Westerly Storm 33 vs HR 36
British classic cruiser versus Swedish centre-cockpit pedigree: Westerly Storm 33's layout against Hallberg-Rassy HR 36's Baltic resale pool. Side-by-side specs from published model data.
Comparison table
| Category | Westerly Storm 33 | HR 36 |
|---|---|---|
| Length overall | 10.1 m | 10.75 m |
| Beam | 3.23 m | 3.45 m |
| Production years | 1980–1989 | 1982–1997 |
| Overview | The Westerly Storm 33 is one of Northern Europe's most recognisable late-1980s British performance cruisers. Designed by Ed Dubois for Westerly Marine and built from 1986 to 1993, roughly 141 hulls left the yard — an aft-cockpit cruiser-racer with solid hardwood joinery that sti… | The HR 36 is one of Northern Europe's most traded centre-cockpit cruisers. Designed by Germán Frers for Hallberg-Rassy and built from 1982 to 1997, roughly 800+ hulls left the yard — a blue-water benchmark for Scandinavian couples stepping up from smaller HR and Najad hulls. Wit… |
| Typical issues | Q: What bilge-keel fairing issues appear on Westerly Storm 33? A: Twin-keel grounding wear and fairing cracks are common on UK imports — professional survey before pricing against fin-keel alternatives. Q: What rudder bearing play issues appear on Westerly Storm 33? A: Aft-cockpit layouts concentrate rudder loads; play warrants survey and possible rebuild before offshore seasons. Q: What portligh… | Q: Does the HR 36 suffer from osmosis? A: Yes — pre-1990 hulls built with non-osmosis-resistant polyester resin develop subsurface blistering in the boot stripe. Survey moisture readings above 15% (Tramex) on dry hulls warrant full treatment; typical cost at Nordic yards in 2024–2025 was €4,000–9,000 for hulls 10–11 m. Q: How serious are chainplate problems on HR 36? A: Deck core moisture around… |