What a great boat !
PY number is 1127
Sail number 155
Meaning this is the 155th Merlin of 175
There were 151 Merlin 28's; then 24 x 29's - therefore ours is the 4th
Length Overall - exc. rudder 27ft 1in 8.25
m
Length Overall - inc. rudder 28ft 8in 8.75 m
Length Waterline 23ft 7in 7.20 m
Beam 9ft 11in 3.03 m
Draft - Fin 5ft 0in 1.53 m
Draft - Twin 3ft 4in 1.025 m
Mast Height above Waterline 36ft 8in 11.187 m
DESIGNED WEIGHTS
Displacement 7694.13 lbs 3490 kg
Ballast - Fin 2987.26 lbs 1355 kg
Ballast - Twin 3328.97 lbs 1510 kg
SAIL AREAS - Sloop
Mainsail 207.74sq ft 19.3sq m
No 1 Genoa 235.72 sq ft 21.9 sq m
No 2 Genoa 191.59 sq ft 17.8 sq m
No 1 Jib 129.16 sq ft 12.0 sq m
Storm Jib 46.28 sq ft 4.3 sq m
Spinnaker 410.10 sq ft 38.1 sq m
The first Merlin was delivered to Hamble
Point in July 1984 for the pre-sale trials. For these we all play devil's advocate.
The poor boat must have felt like that Spanish donkey as we all jumped on her,
trying to find any weaknesses that could be persuaded to show in the month before
she returned to the factory. As I remember, there was remarkably little criticism,
and she duly appeared at the Southampton Boat Show, to happy grins on our salesperson's
chops! Much of the credit for this success must go to the interior mock-up that
we had all been in and out of so often the previous winter. This was much needed
as we were dipping our toe into different waters with our first attempt at a
three-cabin layout. The 27ft on-deck length of the Merlin is just enough to
allow this. It gives room for a good aft cabin, and a very spacious heads, which
is actually bigger than that on most 32's. Because the chart table faces aft,
there is also room for a proper wet locker. For my money, it is these four things
(owner's cabin, good-sized chart space, big heads and wet locker) that make
her so practical and so popular. Indeed, we sold so many that production was
immediately geared up to two a week, then to three in Spring 1985. By the end
of that year, we had produced 102 of the little darlings. Sadly, a 15% price
rise proved too much for the buyers to bear, and sales crashed to a mere 14
in 1986, and never recovered. Things improved a little in 1990 with the advent
of the Mark II "Merlin 29". The 29 followed the example of the Seahawk
by lengthening the waterline and including a "Sugar Scoop" stern for
easy boarding. On the Merlin, this also meant that the transom-hung rudder disappeared,
to be replaced by a conventional rudder beneath the boat. The interior was unaffected,
apart from improved access to the saloon, and an extra galley shelf. I had not
appreciated quite how close winded the twin keel Merlins were, until December
1985. That summer, the factory sent down a twin keeler to replace the more usual
fin keel demonstrator. As this happened whilst I was on holiday, the change
escaped my notice. I spent the next three months explaining to my customers
that they would not be able to get quite so close to the wind if they were to
buy a twin. I was just going through this little story for the 'n'th time, when
my eye fell on the little stainless steel plate by the galley which provides
access to the after keel bolts on the port side. Silence reigned for several
seconds while the implications sank in. "Well stap my vitals" says
I (although judging by the lady's pink cheeks I may have used an earthier expression).
Thus was the new era of bilge keelers with upwind performance thrust upon me.
Thanks heavens for Ed Dubois. Merlins have had three engines over the years,
all about the 20 hp mark that gives plenty enough oomph for top speeds of at
least 6.5 knots. The Bukh 20 was fitted until the end of 1986, when Bukhs had
their hiccup, and Westerly moved over to the Volvo 2002 (18hp).
The arrival of the Regatta range in 1993 saw the advent of the Perkins designed,
Volvo built, Volvo 2020 in saildrive form. Builders like saildrives as they
are easier to fit, and they can even improve the handling of a Westerly. One's
worries are groundless, say the makers, and they can prove it.
