Westerly Merlin Special Edition

EXCELLENT DAY SAILER IN LOVELY CONDITION
With 3 year old tender and 2 year old electric outboard - all for £15750

Ashore at Baltic Wharf and being 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 rst with an aft one and a half berth cabin. Strongly built (Lloyd's Certied - 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 away, complete with many sails including a symmetrical spinnaker, together with warps and fenders.

The 'Package Price' of £15,750 includes the 2.3 m tender and two year old Torquedo electric outboard.

Ready to enjoy.


Chronology - Care and Improvements
The following gives an insight into the well-cared-for nature of this 1985 Westerly Merlin Special Edition:

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 rams 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 were 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.

The following 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 and new dodgers
2024 Topsides pressure washed and polished
2025 New anodes and new anti-foul, pressure washing, etc.

More Information
The following is additional data about 'Morning Star' being a Westerly Merlin Special Edition day-cruiser:

* 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

Disclaimer
Nicolle Associates offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

This vessel is UK VAT paid.

As always photographs do not do justice so a viewing is highly recommended.
This boat is ashore near Dartmouth, Devon, England.
© 2026 Nicolle Associates