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Boat Overview
Boat Description
Westerly Pageant 23: The Pocket Cruiser Built for Shallow-Water Adventure
1. General Information
The Westerly Pageant 23 is a compact, twin-keel cruising yacht designed by the renowned naval architect Laurent Giles and built in volume by Westerly Marine Construction between 1970 and 1979, with over 550 examples launched. Conceived as a comfortable, forgiving small cruiser, the Pageant packs surprising accommodation into its modest 7.01-metre length overall, making it ideally suited to sailors wanting a trailerable, easily handled weekend or coastal cruiser without sacrificing genuine livability below decks. Its shoal draught of just 0.86 metres, thanks to twin bilge keels, allows the boat to dry out level on tidal flats and explore shallow estuaries and creeks inaccessible to fin-keeled yachts, making it a favourite for gunkholing and family coastal cruising around the UK's tidal waters.
2. Construction and Design
Built to Lloyd's-standard solid GRP hull construction with a balsa-cored foredeck for added stiffness, the Pageant reflects Westerly's reputation for strength and solidity. The hull-to-deck joint is through-bolted and glassed over, bulkheads are tabbed to the hull, and hardware is fitted with backing plates — robust engineering for a small cruising yacht of her era. Below decks, a tall trunk cabin and generous windows deliver nearly 1.8 metres of standing headroom and abundant natural light, an open-plan layout accommodating a V-berth forward, quarter berths aft, a full galley, and a dinette that converts to a further sleeping berth, with storage worked into every available space.
3. Key Features
Twin bilge keels — allow the Pageant to dry out upright on mud or sand, opening up shallow anchorages and simplifying trailering and drying-out for maintenance.
Masthead sloop rig — a manageable, well-balanced rig of 21.93 m² upwind sail area that is easy for a small crew or singlehander to handle.
Volvo Penta MD1B diesel auxiliary — a reliable 10 hp inboard diesel gives dependable auxiliary power for estuary and coastal passages.
Spacious accommodation for her size — sleeping up to six with a V-berth, twin quarter berths, and a convertible dinette, alongside a proper galley and heads compartment.
Lloyd's-standard GRP construction — solid fibreglass hull with a balsa-cored foredeck, through-bolted hull-to-deck joint, and tabbed bulkheads for lasting structural integrity.
4. Summary
The Westerly Pageant 23 suits sailors who prioritise stability, shallow-draught versatility, and cosy accommodation over outright speed — particularly first-time cruising couples or families seeking an affordable, easily maintained boat for coastal and estuary sailing. Her twin-keel design and solid, Lloyd's-standard construction make her a forgiving, self-sufficient small cruiser well suited to modest offshore passages as well as gentle weekend gunkholing, and her enduring popularity has made her a well-supported classic on the used-boat market.