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Standard water storage was port and starboard under the cushions in the fwd. cabin, using flexible tanks. The filler pipe came up through the hanging locker ou the portside, just fwd. of the main bulkhead.
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From the photo of the hull, no doubt : that is a Macwester 27 series 1. The date 1974 would be correct.
I can imagine 2 possibilities to explain the alternative interior layout :
At that time, there was strong demand for boats (and especially for the MW27, of course ), so the yard was working at the limit of capacity possible with the space in the workshops for fitting out, but the GRP moulding shop had a bit of spare capacity, so quite a few boats were sold and delivered as hull and deck assembly, with ballast and rudder fitted, and the main bulkhead bonded In place. The customer ( or his boatyard), would do all the cabin and bunk furniture, etc.
Otherwise perhaps a previous owner decided that he didn’t like the original setup, and ripped it up ?
A few years later, there was an alternative layout, with port and starboard settee bunks/seats, and a central table.In 1975/76, the Series 2 was developed: hull, keels and rig were unchanged. The deck moulding was substantially modified, with the toe-rails moulded GRP instead of screwed-on wood; GRP moulded flush-fitting forehatch, cockpit coaming and “garage” for the main hatch. The aft-deck hatches were also streamlined. I have mislaid the full revised sales brochure, but this was the flyer insert. Note that the standard engine was now a diesel, instead of the Stuart-Turner 10hp two-stroke!
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For the 1973 Earls Court Boat Show, the brochure was re-vamped, with much better photos of the boat sailing. (Sailing much faster, with sails perfectly trimmed ‘cos yours truly was at the helm!)
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This was the first sales brochure of the first version of the MW 27
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Hi Greg
All versions of MW27 had the same sail plan. Jeckells are the historic suppliers for Macwesters, and they have all the dimensions etc. If you are a paid up member of the Association, ask for a special quote!
In the technical forum you should find the specifications, should you be preference for a local sailmaker. Just one caveat: 50 years on, it’s worth checking that the mast is the original IYE , so that you get the correct sliders for the luff track.Further thoughts: the reason for leaving tanks full in the winter was to prevent water condensation on the inside of the (untreated mild steel) fuel tanks, as classic diesel is a diluted oil, that protects the metal.
I have no idea if the new blended diesel still provides the same protection.I agrée about the issue of the current policy of blending with bio ingredients, which are known to attract moisture, which increases the risk of bacterial growth.
As 99% of the volume of diesel sold goes into road and other transport things, most of which use up and refill their tank every few days or weeks, they hardly ever suffer from “diesel bug”. If the pollution levels are reduced as a result of the biodiesel use, then I suppose that it can be claimed that it is the right thing to do.
Due to the fact that auxiliary engines in sailing boats use 0.0000(0?0?)% of production of diesel fuel, it’s pretty unlikely that the refineries and distribution will want to continue to supply “straight” fuel.
Conclusion is that we will have to rely on using the proprietary additives that are available from reputable sources, or perhaps (as I do), drain my tank every spring, and come to an agreement with a friend who still has an oil-fired central heating boiler. I then fill up with fresh diesel from the local service station.
That is feasible with the 50 litre tank on my MW 27, but would be be more complicated with a bigger boat, especially if with twin tanks.On my previous 1976 Mk2 MW27, there was a 15mm plastic tube glass fibred inside the hull, that went from the bottom of the chain locker to the inside of the skeg, under the stern tube , behind the engine, not far from the suction tube for the bilge pump. It was in one length , and was intended only to drain the water that would come from the wet anchor chain.
There was no connection from the deepest part of the bilge under the cabin floor. If any water got in there, or into the recesses where the keel bolts are, that had to be removed with a sponge and bucket ( or a portable bilge pump).
The cockpit floor drains are also a totally separate system.That was the identity plaque for British ships Registration. (Now replaced by the SSR registration for the UK)
ON was the “Official Number”, and RT is theRegistered Tonnage which is a calculation of how many “tonnes” could be carried under the deck. Wood barrels, were used for packaging for most cargo transported by ships, long before the 40 foot steel containers were invented. The word is derived from the French “tonneau”. It has nothing to do with the actual weight, or displacement of the boat.
In my neck of the woods ( France) my insurance broker informed me that no company was willing to offer coverage for “all-risks” on boats over 40 years old, even with a perfect survey.😕
The ballast is a shaped cast iron block, which is fitted into the glass-fibre hull moulding (that was done before the deck moulding was bolted onto the top of the hull). To stop it from moving, a resin and microsphere glass beads mixture was poured from the inside, around the keel block, to fix it in place.
Over time, it is possible that the little hollow glass beads (they are a bit less than 1mm in diameter) could have crumbled, and allowed water to seep in, as it becomes more like a sponge. That might explain how water coming in from damage on the bottom edge or the keel can get up into the hull.
Be aware that a few boats were purchased as bare hull and deck mouldings, and were entitely fitted out by the customer, incuding the possibility of filling up the ballast keels with iron shot, scrap steel, concrete, and pretty well anything available!
Obviously the first step is, once the boat is out of the water, is to entirely remove the anyifouling paint from the lower edge, and the bottom of the keels, to see where the glass-fibre is damaged. Then, as Linda suggests, to let it drain out over the winter. Repair as necessary, when all has thoroughly dried out.
As far as I know, metal “shoes” to protect the keels were never offered as a factory-fitted option. Over the years, many owners have had them made up and fitted. Hopefully someone who has done that will reply withe a description of how they went about that.
On the 27, the cast iron keel is clearly visible on the photo (painted with white primer). Inside, if you remove the lower drawer in the galley, you can see one of the stainless steel fastenings which are one inch (25mm) diameter, and the reinforcement of the hull. There are 4 on each keel.
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If you have any photos of your boat out of the water, especially the central skeg ( under the propeller), and the rudder, that will enable us to identify the model.
If you can also confirm that you can see the joint between the glass fibre hull moulding, and the cast iron keels.Hi Robert
The comment on the keels being “removable” is a bit confusing! If he means that the ballast is not placed inside the hull moulding, that is correct for the Macwester 27, and it was the only Macwester to have the cast iron keels fixed to the hull with stainless steel studs. Due to the way that they are installed, I don’t think that it would be possible to remove them without enormous damage to the reinforcement structures inside the hull.
The surveyor is perhaps basing his comment on the fact that it is quite common to have to remove the keel, and replace the bolts on single keel yachts after any incident like running around. They are simply not designed to do that, unlike a twin keel Macwester which is intended to be able to be on a mooring which dries out twice a day with the tides.
