Centaur Well Saga

Storyline said:
I was thinking more about the part down from Cape Wrath where petrol is hard to come by. There are of course petrol stations but they tend to be annoyingly inland. Diesel, on the other had can be obtained from friendly fishermen (sometimes!).
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Durness, Kinlochbervie, Scourie, Lochinver and Ullapool, all either very close, or reasonably close, to where you can achor, moor or berth. I've not found it a problem round those parts. Getting decent food is more of a difficulty I find.
 
Good luck D

Looks like its all coming together.

I would like to see Tohatsu contribute a bit of technical support to the project other than just an outboard..

I have a modified long-shaft outboard with a vent at the top of the leg that ensures there is not too much back pressure in the leg. It helps reduce the fumes in the cockpit especially at tick-over. I was lead to believe that this modification was a dealer supplied option.

I have not tried it but it should allow one to put the outboard inside a sound proof box providing you allow fresh air for combustion to be ducted in.

It is very effective on a two stroke and visibly reduces the fumes in our cockpit.

This would overcome the main objections that people have for an ""well mounted" OB
 
TSB240 said:
Good luck D

Looks like its all coming together.

I would like to see Tohatsu contribute a bit of technical support to the project other than just an outboard..

I have a modified long-shaft outboard with a vent at the top of the leg that ensures there is not too much back pressure in the leg. It helps reduce the fumes in the cockpit especially at tick-over. I was lead to believe that this modification was a dealer supplied option.

I have not tried it but it should allow one to put the outboard inside a sound proof box providing you allow fresh air for combustion to be ducted in.

It is very effective on a two stroke and visibly reduces the fumes in our cockpit.

This would overcome the main objections that people have for an ""well mounted" OB
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thanks for that

I am not planning on putting a box around the head of the outboard

I can live with the noise and I want the outboard to be able to breathe and run at the right temperature

I have just had a email from a bloke called Hamish Cooke

he is the tech bod at Wessex resins (West system)

http://www.wessex-resins.com/

offering the materials and a tech man to come and make sure it all sticks together

I have been pointed to two candidate Centaurs

I hope there are more

It would help if they are already ashore and close to power

so pretty good progress so far


of course.....

who knows when it might happen

....... if it every does

Dylan
 
AngusMcDoon said:
..... Getting decent food is more of a difficulty I find.
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haha - yes. Although things have changed so much in the last 20 years. A few old potatoes and carrots used to be the veg selection but I was up near Scourie a few years back and was able to get micro salad leaves !

I still think that using petrol does limit one's options though .....
 
dylanwinter said:
good news on both fronts

the crucial measurements are the distance from the floor of the cockpit to the centre of the prop

and the distance from the cockpit floor to the waterline

anyone know those?

or could take them off a decent sized drawing

none of the ones I have found show the cockpit floor

and Bitbaltic

you are correct about a bigger boat

so far I have been sneaking up the East Coast never more than ten miles from the nearest life-boat and seldom more than 30 miles from the next shelter

Katie L could do the job

but I would have to spend a lot of time waiting for the weather

waiting for the weather in Katies cabin can get pretty claustrophobic

I cannot stand up and I do not have a usable desk

A Centaur will make those days waiting for the weather that much more productive

if I can edit while waiting then that will be a good thing

but there is no doubt that a better sea boat that is three feet longer and three times as heavy will also allow me to take advantage of weather that are currently denied to me

at the moment I have to be very conservative over when I go out - after all Katie L has bugger all underneath her and is a trailer sailer with all that entails

This might be a way of getting a bigger boat for the tough bit and then pick up again with Katie L once I get to the crinkly well hidden shallow bits of the West Coast.

I do want to go to the Orkneys - but I could get trapped there for weeks

I enjoyed the summer - six weeks is fine because you do not spend much time down below

Scotland in May is not Essex

D
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To me the most importatn feature of any boat is the ability to stand upright in at least the saloon and pantry. I achived this in my bavaria 37 cruiser, and I envy people that can stand up in smaller boats. So if you can stand in a Centaur you should get one. They are probably cheap since they are very old.

I would not alter the hull, since it could get you in trouble insurance-wise, even if your insurance only covers third party. You might stand to be blamed for altering the ability to manouvre your boat, and thus your insurance might not cover third party. No way will ínsurance cover your own damage should you choose to alter the hull.
 
Scheel said:
I would not alter the hull, since it could get you in trouble insurance-wise, even if your insurance only covers third party. You might stand to be blamed for altering the ability to manouvre your boat, and thus your insurance might not cover third party. No way will ínsurance cover your own damage should you choose to alter the hull.
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Really?
I have holes in mine for an anode, a toilet, a log, two cockpit drains, two sink drains, an engine exhaust , a tank vent ,an anchor locker drain, an engine intake and a gas locker drain.

Dylan plans one more hole, and plenty of other boats have wells.
 
Scheel said:
I would not alter the hull, since it could get you in trouble insurance-wise, even if your insurance only covers third party. You might stand to be blamed for altering the ability to manouvre your boat, and thus your insurance might not cover third party. No way will ínsurance cover your own damage should you choose to alter the hull.
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I wondered how long it would be until some scaremongering about insurance. If he wanted comprehensive insurance - which he doesn't - all he'd need to do would be to get a surveyor's report on the modification. Manoeuvrability? What makes you think it would be worse?
 
chewi said:
Really?
I have holes in mine for an anode, a toilet, a log, two cockpit drains, two sink drains, an engine exhaust , a tank vent ,an anchor locker drain, an engine intake and a gas locker drain.

Dylan plans one more hole, and plenty of other boats have wells.
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In this case a hole is more than a hole:)

You should at least Consult Insurance before you change the hull of a boat. We are talking major change to the rigidity of the Whole structure and to the flow of Water over the hull and rudder. Would be interessting to hear the Insurance Company say 'just carry on'.
 
Scheel said:
You should at least Consult Insurance before you change the hull of a boat. We are talking major change to the rigidity of the Whole structure and to the flow of Water over the hull and rudder. Would be interessting to hear the Insurance Company say 'just carry on'.
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If Dylan does it half competently the hull will be stiffer than it was before (because of the trunk linking the bottom with the cockpit) and improved water flow over the rudder (because the new propeller will be in more or less the same place as the old one but turning faster) will almost certainly improve the handling, even before considering the possibilities in steering the outboard as well as the rudder. There may be a little extra drag from the bottom of the well, but that's all.

Relax, dude.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Sails from 1979!
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...and a knackered rig (you know if they feel they have to disclaim it on the ad that it really is shot), and the wrong end of the country too. Sure, it's within 3 hours of Dylan's house, but how much would it cost to get it moved to Scotland. Probably better to just start again sailing up the west coast - it's not like you can stick a Centaur on a flatbed and tow it behind a Transit.

Find one in Scotland near Katie L. There will be one - they're everywhere. Cheaper to get some people up there for a weekend of work (if that's all it will take...) than to move a large boat the length of the country.
 
rogerball0 said:
How about this for two and half large?

http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1979/Westerly-Centaur-2659703/United-Kingdom#.Umq_PfnUmSE
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That looks like a fantastic bargain on the basis that I don't think I have even seen a Centaur advertised on the market below about £5000.It is even one of the later ones at 1979.Check it out Dylan it has got to be worth looking at & who knows,the diesel engine may be all right!(dos'nt mean there won't be plenty of other work that puts it into the category of project boat & has the potential to give you a nervous breakdown).
 
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Nicholas123 said:
That looks like a fantastic bargain on the basis that I don't think I have even seen a Centaur advertised on the market below about £5000.It is even one of the later ones at 1979.Check it out Dylan it has got to be worth looking at & who knows,the diesel engine may be all right!(dos'nt mean there won't be plenty of other work that puts it into the category of project boat & has the potential to give you a nervous breakdown).
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To Dylan no diesel engine is alright - he's been terminally scarred by his experiences with The Beast.
 
After reading some of these threads on the centaur well.

I've come to the conclusion Dylan has contracted a severe case of twofootitess. After several years of sailing up the east coast in small trailerable sailboats he is finaly sucuming to a desire for comfort, space and a few mod cons.

There is no known cure.
 
Scheel said:
To me the most importatn feature of any boat is the ability to stand upright in at least the saloon and pantry. I achived this in my bavaria 37 cruiser, and I envy people that can stand up in smaller boats. So if you can stand in a Centaur you should get one. They are probably cheap since they are very old.

I would not alter the hull, since it could get you in trouble insurance-wise, even if your insurance only covers third party. You might stand to be blamed for altering the ability to manouvre your boat, and thus your insurance might not cover third party. No way will ínsurance cover your own damage should you choose to alter the hull.
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basic insurance law. The insurer cannot refuse to pay 3rd party liability. The hull yes they can if boat not maintained or used as per policy
 
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