Westerly Conway 36, built 1977 - Sensibly priced at £36,500
‘Laurelin’ is a fin-keeled, center-cockpit example of the prized Conway ‘family’ built by Westerly between 1974 and 1983. She has what was termed the ‘B’ accommodation layout; namely with a galley in the walk-through to the aft cabin and a hullside facing, stand-to chart table to starboard side of the companionway. With sail number CY128 and built in 1977, she could be described as a late MK1 example.
Professionally epoxied beneath the waterline and then ‘Coppercoated’ in 2012 and subsequently fitted with a modern Beta Marine replacement engine in 2023 (still with just 73 hrs of running time), huge amounts of other people’s money has been spent on this particular example in recent years. She’s also fitted with modern instrumentation, replacement sails (dating from 2004 to 2011) a ‘wet’ heating system with radiators and has been re-lined and re-upholstered throughout.
This has just got to be the centre-cockpit ketch to consider. She will be of interest to anyone looking to spend long periods aboard and/or wanting to go long distances shorthanded.
Many more photos are available from our ‘cloud’- based files, contact us for access.
Description of Accommodation, commencing from forward:
Forward Cabin: A large ‘V’-shaped berth with in-filling cushion to provide a double berth. Deep stowage lockers beneath the ‘head’ end of the berth, with a stainless steel tank occupying the hull volume beneath the middle of the berth. Deep-fiddled shelves for storage to either side, supplementing a hanging locker with two shelves behind the doorway into the cabin. Step to assist in climbing into what is a relatively high berth. A small (300x600mm) thermostatically valved radiator is fitted to the bulkhead between this cabin and the heads compartment. Two opening portlights (nicely polished and relatively recent) combine with a forward-facing opening hatch overhead to provide light and ventilation.
Heads compartment: A comparatively large compartment has been retrospectively fitted with a stainless steel handbasin set into the work surface and is provided with hot and cold water through a mixing tap and a shower-type faucet. This supplements an earlier/original mixer with shower head that is fitted to the rear bulkhead of the compartment, within a shower curtain’s rail. Note: the shower’s greywater pump has been removed. Another 300x600 radiator is fitted within the compartment. An opening portlight provides light, with a ventilator fitted overhead.
Saloon: This features two parallel and single berths, both provided with lee clothes for the occupants’ comfort and security at sea and to either side of a centre-line mounted, double leafed table. Rather neatly, the fiddles to the central section of the table are removable, thereby offering an uninterrupted, flush surface across the full width of the table, providing convenient space for the necessary amount of crockery.
There is ‘oodles’ of stowage, with all the space under the saloon settees/berths available for use (the additional freshwater tanks are fitted beneath the sole), together with large cave lockers behind the backrest cushions and then there are closed lockers beneath the side decks too. The Saloon space may also be said to extend forward a little with a vestibule area outside the heads’ compartment door with another, full-length hanging locker to the port side.
Four polished aluminium framed toughened glass let light to this area, with two recent, brass-finished reading lights (LED) fitted and new overhead lamps also LED) for good general illumination.
Warm air heating is provided through two outlets (one forward and another toward the rear of the Saloon area) feeding air from a heater matrix mounted under the starboard seating, while there is another, closed-system small radiator fitted between the chart table and the rest of the Saloon. A 240V AC double gang 13A outlet is fitted to the forward end of the seating, while another is fitted beneath the chart table, toward the aft end of this space.
Nav area: located to starboard side of the companionway down from the cockpit, the stand-to chart table is large and features an instrument/pencil trough along its top. The chart table faces the starboard side of the hull where the headroom is maximised by utilising the volume within the cockpit coaming above. There is a hinged fascia on which a modern Axiom plotter (by way of a repeater to supplement the cockpit-mounted plotter) has been fitted. Here too, is a 14-way circuit breaker panel, aneroid barometer and battery state indicator. This generously sized chart table also offers plenty of paper chart storage within.
Galley: similar to that of the later Westerly Seahawk and a Moody 346, in being located within the walkway where there isn’t full standing headroom, the designer utilised the space within the cockpit’s starboard coaming to provide adequate headroom for working over the expansive workspace that runs from the aft cabin’s doorway, all the way to the cooker’s gimballing aperture. There is a top-accessed refrigerated food compartment at the aft end of this work surface and deep drawers and a shelved locker space toward the cooker. Twin stainless steel sinks are forward facing and fitted within a peninsular that overhangs the port settee berth, within the main saloon where there is full-height headroom and ensures that the cook is not isolated from conversation within the main space. A relatively young ‘Nelson 1500’ stainless steel cooker by Spinflow is fitted and there is an opening portlight above the galley to encourage ventilation. A pair of 240V AC sockets enables an electric kettle to be boiled when in port and modern ‘fluorescent replacement’ LED lamps provide for good working light above the work surfaces.
Aft cabin: upon entry into the aft cabin, there is a half-height hanging locker to one’s right and another, smaller locker to the opposite side. The berths are laid out in the form of a long, deep ‘V’, with an infilling cushion to form a very generous double berth about the centre-line. Having said that, each side of the ‘V’ would offer a very comfortable (and long) single berth, with well over 4’ floor space between, supplemented by another 10” in the approach area to the doorway. In summary, we’re suggesting that this aft cabin is notably generous in the amount of general space and this combines with the fact that there are four individual opening portlights and a single, relatively long window (this to the cockpit) letting good levels of light and ventilation to offer a welcoming and comfortable private cabin.
Indulgently thick, composite foam and memory foam berth cushions are barely slept on as yet and in common with the rest of the accommodation, there is the benefit of a closed-system radiator, replacement reading lights (LED) and it has been fully re-lined. There is abundant storage, both under the head ends of the berths, in cave lockers outboard of the berths and fiddled hull-side shelves beneath the side decks.
Mechanical and Electrical Systems
Engine: Re-fitted with a new Beta Marine B-38 diesel (four cylinder, naturally aspirated and indirectly cooled), with only 73 hours recorded since its professional installation in 2023. The installation looks to have been to a good standard, with new acoustic insulation fitted throughout the engine space and a new fuel tank fitted at the same time.
The engine drives a three-bladed, self-feathering propeller. Fitted to suit the new engine through a conventional stainless shaft. An R&D flexible coupling was fitted too, as was a ‘Spurs’ rope cutter.
Electrical: a 12V DC system supplied by two individual battery banks, one for (65A/hr) engine cranking (new in 2021, located in the walk-in cockpit locker and the other made up of two 130 A/hr batteries (new 2022) secured within dedicated battery boxes beneath the port settee berth that are selected and isolated through a rotary selector switch. Distribution through thermal circuit breakers at main distribution board at chart table.
Charging of the batteries is by 120A, engine-driven alternator through a voltage sensitive charge management unit, or by trickle charge from a top-up photo-voltaic (‘Solar’) panel or by a 30 Amp ‘Smart’ battery charger (by Sterling) when the vessel is connected to a shore support system.
The 240V AC input is fitted with a galvanic isolator to prevent ground faults jeopardising the vessel’s underwater fittings’ safety.
Tankage: Freshwater: A total of 272 litres in three stainless steel tanks (136 litres beneath the forward berths, with 77 litres and 59 litres respectively in two tanks beneath the main saloon sole).
Fuel: Approx. 160 ltrs in a new HDPE tank to same dimensions as the original tank. Electric fuel gauge fitted.
Spars and Sails
Rigged as a masthead ketch on gold anodised aluminium spars by Proctor Masts, with a Rotostay roller reefing system fitted to the for’stay and the main boom having been fitted with fittings to enable the mainsail to be slab reefed (from the mast). The main boom has also been fitted with a Barton boom strut to support the boom when reefing and in opening the leech of the sail in light airs.
A ‘Lazy’ for’stay with tensioner is fitted, on which a hanked headsail may be set behind the outer for’stay.
The mizzen mast is reported to have been a replacement, fitted in 1993.
Sails:
• Loose footed mainsail by Kemp Sails (new in 2011), provided with two slab reefs.
• Roller-reefing genoa by Kemp Sails (2004).
• Mizzen (by Kemp) dates from 2005.
• Triple stitched, hanked No.2 Jib (presumably intended for use as ‘Storm’ canvas), by Ratsey & Lapthorne.
• Hanked No.1 Jib by Ratsey & Lapthorne.
• ‘Coaster’ (also known termed as a ‘Cruising Chute’) by Butler and Verner of unknown age.
• Mizzen Stays’l in rip-stop, all white nylon by Ratsey & Lapthorne.
Instrumentation:
All the primary instrumentation was replaced in 2023 with a view to providing the primary information in the cockpit (reflecting modern levels of functionality) in addition to the chart table. Amodern, DSC/GMDSS capable VHF radio and a Class B AIS transponder was also fitted (see ‘Safety Equipment’ below).
• Modern i70 system by Raymarine incl. Wind and depth.
• Raymarine EV-100 autopilot, together with i70 control head.
• Raymarine E120 chart plotter mounted on centreline, above companionway ahead of the helm position.
• Raymarine Axiom 9 chart plotter fitted at chart table. Both chart plotters include ‘Lighthouse’ cartography software.
• Raymarine digital radar scanner fitted to the mizzen mast.
• Raymarine RS-150 GPS antenna feeding the network of instruments.
Deck Equipment
• Time-served 45lb CQR anchor (arguably now in need of re-galvanising).
• 80m of 8mm chain anchor cable (new 2022).
• ‘Hy-speed’ manual windlass by Simpson Lawrence.
• Folding sprayhood, new in 2024, complete with a ‘soft-lined’ U.V. protection blind to prevent the window section becoming clouded.
• De-mountable cockpit enclosure with good (at least 5’10”) headroom and overhead clear panel for good light values. The mainsheet comes to a track abaft the enclosure, so in theory, the boat could be sailed with the enclosure in situ and the clear overhead panel enables the helm to see the mainsail from beneath. Three zipped flaps ensure ventilation and for access.
• Replacement ‘Stack-pack’ style mainsail cover (2024) together with lazy jacks.
• Replacement mizzen sail cover (2024).
• Named spray dodgers for the sake of distant identification (2024).
Safety Equipment
• Standard Horizon ‘Explorer’ GMDSS and DSC capable VHF radio (2023), together with new masthead antenna.
• Raymarine Class B AIS transponder.
• 6 person life raft by Seaco (new in 2022).
• McMurdo ‘Smartfind’ 406 EPIRB.
• Manual bilge pump.
• 12v DC electric bilge pump with automatic and manual switching.
• Carbon Monoxide sensor and audible alarm.
• Fire blanket in galley.
• Automatic fire extinguisher (2023) in the engine space.
• Horse shoe lifebuoy.
General note on safety equipment: Any safety equipment such as Liferafts, Epirbs, fire extinguishers and flares etc. are usually personal to the current owner(s) and if being left on-board as part of the sale of a used vessel may require routine servicing, replacement, or changing to meet a new owner’s specific needs.