1983 32' Westsail Cutter 32

OverviewSparrow is a custom completed Westsail 32 which began life as sail away kit hull number 433 built at the Wrightsville Beach yard in 1975. She is a very low mileage boat in excellent condition currently laid up inside on the hard in Rhode Island. Sparrow is an exceptionally well-built boat and significantly better in most all points of detail than the factory completed boats. Owner has completed the boat over a period of eight years. His credentials include: a degree in Ocean Engineering and was working as a Naval Architect at the time. After several cruises off the east coast between 1982 & 1986 the boat was then stored in the fall until 1989. The boat sailed for 7 summers off Nantucket Island and was then again stored inside in 1995. Sparrow was the first boat the Owner built. The second boat that he had built to his specifications and with his close supervision was the 90 foot sloop Savannah which won the International Super Yacht Society Design Award for the best...
Overview
Sparrow is a custom completed Westsail 32 which began life as sail away kit hull number 433 built at the Wrightsville Beach yard in 1975. She is a very low mileage boat in excellent condition currently laid up inside on the hard in Rhode Island. Sparrow is an exceptionally well-built boat and significantly better in most all points of detail than the factory completed boats. Owner has completed the boat over a period of eight years. His credentials include: a degree in Ocean Engineering and was working as a Naval Architect at the time. After several cruises off the east coast between 1982 & 1986 the boat was then stored in the fall until 1989. The boat sailed for 7 summers off Nantucket Island and was then again stored inside in 1995. Sparrow was the first boat the Owner built. The second boat that he had built to his specifications and with his close supervision was the 90 foot sloop Savannah which won the International Super Yacht Society Design Award for the best new sailing yacht built in the world in 1997. While Savannah was being built in 1995 he put Sparrow into storage where she has rested since. Sparrow is an exceptionally low mileage cream puff with only the one offshore passage. She has been stored out of the water mostly inside or laid up and winterized for a total of 29- 1/2 years and therefore has only been in commission and sailing for a total of about 66 months. After all these years the Owner has finally decided to find her a good new home so she can go sailing again. If you are looking for a solid boat capable of offshore passages or a character boat to be proud of this is a boat you should come and inspect. You will not be disappointed in SPARROW. Since the owner/builder of this boat knows it better than anyone his description will be offered in the Listing.
Accommodations
Below deck Sparrow has the standard Westsail 32 arrangement but is finished out in better detail. All the wood below is solid teak or ribbon stripe mahogany or birch plywood. It is all varnished which makes for a brighter dryer and easier to clean interior. All exposed hull surfaces are lined with 3/8-inch thick teak tongue and groove planking as are the cabin topsides. The sole also is solid varnished teak planking. All locker doors and drawer faces are 3/4-inch solid teak and the locker doors are louvered for aesthetics and ventilation. All cabinet hardware is solid brass. All bulkheads and furniture below are the ribbon stripe mahogany; the drawer interiors are 1/2-inch birch plywood also varnished. Forward most is the anchor rope and chain locker. Sparrow is equipped with 300 ft of 3/8 inch galvanized chain which of course is very heavy. However I installed a chain pipe so that the majority of the chain can be fed back and stored low in the bilge at the base of the mast to keep the weight out of the bow. The chain however is still always ready to be let out in case of storm conditions. The V-berth can be configured in the V shape or a filler board installed to convert the forward cabin into one very large "king" bed. The forward hatch is just above for light and ventilation. The head is between the main and forward bulkheads and is to port. To starboard is a hanging locker and drawers. In the doorways in both the main and forward bulkheads I installed very nice laminated teak arch topped doorframes similar to the Nautor Swan Yachts of the time. In the main cabin there is a U shaped dinette to port also with a curved laminated teak rail. The dinette table is strongly mounted on a custom stainless steel pedestal and the tabletop is varnished birch with teak trim and an inlaid teak butterfly to symbolize new beginnings. Opposite to starboard are upper and lower sea berths. The upper berth has a high teak leeboard with handholds across the top. This strong rail makes for a good berth at sea and for a good storage area in port. Opposite to starboard is another hanging locker and large chart table with drawers below and a bookshelf above with a brass retaining rail to hold in the books. There are two large stereo speakers built in below one forward between the V-berths and one aft behind the engine room bulkhead. All the bronze portholes open for ventilation and have 1/2-inch thick heat-treated glass. Centered on the main salon is the opening butterfly skylight which has Lexan "glass" and bronze bars.
Galley
Aft is the galley to port with a propane Shipmate stainless steel stove mounted on reinforced gimbals. A unique feature of this stove is that I installed a custom stainless steel stove pipe thru the deck which allows the oven to be used as an oven and/or a cabin heater with the propane fumes vented safely to the outside. Two 20 lb. aluminum propane tanks are mounted in the lazarette locker which is vapor-tight from the rest of the boat. The s/s galley sink is extra deep for added utility. The icebox has the standard deep Westsail fiberglass box but I added a vapor barrier and injected more foam insulation to completely fill the area surrounding the icebox. A big block of ice will last a week.
Hull
Westsails are known for being strongly built boats having a solid hand laid fiberglass hull a half-inch thick at the rail and one-inch thick at the turn of the bilge. However I reinforced Sparrow even more with a 55 gallon drum of resin and rolls of extra fiberglass mat and cloth. The main structural bulkheads are bonded to the hull with probably five times the factory spec of cloth and resin. It is cleanly done and tapered out for about eight inches to maximize strength and load distribution. The mast support beam on the main bulkhead which carries the mast compression load to the keel is heavier solid teak and braced solidly onto the keel. There is also a large deck beam just forward of the galley which has two heavy teak posts to support the deck down to the hull. The bridge deck at the companionway entrance is supported by two heavy 3" wide plywood knees bolted to the deck and engine room bulkhead. All of the interior cabinetry is also bonded in with heavier and tapered mat & cloth to reinforce the hull over the entire length of the boat. The interior hull from waterline to rail is also insulated with 3/4 inch fire retardent foam which is glued-in and sealed over with fiberglass mat.
Deck
As you can see from the dockside photo taken by Ona Vanderwall a well known yachting photographer who gave me the print free because he said Sparrow was the sweetest boat in all of the Nantucket Boat Basin I did a lot of work above decks to make Sparrow safer more comfortable and easier to sail. Sparrow has an Aries self-steering wind vane custom mounted to the boomkin. There is a custom fitted wood stainless and bronze attachment on the tiller which connects to the Aries control chain. The tiller also has added bronze cheek plates where it fits to the rudder to avoid chafing the wood and to allow the tiller to be raised and kept at any comfortable position for steering standing or sitting. There is a custom stronger better looking s/s boomkin fitting to hold the main backstay and boomkin stays. Also note the custom running backstay chain plates next to the bronze hawse pipes. Sparrows boom gallows is also custom and much better than stock. The heavy painted aluminum pipes are thru bolted to the rail and the cast bronze gallows ends hold the very nice laminated arched and varnished teak gallows. Teak ratlines are hand lashed to the shrouds. The cockpit coamings are a unique feature. Along with the attached dodger they keep the cockpit a drier and cozier place. Integrated into the cockpit coamings are very strong welded half inch 6061 aluminum plate winch mounts bolted thru the bulwark which has been solidly blocked in that area. This along with the big Barient self tailing sheet winches make points strong enough to help winch Sparrow off a sandbar. The entire mainsheet traveler and main hatch is of improved design and construction. The sliding hatch itself is much stronger but lighter than the factory hatch which makes it much easier to open and close and the integrated hatch turtle keeps the ocean from running under the forward edge of the hatch and into the boat. The dodger slides with a boltrope into the laminated curved dodger coaming to make a clean and watertight attachment. This is much better than attaching the dodger in the typical way with just a few cheap snaps. The coamings traditional teak opening butterfly skylight Dorade boxes all varnished and bronze ventilators are all major improvements over a factory boat. All brightwork on deck has a fresh coat of Epiphanies varnish. Note also the twelve large Rostand cast bronze opening portholes which give light and ventilation below. Sparrow's stanchions are also all custom with attractive and functional cast top eyes. Their bases are wider and stronger than stock and thru bolted to the bulwark with marine plywood backing plates. Last but not least is the custom rubrail detail I installed on Sparrow. The typical factory boat has a pretty much non functional 3/4 inch teak "rubrail" and a cap rail that overhangs the bulwark so much that it is the first thing to hit a piling and break. On Sparrow the cap rail is trimmed back to a consistent 3/8" overhang and then edged with a piece of bronze quarter round to protect it. The rub rail itself on Sparrow is extra wide composed of three laminated pieces of teak tapered out at its ends. This rub rail is capped with a heavy piece of 1-1/4 inch bronze quarter round and actually protects the topsides and cap rail while docking the boat. It is very useful to be able to pivot and rub the boat on pilings while docking without the need of a fender and without the fear of damage.
Plumbing
All thru hull fittings are Wilcox Crittenden best quality bronze thru bolted to the hull on marine plywood pads. All intake thru hulls have external bronze screens to prevent clogging. Hoses are wire reinforced and stainless steel clamped. Galley and head sinks have dual faucets to supply water from the water tanks by foot pumps or under pressure from dockside. The twin water tanks are custom 316 stainless steel with large inspection ports for cleaning and these tanks are very strongly secured in the bilge. The toilet is a bronze base Wilcox Crittenden Skipper Model discharging thru a bronze vented loop.
Electrical System
All electric wiring is tinned copper for best corrosion resistance and all circuit breakers are aircraft spec Airpax brand. The engine alternator is high capacity and electronically controlled to maximize the battery charging rate. There are two heavy-duty 12-volt batteries with an isolator switch. There are 10 brass cabin lights mounted on the overhead for interior lighting and an Aqua Signal tri-color/strobe masthead light in addition to deck level running lights. Very nice built in stereo speakers ready for a new iPod driver.
Electronics and Navigational Equipment
Classic Seafarer analog depth sounder and fish finder in addition to cockpit mounted Datamarine digital depth knotmeter and log. Autohelm autopilot. Two cockpit mounted glass faced Plath steering compasses. Brass clock and barometer. Davis sextant. Many charts of the east coast Bahamas and Caribbean. The latest state of the art GPS and radio systems can be easily added.
Mast Sails and Rigging
Standard LeFiell mast and boom in excellent condition recently repainted with two part polyurethane paint. Stainless steel standing rigging and bronze turnbuckles in excellent condition. Running backstays with custom chainplates. The mainsheet traveler which is the full width of the cabin top allows control of the mainsail even while sailing off the wind. It has a custom welded stainless steel bridge to carry the heavy sheet loads and has a Harken ball bearing traveler car. Mainsail sheet and traveler lines lead thru the coaming to Barient self-tailing winches under the dodger. Integrated into the cockpit coamings are very strong welded half inch 6061 aluminum plate winch mounts bolted thru the bulwark which has been solidly blocked in that area. This along with the big Barient self-tailing sheet winches make points strong enough to help winch Sparrow of a sandbar. The entire mainsheet traveler and main hatch is of improved design and construction. Thru bolted to the caprail are eight-foot lengths of bronze Merriman jib sheet tracks which allow for great flexibility in spinnaker and headsail trim. Custom mounted Aries wind vane with three spare vanes and two spare breakaway couplings. Lots of miscellaneous lines blocks shackles vangs etc. Sails and Canvas: Mainsail staysail working jib yankee jib light air jib never used storm jib and trysail. All sails are in good condition and have traditional bronze rings hand stitched to reinforce head tack and clew. All sails have heavy traditional bronze hanks. Custom canvas dodger with beautifully curved stainless steel dodger bows. Fabulous full coverage two piece awning covering from headstay to backstay to keep off the sun and the rain at anchor. Custom made by Glen Halsey Sailmaker in Annapolis Maryland. These awnings are beautifully done with all roped edges rope ridgeline and hand sewn bronze rings and thimbles.
Ground Tackle
Sparrow has a Simpson Lawrence two speed Model 555 chain and rope windlass strongly mounted over the bowsprit onto heavy shaped mahogany side blocks. This attachment as with the primary sheet winches is strong enough to help pull Sparrow off a sand bar. The Sampson posts have bronze quarter round strips down each edge to prevent chafing. Two 45# CQR anchors. One with 300 feet of 3/8 galvanized BBB chain. This chain can be pulled thru a chainpipe to be stored in the bilge at the base of the mast to keep the weight low and amidships and out of the bow however this chain is always connected to the anchor and is ready to feed out when needed. The second anchor rode has 20 feet of 3/8 galvanized BBB chain and 300 feet of one inch three strand nylon. Also the dinghy has its own little Danforth anchor and line.
Engine
The engine is a Volvo MD2B 25 hp diesel driving through a three bladed feathering Maxprop. I do not know the exact engine hours but they are relatively few because as stated above Sparrow has only been in commission and sailing for a total of 66 months. The remainder of the time the engine has been pickled with saltwater drained and filled with rust inhibiting anti- freeze. Also the engine has a pencil zinc in the block which I always kept renewed. The twin fuel tanks each with their own independent Racor filters have recently been inspected and flushed and are good to go. The range of this engine and fuel tank combination is impressive and would likely power you from Newport to Bermuda or thru the doldrums. The engine has been recently test run and is in fine shape. An important feature of this Volvo engine is that it can be started with a hand crank. This is a very important safety feature if the batteries or starting motor were to fail in an emergency situation.
Tender
Twelve foot Achilles inflatable dinghy with four air chambers including inflatable keel. Epoxy coated floorboards and transom. 15 hp Yamaha engine. Pretty sporty !
Remarks
The Owner put his passion and pursuit of excellence into the eight-year construction of Sparrow. Sparrow is a very unique low mileage little yacht in excellent condition.She will take you anywhere you want to go in safety and style. BROKER COMMENTS: Upon my inspection of this boat I came away realizing this this boat is a jewel for the offshore sailor or lover of character boats.
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Category: Sailboats
Water Capacity: 76 gal
Type:
Holding Tank Details:
Manufacturer: Westsail
Holding Tank Size:
Model: Cutter 32
Passengers: 0
Year: 1983
Sleeps: 6
Length/LOA: 32' 0"
Hull Designer:
Price: $79,000 / €60,709
Engine Manufacturer: Volvo
Condition: Unavailable
Engine Model: MD-2B
Category: Sailboats
Water Capacity: 76 gal
Type:
Holding Tank Details:
Manufacturer: Westsail
Holding Tank Size:
Model: Cutter 32
Passengers: 0
Year: 1983
Sleeps: 6
Length/LOA: 32' 0"
Hull Designer:
Price: $79,000 / €60,709
Engine Manufacturer: Volvo
Condition: Unavailable
Engine Model: MD-2B
Boat's Name: Sparrow
Engine Type: Other
Stock Number:
Number of Engines: 1
Location: Bristol, RI 33316
United States
Engine Drive: Other
Beam: 11' 0"
Horsepower: 25 hp
Draft: 5' 0"
Engine Year: 0
LWL: 27' 6"
Engine Volume:
Displacement: 9.07 t
Engine Hours: 0
Ballast:
Fuel Type: Diesel
HIN:
Fuel Capacity: 76 gal
Hull Material: Fiberglass/Composite
Propeller Type: Other
Number of Hulls: 1
Keel Type:
Propeller Material:
Sail Area:
Cruise Speed: 7 knots / 8.06 mph / 12.96 kph
Boat Ad Last Revised: [removed phone]:30:30
Max Speed: