Westwind 42 vagabond

[Rippins]

Westwind 42
Hello everyone,
My husband and I have found a Westwind 42 that we would like to purchase and live aboard.
Obviously we fell in love with the lines first and then the spaciousness next.
Does anyone know anything about this boat? We know it was made in Taiwan and then sold through Texas. Does anyone know of any glaring problems with it and what type of cord the fiberglass was assembled with? How does it sail. Does it travel windward without too much of a battle?
Thank you,
J & N

[NancyMackintosh]

Was just browsing through and found your comment. I can tell you a bit more about the Vagabond Westwind and am happy to look up additional information from my Dad's notes as he designed and built them out of Blue Water factory in Taiwan. Each of the boats was of a singular hull construction, hand laid. Our family boats were a 47 that we kept in Texas and a 42 in Sarasota, Florida. I sailed most often on the 47, crossed the Gulf on her in a cruising race and loved both her lines and her comfort.
The 42 was a bit more popular with her shallower keel and was a good choice to use in the Islands. I know of one that is usually kept in St Kitts and has been used there by the same family for over a decade. I made the trip to the factory in Taiwan in the early 80's with my parents. Each hull was made one at a time. My father went to inspect every boat before she was pulled from the factory to be sent to West Coast and on from there to be commissioned and delivered. Original Engines were Lehman Deisel out of Cambridge, Uk and the masts were from France. 3 ladies hand sanded and oiled all the wood on the interior, my father was very proud of the quality of the boats both inside and out.
I hope some of this is helpful and would love to know if you found a hull to your liking.
Happy sailing, Nancy West Mackintosh

[Sailor07]

I have a WestWind 38. A very well built cutter. Solid as rock, sails well, very stable. She's dry...no leaks anywhere.
A Stadell design.

[Sailor07]

For Nancy West
I always wondered about the quality of metals used in Taiwanese construction. Reports often refer to inferior quality and knock-offs. So it was good to hear that your father put in the time and effort to oversea the construction. My 38's interior looks like it's new. The only issue I have is with the gelcoat on deck. It's pretty well worn through as the previous owner apparently did nothing to maintain it.

Any knowledge you have about the 38 which you could share would be very much appreciated. I have hull #9, May 1986. I believe it was first commission in 1989 in Huntington, NY. I'm the 3rd owner.

Regards,
Michael Cabral

[Anesthesia]

My wife and I own a 42 vagabond ketch. I absolutly love the boat. She tracks very well with the 3/4 full keel. I can balance the sails and the boat will track without touching the wheel for up to an hour. She is a good sailing vessel. I love the layout as well. She is a well built vessel and we plan on taking her from Los Angeles to Mexico and across the pacific for a 3 year circumnavigation. I do have the original Lehman engine in it. It was recently rebuilt. Parts for the engine can be difficult to come by as this engine was made in france. The engine block is believed to be a Peugot engine block from lehman. Otherwise everything on our boat is fine. This boat has never had teak decks which is a plus as well. For the dollar value, this boat is unbeatable and is beautiful. I rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 an 8.5.
For dollar value I would rate it a 10.

[dianaro]

Nancy, Are you George Stadell's daughter? We've had a hard time finding much info on any of his boats, hard as we've searched since buying our beloved Vagabond 38 four years ago. One fellow 38 owner who we met here in San Diego actually called Stadell and chatted with him many years ago...is he still alive? We are so comfortable living aboard, and continually impressed with the warm and practical design, not to mention the wonderful way she handles at sea. We've dabbled at thinking we'd "trade up" but are aghast at what other people consider tasteful and practical yacht interiors...most boats look like RV's these days, but not Mr. Stadell's, bless him! Hats off to him, Diana

[crazystrause]

love it

[Helimech]

I have owned my Vag 42 for 6 years now and have done too many repairs to mention. I do take extensive pictures of all my repairs so email me and I'll send you a list of what I've done so far and any pictures you want. I love this boat. It does have crap plywood under the beautiful teak sole and the stainless used on mine is junk at best. I think most of my boats damage was due to the horrible care she got as a youngster. I can't think of a better 42' boat to be in heavy weather. She handles big seas very well. 42vagabond@gmail.com

[PorFin]

We've got a 1985 Vagabond 39, which although it was from a different designer it was built in the same yard (Bluewater Yacht Builders.)

While I cannot talk to the sailing attributes of the 42, I can offer a few of my discoveries about the build quality of the BYB yard. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Overall, we've been very happy with our 39. We've done the Loop in her, and it's taken us places we've enjoyed immensely.

While the rich teak interior is a major selling point, keep in mind that this was all done as a "one off." If you ever need to have interior repair work done, then restoring it back to its original look means that someone's gonna spend a fair amount of time milling teak to get it back right.

The most important thing to do is to ensure that whoever you hire to do the survey knows his/her business.

Things to check for:

1. Soft decks. If the 42 was built with teak decks, then chances are good the screw holes have allowed water to penetrate into the plywood core. The coring of our decks was probably not marine grade ply (based on what I've pulled out of some soft spots), and therefore warrant close inspection.

2. Fuel tanks. Ours were steel, covered with a layer of fiberglass. While the theory was likely that the glass would serve as a barrier coat to protect the tanks, all it actually did was to trap water between the glass and steel. They finally failed last winter, and the replacement project is ongoing -- suffice it to say that it is a pretty major job.

3. Chain plates. While ours seem to be holding up well, it's really hard to tell with certainty. They are glassed into the hull, and buried behind cabinetry. Should they ever fail, replacement is gonna be a major expense.

4. Hull lay-up. While the hull is solid glass, we had issues with many areas of the roving that were resin starved. This allowed water to accumulate and become trapped within the hull. Again, not a complicated fix but it certainly was time consuming and a PITA.

5. Wiring. The wiring used was not tinned marine grade wire. Be on the look out for overall condition, which may indicate whether or not a complete rewiring project will be needed in the near future.

6. Stainless. As mentioned earlier, the stainless used in the yard was not 316L and be on the look out for crevice corrosion.

Anyway, just a few things to consider should you move towards purchasing.

All the best,
PF

[drakeParagon]

I recently spent 2 weeks crewing aboard a Vagabond 42 named 'Fellowship' on an offshore shakedown cruise from North Carolina to Florida.

I made an in depth video tour of this Vagabond 42's deck and interior, and also of our sailing adventure and posted them to

Vagabond 42 Fellowship: North Carolina to Florida, Nov 2011 - YouTube

I hope it's interesting and useful..

DrakeParagon