Practical Boat Owner
- Digital edition
Westerly Konsort: space, security & good performance
- David Harding
- January 23, 2024
One of the roomiest cruisers of her size, the Konsort is also known for her solidity, interior finish and easy manners. No wonder she’s such a popular second-hand buy, says David Harding
Despite being over-powered at times, the Konsort took the brisk conditions of our test in her stride. Credit: David Harding Credit: David Harding
Product Overview
Westerly konsort.
Back in the late 1970s or early 1980s, a family looking for a new cruising yacht of just under 30ft (9m) would have been almost spoiled for choice.
Britain’s ‘big three’ builders each offered an excellent boat: Westerly were flying high with the Konsort, Moody had replaced their 30 with a new 29, and Sadler’s 29 had plugged the gap between the 25 and 32.
With alternatives including such evergreens as the Mirage 28 and Cobra 850, there was something for everyone – whether they preferred fin or twin keels .
The most popular home-grown cruisers of the day gave people the choice but invariably sold in far greater numbers with twins.
Leading the way in the smaller size range was the ubiquitous 26ft Westerly Centaur, launched in 1969 and, after well over 2,000 boats, nearing the end of her production a decade later.
Treadmaster and non-slip paint provide the grip in the cockpit. Credit: David Harding
Come 1978, the next boats up in Westerly’s range were the 31-footers: the Renown, Pentland, Berwick and Longbow, between them offering a choice of sloop or ketch rig , twin or fin keels and aft or centre cockpits.
Like the Centaur, they sailed better than they looked but were discontinued shortly after the arrival of what was to be the last model from the drawing board of Westerly’s long-time designers, Laurent Giles.
The Westerly Konsort, introduced in 1979, was the 29-footer (8.8m) that had everything.
For a start she was enormously beamy, her 3.27m (10ft 9in) between the gunwales being 42% of her waterline length .
Together with the full bow, broad stern and plenty of freeboard, the beam gave her an interior volume that practically matched that of her 31ft sisters.
The other point about the interior was that it was nicely woody.
The Westerly Konsort was launched in 1979, and was designed by Laurent Giles. Credit: David Harding
Whereas the Centaur sometimes attracted criticism for her caravan- like styling and finish, the Westerly Konsort followed the approach developed in the 31s.
No interior mouldings were used and all the woodwork was bonded directly to the outer hull. It created the feel of a hand-crafted yacht – which she was.
No Westerly cruiser of this era was offered without twin keels – even the 36-footers.
If one model was available only with a fin, a hull-sister would have two keels and a different name (as in the case of the twin-keeled Centaur and her fin-keeled sibling, the Pembroke).
The Westerly Konsort came with a choice of fin or twin, called the Konsort either way and proving most popular in twin-keel form. A few were also built with swing keels.
While giving her more beam for her length than any earlier model, Laurent Giles made sure she was still unmistakably a Westerly, incorporating the distinctive knuckle in the bow shared by everything from the 21ft 6in Warwick up to the largest models in the range.
The hawse pipe – a Westerly tradition. Credit: David Harding
They did, however, fit her with a transom-hung rudder . A practical and economical solution, and one that maximised space in the cockpit, it wouldn’t have worked on the Centaur or the 31s because both were available as centre- cockpit or ketch-rigged variants.
Above the straight-topped coachroof sat a conventional masthead rig of modest proportions.
As was the norm in those days, the headsail provided the bulk of the sail area although the boom was long enough to allow the mainsheet to be taken – at an angle – to a traveller across the wide transom.
Other traditional Westerly features included the trademark blue non-slip deck paint and a toerail in teak rather than the aluminium favoured by some of the competition.
The Westerly Konsort was no beauty but she hit the spot and became an instant success.
A saloon of the Westerly Konsort is roomy for a boat of this size. Credit: David Harding
She was never a cheap boat and still isn’t by many standards, holding her value if well equipped and maintained.
If you buy a Westerly Konsort and look after her there’s a good chance you won’t lose any money.
She’s a boat that’s always likely to be sought after by people wanting something solid, roomy, forgiving and easy to handle, and that’s why she caught John King’s eye when he was looking for his first cruiser two years ago.
John’s alternatives were smaller boats, including the 23ft Westerly Pageant and the Centaur’s successor, the Griffon.
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However, the Konsort’s extra space, combined with her reputation for being undemanding, made him think that it would make more sense to buy the larger boat rather than to start with a smaller one that he might want to switch a year or two later.
He’s happy that he made the right decision. Sarnia is a twin-keeler built in 1983, and John reckons that a boat with full standing headroom, space to relax down below in comfort and enough size, weight and power to take most conditions in her stride makes for more relaxing sailing.
I joined John for a sail from his winter base in Chichester Harbour when a good 20 knots from the north east was kicking up a lumpy sea in Bracklesham Bay.
Downwind the Westerly Konsort proved why she has a reputation for being faster than she looks, rapidly sliding through the lee of a larger cruiser and soon leaving it well astern.
A roomy forecabin is one of the reasons the Westerly Konsort is so popular. Credit: David Harding
Once far enough from land to have space for an upwind leg, we sheeted in and headed into the breeze.
With John’s consent I opted to hold on to full sail to see how Sarnia handled. You learn more about a boat when pushing her beyond the comfort zone.
Besides, the Westerly Konsort has a reputation for being stiff, under- canvassed in light airs and able to carry full sail when others need to reef .
I was about to see whether asking her to carry it upwind with 25 knots over the deck was pushing things too far.
We took all the usual steps to de-power the rig as far as possible without reefing, including tensioning both mainsail and headsail halyards , moving the genoa cars aft, flattening the mainsail’s foot and dropping the traveller well down the track.
Sarnia responded by plugging upwind remarkably comfortably, clocking between 4 and 4.5 knots most of the time depending on the size and steepness of the waves.
It was a day when being slightly over-canvassed was a help, not just from the testing perspective but also to drive through the waves.
There’s nothing worse than being under-powered, bouncing up and down in the lulls and wishing for more sail.
The single, acrylic-fronted locker in the saloon later gave way to multiple lockers. Credit: David Harding
As ever when over-powered it was a matter of sailing along a fine line: a few degrees too deep and the boat would heel over before rounding up in protest, though not until the gunwale was nearly awash.
Sailed too high she would lose power and stop. In between she was quite happy, heeling no more than 15° or so and remaining nicely balanced with a beautifully light helm.
When she was pushed too hard, the weight on the tiller would increase progressively as the gunwale approached the water, giving ample warning before the rudder finally lost grip.
While reducing sail would have made life easier in some respects, this was a good test and one that proved her tolerance and capability.
For a chunky twin-keeler with a three-bladed fixed propeller it was a more-than-creditable performance.
Work space in the galley on the Westerly Konsort is limited. Credit: David Harding
Having to power through the waves took a few degrees off our pointing so we tacked through around 90° on most occasions.
There’s no reason why the tacking angle of the fin-keeler should be any different – as you would expect, it just goes faster and makes less leeway.
The lower centre of gravity should also add a little stiffness.
During tacks on Sarnia , the only problem I found was the babystay interfering with the genoa.
Together with the genoa’s substantial overlap it would make short-tacking rather laborious and call for plenty of energy from whoever is winding the Barlow 23 primary winches.
Reaching along in a breeze is what she likes best. We clocked 7 knots at times and I could easily imagine a fin-keeler with a folding prop surfing away merrily.
Heaving-to presented no problems. The boat was reluctant to gybe around with the sheets pinned in but could just be persuaded to by some judicious rudder-wiggling to re-attach the laminar flow.
The nav table will accommodate a folded Admiralty chart. Credit: David Harding
A relatively blunt, high-volume hull like the Westerly Konsort’s is never going to slice through the waves as cleanly and smoothly as a slimmer one.
On the other hand it does seem to keep the crew dry: only rarely during our sail did any spray find its way back to the cockpit, where the helmsman can sit either on the seat, legs braced across to the leeward side, or on the flat-topped coaming.
The upper perch is tolerably comfortable even if the guardwires are too close outboard to lean back against.
Partly thanks to the transom-hung rudder, there’s enough space in the cockpit for four without over- crowding. The absence of an aft cabin beneath also makes it nice and deep.
Having the mainsheet across the stern works well: it’s easy to reach yet clear of the cockpit.
Just take care to flick it across above head-level during a gybe.
No aft cabin, means the saloon is further aft in a beamier part of the hull. The settee berths are wide and parallel. Credit: David Harding
A large locker occupies the space beneath the starboard seat and the gas bottle lives in the stern.
Treadmaster provides the grip on the coamings and cockpit sole, the seats being finished in Westerly’s distinctive blue non-slip paint that’s used on the deck as well.
Deck paint has always struck me as infinitely superior to moulded-in surfaces.
It provides an excellent grip, reduces glare and can be made to look like new – in the same or a different colour – for the price of a tin of paint. It’s extraordinary that so few other builders have done the same.
Moving forward along the Konsort’s wide deck, outside the cap and lower shrouds, is easy. On the wide foredeck is a chunky central cleat and a hawse pipe for the anchor chain.
Anyone used to modern production boats with large aft cabins and layouts based on interior mouldings will find the Westerly Konsort very different below decks.
Because there’s no aft cabin, the saloon is further aft in a beamier part of the hull and, as a result, it’s larger than on most boats of this size. The settee berths are wide and parallel.
Plenty of teak and teak-faced ply is nicely finished and bonded directly to the outer hull – still the best way to make the structure visible and easy to reach as well as to minimise wasted space.
As is traditional in boats of this era, the forecabin is separated from the saloon by the heads to port and a hanging locker to starboard.
Areas sometimes criticised on the Westerly Konsort include the quarter berth and chart table to port: because the chart table’s seat is the head of the berth, they can’t both be used at the same time. Standing at the chart table solves that problem.
Between the chart table and the galley on the opposite side is the projecting engine box.
Inside this Westerly fitted engines mainly from Bukh and Volvo. The box’s top makes handy additional work space for the galley, where it’s otherwise in short supply.
History of the Westerly Konsort
The Westerly Konsort Duo motor-sailer
Introduced in 1979, Westerly’s last design by Laurent Giles remained in production until 1992.
Over 600 were sold in the first six years, after which the price rose steeply and only a further 100 left the factory.
About 150 of the 704 Konsorts built are fin-keelers.
The same hull was used for the Konsort Duo, a motor-sailer with a large deck saloon and comfortable accommodation for two people.
Construction
The Konsort’s hull is a solid laminate of chopped strand mat, reinforced with rovings in high- stress areas.
A balsa core is used in the deck. Westerly had an in-house Lloyds surveyor and all boats were issued with a Lloyds hull construction certificate.
Keels are bolted to shallow moulded stubs.
Point to look out for if buying a Westerly Konsort from Westerly specialists
Konsorts are known for having relatively few structural weaknesses. Nonetheless, some points are worth checking.
- Like many builders, Westerly used orthophthalic resins until the mid-1980s and cases of osmosis are quite common.
- Chainplates are prone to fatigue and corrosion where they pass through the deck but are relatively simple to replace. Worth checking too is the reinforcement in the hull that distributes the load from the keel(s). The plywood used in early boats was less robust than the chunkier, foam-cored sections used from 1981 onwards. Fin-keelers especially should be inspected because of the lack of depth beneath the floorboards and the bottom of the hull on the centreline. Boats that have grounded or been badly shored up during winter storage are most likely to have problems. Keel bolts that have been glassed in rather than simply gelled over ask for special attention: someone might have been trying to hide something.
- Transom-hung rudders are easy to inspect but also more vulnerable to damage than inboard rudders. The Konsort’s gudgeons and pintles are joined by a rod and not especially robust. They are, however, simple to change.
- On deck, the gelcoat is prone to deterioration from UV degradation and star-crazing is common.
- Below decks, the ‘Westerly droop’ is by far the most common problem, where the vinyl headliner starts separating from the deckhead.
If you want curvy lines and a double aft cabin, the Konsort’s not your boat. If, on the other hand, you want space, security, a good cockpit, surprisingly good sailing performance, positive handling under power, a roomy and nicely finished interior, structural solidity and proven resale value, she should definitely be on your list.
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- Sailboat Guide
Westerly Konsort 29 Duo
Westerly Konsort 29 Duo is a 28 ′ 10 ″ / 8.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Jack Laurent Giles and built by Westerly Marine between 1984 and 1988.
Rig and Sails
Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3
- SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D : Displacement in pounds.
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Ballast / Displacement * 100
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
The KONSORT 29 DUO is a Pilothouse motorsailer with the same hull as the KONSORT 29.
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Westerly Konsort 29
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Review of Westerly 29 Konsort
Basic specs..
The boat is equipped with 5 berths.
The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.62 - 1.72 meter (5.31 - 5.61 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Westerly 29 Konsort is typically equipped with a diesel engine at 22.0 hp (16 kW).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for Westerly 29 Konsort is 2.13, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Westerly 29 Konsort is about 193 kg/cm, alternatively 1086 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 193 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1086 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio) Indicates how fast the boat is in light wind: - Cruising Boats have ratios 10-15 - Cruiser-Racers have ratios 16-20 - Racers have ratios above 20 - High-Performance Racers have ratios above 24 Sail-area/displacement ratio (SA/D ratio): 13.36
Maintenance
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Jib sheet | 8.8 m | (28.9 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 8.8 m | (28.9 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 22.0 m | (72.2 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 19.4 m | (63.5 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.
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Konsort Duo 29
Sailboat specifications.
- Last update: 20th March 2020
Konsort Duo 29's main features
Konsort duo 29's main dimensions, konsort duo 29's rig and sails, konsort duo 29's performances, konsort duo 29's auxiliary engine, konsort duo 29's accommodations and layout.
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COMMENTS
LENGTH: Traditionally, LOA (length over all) equaled hull length. Today, many builders use LOA to include rail overhangs, bowsprits, etc. and LOD (length on deck) for hull length. That said, LOA may still mean LOD if the builder is being honest and using accepted industry standards developed by groups like the ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council).
www.westerly-owners.co.uk. Founded by Cmdr. D.A. Raynor who also designed the companies earlier models. Westerly Marine Construction of Hampshire, England, was one of Europe's leading production builder of fiberglass composite sailboats from the mid 1960's through the 1970's. Became part of the Bowman Group in the mid 1990's.
The Westerly Konsort Duo motor-sailer. Introduced in 1979, Westerly's last design by Laurent Giles remained in production until 1992. Over 600 were sold in the first six years, after which the price rose steeply and only a further 100 left the factory. About 150 of the 704 Konsorts built are fin-keelers.
The Konsort came with a choice of keel configurations: bilge keel being the most popular, some fin keels and a handful of lifting keels. Bifrost has a fin keel with a 1.6m draught. The early boats had a plywood stiffening matrix around the keel, but this proved to be inadequate and Westerly soon swapped to a top-hat style foam-cored matrix ...
The Konsort 29 westerly is a 28.83ft masthead sloop designed by Laurent Giles and partners ltd and built in fiberglass by Westerly Marine Construction Ltd. between 1979 and 1991. ... The data on this page has been derived from different sources but a significant part is attributed to sailboatdata.com. We thank them for their encouragements and ...
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize. Formula. 37.56. <40: less stiff, less powerful.
Westerly Konsort 29 Duo is a 28′ 10″ / 8.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Jack Laurent Giles and built by Westerly Marine between 1984 and 1988. Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts. ... Source: sailboatdata.com / CC BY ...
The capsize screening value for Westerly 29 Konsort is 2.13, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races. Immersion rate. The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Westerly 29 Konsort is about 193 kg/cm, alternatively 1086 lbs/inch.
The Konsort 29 duo westerly is a 28.83ft masthead sloop designed by Laurent Giles and partners ltd and built in fiberglass by Westerly Marine Construction Ltd. between 1984 and 1988. ... The data on this page has been derived from different sources but a significant part is attributed to sailboatdata.com. We thank them for their encouragements ...
The Konsort Duo 29 is a 28'11" (8.8m) motorsailer designed by John Laurent Giles (United Kingdom). She was built between 1985 and 1988 by Westerly (United Kingdom) with 108 hulls completed. Konsort Duo 29's main features. Model. Konsort Duo 29. Hull type. Monohull. Category. Motorsailer. Sailboat builder. Westerly.
The Westerly Konsort was designed by Laurent Giles as a mid-sized boat between the 26 foot Centaur and the Longbow/Berwick/Pentland 31 foot range. She was introduced in 1979, and remained in production until 1992/93, with over 800 built. The Konsort rapidly overtook the larger boats in popularity, as with 15 inches more beam she offered ...
The Westerly Konsort seems to be a bigger boat than she really is. At a fraction under 29ft in length, her appearance is deceptive because of her generous volume. It's not until you take the helm that you realise you are not really sailing a 34 footer, even though it may look like it! She is light on the helm, super responsive but by the same ...
Sailboat data, rig dimensions and recommended sail areas for Konsort 29 (Westerly) sailboat. Tech info about rigging, halyards, sheets, mainsail covers and more. Sailboat Data directory for over 8,000 sailboat designs and manufacturers. Direct access to halyards lengths, recommended sail areas, mainsail cover styles, standing rigging fittings ...
A Konsort Duo would be deeply unsuitable (and probably end up deep underwater) if you tried a southern ocean passage. Even a standard non-Duo Konsort would be in the wrong place there, let alone one with huge vulnerable windows. Even the ultra tough and determined Chay Blyth rapidly realised that his loaned 30 ft bilgekeeler "Dytiscus" was the ...
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The KONSORT 29 DUO is a Pilothouse motorsailer with the same hull as the KONSORT 29. Sail area:-Main: 176 ft² / 16.40 m²-Genoa (#1): 339 ft² / 31.54 m²
Konsort - Profit is a Limited liability company registered in Russia with the Company reg no 1037714026162. Its current trading status is "live". It was registered 2003. It can be contacted at Moscow . More information. Get Konsort - Profit Credit Report Register Report.
The Konsort 29 westerly is a 28.83ft masthead sloop designed by Laurent Giles and partners ltd and built in fiberglass by Westerly Marine Construction Ltd. between 1979 and 1991. 704 units have been built. The Konsort 29 westerly is a moderate weight sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting ...
Steps. Fill a Moscow Mule mug (or highball glass) with ice, then add the vodka and lime juice. Top with the ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wheel. What If I Don't Have a Copper Mug? No doubt about it: The textured copper mug is a gorgeous part of a classic Moscow Mule.
SailboatData.com …is a database that contains information on over 9000 production and semi-production sailboats dating back to the late 1800's. COMPARE BOATS. To compare up to three boats at one time, click the (+) Remove a compared boat by clicking (-) FORUM.
3. Port of Ust-Luga (Kingiseppsky District, Russia) UN/Locode: RUULU. Latitude: 59.68294°. Longitude: 28.329515°. The port of Ust-Luga stands only behind Novorossiysk in terms of cargo handling volume for 2020. It has the biggest handling facility for coal bulk operations in the Northern part of Russia.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.