Hello Nathan

Some time ago I raised the question of the Westsail 32s' stability(mine is boat number 087) as I found my boat pressed under working sail in a F4-5 with excessive heel. Unhappy with this I removed the old pair of water tanks in the keel and fitted a single tank leaving room for ballast under the fixed cabin sole adjacent the galley. Here I placed 420 kg of iron held in place with bags of pea shingle. What a difference! Excessive heel has vanished and she is trimmed down astern which has resulted in less weather helm and the boat is now faster as waterline length is increased. A friend with a Westerly Oceanlord 41 cannot catch my Westsail which powers along at 7.5 knots in a F4-5 !. The vessel now feels right and I am cautiously optImistic she will be safe at sea. Using cheap ballast also means it can be jettisoned in emergency and with the boat loaded for long distance cruising stability will be excellent. The very heavy(wonderful) mast and original(when full) fuel tanks under the cockpit seating deplete stability as does empty water keel tanks and a small replacement lightweight modern engine. Loaded with weight low and the Westsail 32 feels a very stable vessel. Key is to raise the ballast ratio to an acceptable level. My boat is now at 42% from the production 35% and I still intend to improve it. For example one can lower the anchor chain in the forepeak by stowing it further back. My fuel tank is now behind and above the engine beneath the cockpit sole with an automated extinguisher for peace of mind. .One down side though, as the boat stands up better to the wind the strain on sails and rigging is increased so attention must be to ensure they are in good order. Hope this helps.

John Pound W32 Immamou  South Coast UK.