOA |
28' 8" inc. rudder (29' 0" for Merlin
29) |
Sail area |
442 sq ft main and genoa |
LWL |
23' 7" |
Rig |
sloop |
Beam |
9' 11" |
Cabins |
3 |
Draught |
5' 4" fin or 3' 5" bilge keel |
Berths |
6 |
Displacement |
7,694 lbs |
Engine |
Bukh or Volvo diesel |
Ballast |
2,987 lb fin keel or 3,328 lbs bilge keels |
BHP |
18 or 20 |
Keel type |
Iron fin or twin bilge keels with transom-hung rudder |
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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.
Later model Merlins were called Merlin 28s or Merlin 29s, the
main difference being a slight extension of the transom -
the interiors were no different in size, although some minor
layout changes were made. Most Merlins were fitted with 20
hp Bukh engines, though some later boats had had Volvo 18
hp diesels.
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