EXCELLENT DAY SAILER IN LOVELY CONDITION Ready to enjoy this Summer £13,950 for a quick sale Ashore at Baltic Wharf and prepped for the 2026 season by the very knowledgeable Owner. 'Morning Star' is a very well-maintained, lightly used, Westerly Merlin Special Edition which can be summarised as a 'little big yacht'. Significant expenditure and improvements by this Owner include: new sprayhood to match the colour of the recent lazy-jacks bag, matching dodgers; lightly used Merlin cruising chute; new UV edging strip; etc. New Harken main sheet system. Cockpit and fore-deck re-painted. Also, recent regular maintenance work such as: Anodes and anti-foul Checking and replacing some of the jib-sheet track car rollers, etc. Marking the chain every 5 metres Pressure washed and hull polished. 'Morning Star' is a comfortable day-cruiser with twin bilge keels, ideal for a first start into cruising. The recent improvements were commissioned by the current Owner who is a highly-qualified and very experienced Cruising Instructor on larger yachts. The current Owner travelled around the UK to find a good example of a Westerly Merlin Special Edition and promptly bought this yacht on the East Coast - just before Covid - and has improved it further after transportation to the West Country. In Plymouth, after road transportation, the rigging was inspected and renewed as necessary. Thus, 'Morning Star' benefits from recent new rigging and the installation of lazy-jacks so single-handed sailing of this Westerly Merlin is even easier. The previous owners - on the East Coast - enjoyed this Westerly Merlin Special Edition for about 15 years with much expenditure including: a new diesel engine in 2007 (with only about 990 hours to date) some new Jekyll sails in 2010, and much more. All listed in 'Chronology'. Westerly Yachts introduced the Merlin class in1984, their first with an aft one and a half berth cabin. Strongly built (Lloyd's Certified - SOU 510211 refers) with spacious and attractive accommodation due to the interior joinery including a lovely holly and ash cabin sole. In addition there is excellent velour upholstery so the boat's interior seems much younger than the age of the hull. This proven Westerly Merlin yacht has good sailing performance so 'Morning Star' makes an ideal family cruiser which benefits from twin bilge keels. When built, 'Morning Star' was fitted with the optional wooden laminates to the head/ceiling of the main saloon thus eliminating 'Westerly droop' as there is no conventional head-lining in the main saloon. Only for sale as the Vendor, being a Cruising Instructor, receives regular invitations to sail in sunny climes on larger yachts belonging to others. Hard to refuse such invitations which is why 'Morning Star' needs a new custodian. Broker's Comments. With only three owners from new Morning Star has benefitted from regular equipment updates and/or replacements. This Westerly Merlin presents well with a delightful interior - there is much charm and character aboard this neat and tidy yacht. Ready to sail and complete with many sails including a symmetrical spinnaker, also warps and fenders. (A 2.3 m tender and two year old Torquedo electric outboard. are available by seperate negotiation). Ready to enjoy. Chronology: Care, Maintenance, Improvements Chronology The following gives an indication of the well-cared-for nature of this 1985 Westerly Merlin Special Edition over the years: 2007 New Nanni 3.75HE 21HP marine engine (freshwater closed-circuit cooling)
2007 New 3 bladed propeller 2010 New Standing Rigging (Invoice available) 2010 New Jeckell's mainsail in premium Marblehead woven Dacron and lightly used since. (Slab reefing with 3 reefing points and 2 reefing lines running to cockpit jammers with ram’s horn at mast) 2010 New Jeckells furling genoa in premium Marblehead woven Dacron with UV strip and lightly used since 2010 New mainsail cover in burgundy 2010 New sprayhood with clear panels and grab rail 2016 New vision panels to spray hood 2017 New acetal cutlass bearing 2018 New engine battery 2020 The cast iron bilge ballast keels grit blasted and re-primed by Larkmans of Woodbridge 2020 Running rigging replaced (Cruising Dyneema) 2021 Stanchions checked and guard rail wires renewed 2021 Thorough standing and running rigging inspection. All approved in Plymouth after road transport from the East Coast. New runners at top of mast. New halyard and new furler. New, mast head VHF/Windex unit. New Haarken furling system New mainsail bag and lazy-jacks New Stackpack Weathermax. All before re-rigging in Plymouth. New fender and mooring lines. 2021 Polished hull 2022 Two new 110Amp/hr batteries installed 2024 New dodgers and lazy-jack sail bag 2024 Painted fore-deck and cockpit 2024 New spray-hood 2024 Topsides pressure washed and polished 2025 New sea-cocks, full engine service, new UV strip on Genoa, and thorough annual maintenance. END. More sailing informationThe following is additional sailing-related data about Morning Star,a well cared-for Westerly Merlin Special Edition: Deck and superstructure in white with grey non-slip panels to deck, coach-roof, cockpit coamings and lockers Transom hung rudder with tiller steering Self-draining cockpit Fractional sloop rig Silver anodised aluminium alloy mast: Boom and spinnaker pole by Kemp Deck stepped mast Headsail furling system Control lines lead aft to cockpit via Spinlock jammers Two Barlow 23 two speed genoa sheet winches Two Barlow 20 halyard winches. END