24' Paceship Westwind

[Ericb]

Hello all,

All of a sudden I have a chance to purchase a 24' Paceship Westwind. I'm just looking for anyone with experience - good or bad - with this boat. I have not seen it yet - hopefully this weekend.

I have already checked out the 24' Paceship Westwind owners website. But you can't believe everything you read. And I am on the east coast of Canada so I am somewhat familiar with Paceships.

And yes, this would be my first sailboat I didn't have to pick up the mast and stick it in the boat before I went sailing.... and no it would not be the boat I would buy if I were to win the lottery.

But I think it could be a good first sailboat.



thanks in advance.

[Jeff_H]

I do not have a lot of first-hand familiarity with the Paceship Westwind but I do know the Paceship Eastwind of that same era very well. While they are very different designs, I can only assume that they were constructed in a similar manner.

Paceships of this era were not the high quality Paceships that most people think of. Those boats came much later. The company like the industry was in its infancy.

Like many builders of that era, the boats were built without minimal internal framing. The Paceships of that era were comparatively lightly build as compared to similar sized Pearsons and Odays. The combination of the the lighter lay-up and the lack of internal structure meant that the Eastwind (and I can only assume that the same is true of the Westwind) meant that these boats were prone to pretty severe oil canning in the bow topsides and through the run of the boat. This kind of flexure can take a toll on the laminate, especially near hardspots such a bulkheads and bunk flats. I would pay close attention to shroud attachement points as well.

One nice thing about Paceships of that era was they did not have liners. On the Eastwind we discussed adding internal stringers to stiffen the large unsupported areas, which would have been quite easy to install given the way the boats were built.

On the Eastwind that I knew, there was fairly extensive flexure cracking adjacent to the keel encapsulation envelope and at the rudder post log. If i remember correctly, on that boat, water appeared to be entering the keel encapsulation envelope through the gudgeon fastenings, and cracks surrounding an old grounding repair and would end up in the bilges requiring periodic (weekly) pump outs.

The owner was in the process of replacing the electrical system which was not all that well done at the factory (although many of the issues were related to standard practices of the era, such as using toggle switches, untinned wire and automotive fuses, rather than short-comings specific to Paceship).

While the build quaility of these boats was not too good, I thought that the Eastwind sailed quite well for a boat of that era. We would routinely beat a Pearson Ariel and a Seafarer Polaris 26, who were our main competition. Newer boats like the Pearson 26 would clean our clock both boat for boat and usually on corrected time especially in either light air or in heavy going. Again I am not sure how well the Westwind would sail compared to the Eastwind.

Jeff

[Ericb]

Thanks.

Design wise they are quite different. And the owners say things like "bullet proof" as far as construction is concerned. We will see.

The link for the drawings on the Owners Web Site is:

Drawings

Very interesting Ted Hood design, using his "Delta Form" ("Whale Belly") design for the hull. To quote the site.

Ericb

[Sailormann]

They are great boats. We had a Mouette in the family for years. Indestructible and sailed nicely to boot. It would be a great first boat for you and a bit more seaworthy than a lot of others in its class.

Good Luck

[Ericb]

Originally Posted by Sailormann

They are great boats. We had a Mouette in the family for years. Indestructible and sailed nicely to boot. It would be a great first boat for you and a bit more seaworthy than a lot of others in its class.

Good Luck

Thanks, good to hear. I have not discussed this with the owner yet - but my wife wonders how "dry" a boat it is. I told her it should be pretty good - relatively speaking - for a 24 footer....

[Jeff_H]

I have sailed the later, larger 'whale body' boats. My experience with them, is that they tend to be tender and rolly. Hood's boats that I have sailed from that era tended to be pretty wet boats to sail. They had comparatively full bows which would hit hard in a chop and throw up a lot of spray. I would expect her to be a wet boat compared to more traditional cruising boats of that era or newer designs.

Jeff

[RXBOT]

4600 pounds with 300 sq ft sail. I wish Hood had put the transom in the water as the waterline legnth is only 18 feet.

[Sailormann]

Thanks, good to hear. I have not discussed this with the owner yet - but my wife wonders how "dry" a boat it is. I told her it should be pretty good - relatively speaking - for a 24 footer....

Dry is a relative thing...depends on how big the waves are The height of the aft cabin should keep the spray down a bit. The boat is going to heel easily initially and then firm up, probably at about 15 degrees. There is a little bit of tumblehome in the hull shape which tells you that this is a boat that is comfortable sailing on its beam. As it heels, the boat's waterline lengthens appreciably and it gains speed.

The Paceships were designed specifically to sail on the Atlantic coast, and they are pretty safe boats for their size. You won't be winning many races but you won't be the slowest boat out there either. They have a seakindly hull shape and will not slam up and down on the water the way the newer, more performance-oriented boats with the flat bottoms will.

Note that you're going to find yourself listening to the swing keel as it moves around in it's trunk when you're in light winds on a swell. It should not be much more than a gentle "thunk" though, so you probably won't find it too annoying.

If the boat has been decently maintained, you could do far worse for a first boat.

Reagardless of what you end up buying, make SURE you have it surveyed, with special attention paid to the swing keel, chainplates and rudder fittings. These are the important parts.

Don't blow off a survey thinking that it's a "cheap boat" and it's not worth investing the extra dollars upfront. There could be things wrong with it that the current owner is not aware of, and he/she may be unknowingly selling something that is less than seaworthy. The ocean doesn't often give second chances, so get it right the first time.

Good Luck ! Let us know how things work out.