LETTERS SMOOTHER……QUIETER! Our engines idle smoother and quieter because of our high inertia flywheel. This is one of the many Beta Marine exclusive features that make our diesel engines easier to live with. Oil Change Pump
Dip Stick
Fuel Oil Filter Raw Water Pump Fuel Lift Pump Lube Oil Filter Model Shown BD1005 28HP
What a Concept! It is engineered to be easily serviced Beta Marine suberb propulsion engines, using Kubota diesel from 10-90HP including our famous Atomic 4 replacements. Also available: Marine Generators up to 30Kw. For service and sales on the West Coast, contact any of the fine establishments listed below: East Sound: Jay Kimball .............................. (360) 376-2985 Anacortes: Marine Servicenter .................... (360) 293-8200 Portland: Cascade Yachts ............................ (503) 287-5794 Oregon Marine Industries .......... (503) 629-5370 Sausalito: Hirschfeld Yacht Contracting .... (415) 332-3507 Santa Barbara: Above the Waterline .......... (805) 455-8444 Newport Beach: Worldcruiser Yacht Co. ... (714) 549-9331 Dana Point: Mechanical Marine Center ..... (949) 533-3520 Los Angeles: Marine Diesel Engineering .... (310) 301-9011 San Diego: The Watermaker Store ............. (619) 226-2622
For the rest of the world, find the dealer nearest you by contacting:
Beta Marine North Carolina Ltd. P.O. Box 5, Arapahoe, NC 28510
800-682-8003 • 252-249-2473 sales@betamarinenc.com Page 74 •
Latitude 38
• March, 2005
now. Visit http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/~markl/cerberus/ index.html Mark Lewis Mission Operations Manager, Space Sciences Laboratory U.C. Berkeley Mark — We're a little shaky about the early days of multihulls, so we appreciate your clarification. ⇑⇓THINKING ABOUT BOATS TO BUY I'm looking at buying a boat in the next year, sailing her on the Bay for a couple of years to gain experience, then following my dream of an open-ended cruise into the Pacific. Some of it I plan to do solo, some of it with a couple of crew. I like the Westsail 32, but in my research I found conflicting opinions. Some folks call it a 'Wetsnail' and and some say it's a fast boat. Some say that the quality is superb, others say it's marginal at best. I understand that a great number of them were home-built, and that the craftmanship depends on the people who built them. I'd like to know what the design is like in light winds and in heavy winds. I'd also like to hear about Islander 36s. I read Latitude from cover to cover every month, and believe there is no better sailing publication in the world. Gordo Klenk Truckee Gordo — The Westsail 32 is a heavily built boat based on a Colin Archer lifeboat design, and has a surprisingly large interior. Some were completed by the factory, while many were finished off from a hull and deck by owners. In any case, the basic structure is the epitome of being overbuilt. Because the Westsail 32 is a heavy, full-keel boat with a relatively modest amount of sail area, it doesn't shine in light air or upwind in sloppy conditions. On the other hand, it's a secure boat to be on when the weather turns nasty. If you're looking for speed, it's the wrong design. If you're looking for security, it could be what you're looking for. Westsails are still something of a cult boat, and you can find out lots more about them at www.westsail.org. The Islander 36 is a traditional California racer/cruiser that has been extremely popular in the Bay Area ever since the '70s. The class has been greatly revived in recent years, and five of them entered the last Ha-Ha. If you follow Changes, you know that Dick and Shirely Sandys have been cruising their Palo Alto-based Islander 36 GeJa around the world for the last 15 years. They say she's been a good boat for them. ⇑⇓LOOKING FOR A WESTSAIL SPEAKER In preparation for the upcoming annual Westsail Owners Association Rendezvous to be held in San Leandro September 16-18, we are looking for a guest speaker — and would love to find someone who actually worked in one of the Westsail plants. Passing along the Westsail legacy is especially important for the newer generation of Westsail owners. Each year we are lucky enough to be graced with the presence of many Westsail greats such as Bud Taplin, Dave King and Kern Ferguson. This year we’d like to build on that. If you are an ex-employee, know how to contact one, or even have some factory stories and photos of your own, please contact me. If I collect enough factory photos, perhaps I can give a slide show at the Rendezvous. One Bay Area name that comes to mind as a potential speaker is Frank Minnameyer. As I understand it, he worked as a craftsman doing some beautiful woodwork on several