Fulmar 32, twin-keeled – 1989. Sensibly priced at £14,500
Emma J was one of the last Fulmars built by Westerly Yachts Ltd (Yard No. M187, Sail No. FR 419), while the factory was still in full flow with both product and materials - prior to the Sept. 1990 collapse of the market. The boats were being turned out smoothly and frequently in batch production, with a consequent quiet confidence about their finish.
This Fulmar presents in the 1989/90 livery, with slightly reduced depth of ‘Sheer stripe’, with the remains of the bright red ‘Coveta’ line offered briefly before the company’s demise. A matching, red ‘waterline’ stripe ran immediately above the top edge of the anti-fouling and this has been accented with two additional pin stripes of tapering length that lead from either side of the stem.
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Accommodation
Being of 1989/90 vintage – a relatively late example of the 32’class, the joinery within 'Emma J' is of the lighter 'honey'-coloured teak-faced plywood with hardwood cappings and indeed, it’s our opinion that the condition of the internal woodwork is a really positive feature of this boat. Head-linings of foam-backed vinyl are original – for the most part – but have been attended to, with retaining head panels having been fitted to the complex curves of the forward face of the coachroof and beneath the for’deck.
The Fulmar’s design offers 6' 1" headroom at the base of the companionway steps.
All berths are 6' 3" long with those in the saloon, straight and parallel to the centreline and provided with lee boards - thereby making excellent sea berths. This example was fitted with Westerly’s ‘Salmon Pink Velvet’ cushions that, in the writer’s opinion, tone very well with the teak.
Notably, the finger catches throughout ‘Emma J’s accommodation have been modified to be operated by knobs fitted to the external/front of each locker door to avoid the breaking of fingers while opening the doors. Very natty and beautifully simple.
From forward:
For’cabin:
The for'cabin offers a conventional double 'V'-berth with stowage beneath and shelves both sides. Even when the infill cushion is fitted, there remains standing room to change clothes abaft the head of the berth. With a dedicated hanging locker in the cabin, in addition to the more communal locker opposite the heads compartment.
Heads compartment:
The heads' compartment is forward and to port of the centreline, with the optional overhead deck hatch fitted for greater light and ventilation. A Jabsco marine flushing toilet is fitted.
Saloon:
The saloon settees convert to sleeping berths utilising the space beneath the side locker units to increase width - right to the side of the hull and the settee backs provide leeboards. The port side settee converts to a double berth for harbour use and there is good daytime stowage for pillows/blankets/duvets behind the backrests in addition to the space beneath. Three closed lockers and a deep fiddled shelves over are provided to either side above the berths. The double-leafed table is a wonderful feature of the Fulmar's interior; genuinely big enough to accommodate six diners and securely mounted to the hull structure to offer secure support/handhold to crew in a seaway. A bulkhead-mounted clock and barometer are included.
Chart Table:
The ‘Navigation Station’ is to port and enjoys a dedicated seat rather than relying upon the head of the quarter-berth. The forward-facing chart table, with chart storage under, will accommodate a folded Admiralty chart and is supported by a 3-drawer plinth. An overhead fluorescent lamp, with white and red tubes has been fitted to supplement the standard chart-reading lamp. A CD and stereo radio by Pioneer is fitted here, with its two speakers mounted to port side of the saloon.
Aft of the Nav. Station there is a very generous quarter-berth that is 3' 10" wide at its head, with deep fiddled stowage shelf to the hull side.
Galley:
The "L"-shaped galley, to starboard at the base of the companionway, offers a large inset stainless steel sink with foot-pumped cold water supply, with an in-line filter (that will require a fresh cartridge); a refrigerated deep and top-opening cool box and a gimballed, Flavell Vanessa gas cooker offering a hob with two burners, grill and oven is fitted beneath a ‘draw-over’ fiddled work surface for use when the cooker is not in use. There is excellent stowage, with cut-outs in the aft bulkhead for crockery, a cutlery drawer and a locker under the sink, and an additional locker within the forward work surfaces peninsular with two deeply fiddled shelves within.
Mechanical and Electrical Systems
Engine:
A Volvo Penta 2002, twin cylinder diesel, rated at 18HP drives a two-bladed propeller through a conventional, stainless steel shaft. A dripless ‘dry’ seal is fitted to the sterntube.
A take-off hose from the boat’s freshwater tank has been retrospectively ‘T’eed into the raw saltwater cooling input hose immediately beneath the standard Volvo Penta strainer, presumably to enable the engine to be run through with freshwater after each use and thereby minimise the calcification build-up within the engine’s cooling galleries. A neat solution.
Electrical:
Three batteries 110 A/hr lead acid batteries are fitted, with two ‘LXD’ batteries dating from July 2019. Date of the third unknown. The batteries are charged by the engine-driven (50 Amp) alternator (split-charge relay fitted) and two 40W photo-voltaic (solar) panels to replace an earlier, smaller panel together with its dedicated regulator although this is still fitted.
A three-way additional switch panel that incorporates a battery state indicator and 12V DC output socket has been added in addition to the original 9-way switch and circuit breaker panel.
Many of the internal lamps within the accommodation have been fitted with LED bulbs, but the external ‘Navigation’ lights are still fitted with filament bulbs.
A 300W ‘soft-start’ inverter is fitted beneath the chart table and the vessel is fitted with an AC battery charger with 15 Amp DC output capacity.
Sails and Spars
Rigged as a three-quarter fractional Bermudan sloop on aluminium spars by Seldén that were badged as Kemp spars, the mainsail is slab reefed with the reefing pennants led aft to the cockpit, while the headsail is roller reefed on a ‘Furlex’ reefing system by Seldén too.
A rod kicker is fitted to assist in supporting the boom when reefing the mainsail without recourse to adjusting a topping lift.
The majority of the running rigging is of the original ropes and it is fair to say that most are now due for replacement. The standing rigging looks to have been replaced at some point since the boat was commissioned, but its age hasn’t been verifiable. The current owner, who has owned the boat since May 2017 reports that he hasn’t had the rig replaced in his ownership.
Sails:
• Mainsail, provided with three slab-reefing points, by Rassy & Lapthorne. An original sail.
• Replacement genoa by Exe Sails and Covers, Topsham.
• Original roller-reefing genoa by Ratsy & Lapthorne, retained as a spare.
• Un-used, hanked storm jib in white Dacron and triple -stitched, with tack attachment strop.
Navigation Equipment
Showing to the cockpit:
• ST50 Wind instrument by Autohelm.
• ST50 Depth display.
• ST60 wind instrument by Raymarine
• ST60 Log display by Raymarine.
• Clipper Depth display.
• Contest compass by Plastimo.
• ST2000+ tiller pilot.
At the chart table:
• Garmin 550GPS Map colour plotter.
• Garmin 130 monochrome GPS.
• Furuno LCD radar display.
• Clipper Navtex.
Deck Equipment
• Twin bow rollers.
• 35lbs CQR anchor.
• Manual, ‘Anchorman’ windlass.
• Single centreline mooring cleat.
• Telescopic spinnaker/bearing out spar (deck stowed).
• Stack Pack-style mainsail cover with three-fall lazy jacks.
• Pair of named spray dodgers.
• Sprayhood.
• Stainless steel solar panel arch.
• Rail-mounted, outboard engine stowage pad.
• Stainless steel, transom-mounted swimming ladder.
• Fixed length tiller extension.
• 2 off Camping Gaz 409 size canisters within the canister locker.
• Pedestal-mounted cockpit table.
• Cockpit gratings.
• Fenders and mooring lines.
• Ensign and staff.
Safety Equipment
• Icom IC-56 VHF radio (not DSC or GMDSS capable).
• Mast-mounted passive ‘Blipper’ radar reflector.
• Emergency VHF antenna.
• 2 off fire blankets.
• Dry powder fire extinguisher.
• Horseshoe lifebuoy.
• A pair of webbing jackstays.
• 2 off First aid kits (suitability of contents and expiry dates not verified).
• Manual bilge pump.
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.