Centurion 32 - looking for advice/feedback

[Koeketiene]

Anyone owned/sailed one of these?

Looking for first-hand experience of the Centurion 32.
Sailing characteristics, livability (local cruises - no blue water stuff).
Anything to watch out for one considering this boat?

TIA

 

[laika]

A friend recently and very reluctantly sold one which he’d had for many years. I did the round the island race on it 3 times including the very windy 2016 one where we got a good result with a small crew who were very far from serious racers. We did respectably in the less windy events but less notably well. It’s a fab little boat. Great to windward. Nothing special downwind and nothing special in light airs. Compact inside for a “32”: As the tall bloke I was always gifted the best berth and it was fine but you probably wouldn’t want it for a full crew of Dutchmen. Biggest downside was the “entertaining” reversing under power due to the weird offset prop. It was a fine looking boat which always attracted compliments. I believe its new owner has taken it across the Atlantic.

 

[Sybarite]

Just finished one week on board with my son and his partner.
To sum up:

1. Excellent sailing boat
2. Disaster on accommodation.

imho.
Certainly not for me.

 

[bedouin]

If you search this site you will find a few threads on the Centurion 32. At least 3 or 4 one time regulars are or have been Centurion owners - I am and I've owned mine for about 25 years.

They sail very well in any and all conditions - they point and go to windward well but going down wind they are slower than a modern boat. Sail plan has a small main by modern standards so you have to rely on foresails to get much power

Construction and fit out are both first rate but they are about 50 years old now so may be beginning to show their age.

Accommodation is cramped for a boat of its length, especially when compared to modern broader-beam boats.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Had one for 16 years and cruised about 10,000 miles in her. A very sound capable seaworthy yacht. Went to windward well, if not pinched, and made little or no leeway. Very good and steady downwind. More than my previous yacht (A Liz 30), I found cut of the sails made a huge difference. I sold a nearly new genoa, made by a local sailmaker for the seller, and purchased a new one from a well known national maker who matched it with the main and performance, particularly upwind, was greatly improved. When first purchased she had very neutral helm. After moving the mast back slightly(deck stepped) and raking more, yet more performance upwind was achieved. She was a very dry boat. Hardly ever took waves aboard. As mentioned above accommodation and headroom compared with today's yachts is limited, but the saloon berths were very usable on night passages. We usually sailed with 2 crew and occasionally 4. Would not recommend more!
Engine access was tight and when the original Volvo expired it was a squash to find a replacement that would fit. (Beta 25). Apart from replacing the window seals, the only real problems I had were stopping deck leaks through the staunchion bases, which required resealing about every 4 years.

 

[Koeketiene]

Thank you all for the comments so far.
Sounds (more or less) encouraging - especially performance under sail.

Point taken about the cramped accommodation.
However, as 95% of the sailing would be singlehanded it's not really a huge concern.

The boat under consideration has got a low hours Yanmar 3GM30 engine, so hopefully that should be fine for the foreseeable future.

 

[Concerto]

I can remember seeing the Centurian prototype in Ostend harbour before it was released to the market.. A very pretty boat, but poor accommodation. This article includes a report on the Centurian and some other similar sized boats. I am biased as I have a Westerly Fulmar, but it is a far better boat and you should add it to your choices of what to look at. In my signature for lots of my online articles and videos on Concerto.

Contessa 32: the second-hand classic + 6 alternative boats - Practical Boat Owner

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

True, Fulmar is an excellent yacht, but from a later generation. Design moved on markedly from early 1970's to early 80's. The accommodation on the Centurion was better than the Contessa 32 at the time. As mentioned above, the Sadler 32 is another great yacht, but with a pinched stern.
There used to be a Centurion "group" on the Internet somewhere but I can't find it;maybe it was a now defunct yahoo group.
Early models had the then fashionable adjustable trim tab on the aft end of the keel. I glassed mine in straight because it never seemed to do anything! Later models had a slightly different cockpit arrangement.
I fitted a Hydrovane which had no trouble in maintaining self steering.

 

[bedouin]

Thank you all for the comments so far.
Sounds (more or less) encouraging - especially performance under sail.

Point taken about the cramped accommodation.
However, as 95% of the sailing would be singlehanded it's not really a huge concern.

The boat under consideration has got a low hours Yanmar 3GM30 engine, so hopefully that should be fine for the foreseeable future.

I have sailed mine single handed a fair amount and I find it straightforward.

 

[doug748]

Thank you all for the comments so far.
Sounds (more or less) encouraging - especially performance under sail.

Point taken about the cramped accommodation.
However, as 95% of the sailing would be singlehanded it's not really a huge concern.

The boat under consideration has got a low hours Yanmar 3GM30 engine, so hopefully that should be fine for the foreseeable future.

I think the engine is one key point, a poor engine is difficult to get around without spending a lot of time, money or both.

I doubt she sails much differently to the Contessa 32 which I have used a lot singlehanded. The Centurion is a bigger boat, although the footprint is very similar. I have a photo somewhere of the the two boats together and you get the impression of higher topsides and the beam being carried further forward - I guess you would have at least 2in extra headroom, esp forward.

They are steady boats, not only because they are relatively deep, but encapsulated lead means that the ballast is low where it should be. A skeg is a great blessing as you are directionally stable and at a pinch can sail her without tiller pilot. When you do use self steering it has an easy life. The rig means that roller furling takes a big bite out of the sail area for minimum effort and the small main is simple to slab reef and rarely needed in anger. The racers tell us that it is much better to reef the main first and sometimes can be convenient before you set off.
She will sail quietly under main alone without shooting off down wind and I often sail under genoa in light weather and quickly hoist the main in the tack

These types are not great going backwards particularly with a solid two blade prop, the Centurion makes this more entertaining with an offset prop though I think I saw a later one with it central, though it could have been modified. Their grip on the water is such that sailing on and off a mooring is quite doable alone as long as you are fit enough to get forward promptly.

The cockpit is deep and feels very snug when it blows hard and, I agree, the accommodation is largely an irrelevance if you sail alone or two up. What I do like is the U shaped dinette which I always look for in a boat and is so convivial at the end of the day even if you dine alone. Earlier boats tended to be a bit gloomy below due to the full height bulkhead by the chart table though it's no doubt possible to improve this.

.

.

 

[bedouin]

Going backwards with a small 2 blade prop can be exciting - I fitted a gori three blade folding prop and that transformed handling in the marina. I have since changed the engine so gone for a 3 blade fixed for now.

 

[sailorman]

True, Fulmar is an excellent yacht, but from a later generation. Design moved on markedly from early 1970's to early 80's. The accommodation on the Centurion was better than the Contessa 32 at the time. As mentioned above, the Sadler 32 is another great yacht, but with a pinched stern.
There used to be a Centurion "group" on the Internet somewhere but I can't find it;maybe it was a now defunct yahoo group.
Early models had the then fashionable adjustable trim tab on the aft end of the keel. I glassed mine in straight because it never seemed to do anything! Later models had a slightly different cockpit arrangement.
I fitted a Hydrovane which had no trouble in maintaining self steering.

a superior build quality to the Co32, i hadto rebond my Co32 main bulkhead as the mast went up &down

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Going backwards with a small 2 blade prop can be exciting - I fitted a gori three blade folding prop and that transformed handling in the marina. I have since changed the engine so gone for a 3 blade fixed for now.

I was told that Kim Holman designed Centurian 32’s with an offset prop shaft to allow it and the propellor to be removed past the skeg so the cutlass bearing could be replaced without having to take the prop off, move the engine forward and then remove the shaft.

 

[Blue_mischief]

​

There was a thread which might be useful - ​

Nicholson 32 vs Wauquiez Centurion 32 ((24/12/2020) - sorry don’t know how to paste a link. Has info on Centurions. Beware berth lengths!​

 

[Koeketiene]

​

There was a thread which might be useful - ​

Nicholson 32 vs Wauquiez Centurion 32 ((24/12/2020) - sorry don’t know how to paste a link. Has info on Centurions. Beware berth lengths!​

Found it - thanks for the heads up

M

Thread 'Nicholson 32 vs Wauquiez Centurion 32'

24 Dec 2020

Im hoping to get some thoughts on these 2; pros and cons and sailing characteristics. Im not after speed but more a comfortable and safe feeling ride...more to keep a nervous wife happy. Both of these seem to come well regarded but any personal experience would be welcome and please offer things to consider on purchase.
Also on a side point, what would be the cost to replace the standing rigging on either of these as probably likely something that would need factoring in on a purchase. Any recommendations as to where to go if I wanted to carry out the install myself using Staylock...

• mattp
• Replies: 25
• Forum: Practical Boat Owner's Reader to Reader

 

[Koeketiene]

I can remember seeing the Centurian prototype in Ostend harbour before it was released to the market.. A very pretty boat, but poor accommodation. This article includes a report on the Centurian and some other similar sized boats. I am biased as I have a Westerly Fulmar, but it is a far better boat and you should add it to your choices of what to look at. In my signature for lots of my online articles and videos on Concerto.

Contessa 32: the second-hand classic + 6 alternative boats - Practical Boat Owner

The Fulmar looks like a fine boat, but very thin on the ground where I am (France).

All the Fulmars for sale I could find are UK based and since the Brexit shenanigans the UK market seems to have become a no-go area for potential buyers on the continent.
Shame really.

 

[doug748]

The Fulmar looks like a fine boat, but very thin on the ground where I am (France).

All the Fulmars for sale I could find are UK based and since the Brexit shenanigans the UK market seems to have become a no-go area for potential buyers on the continent.
Shame really.

Fine boats but very different, it's like asking for a cup of tea and being offered coffee. They were very different in cost when new.

 

[Concerto]

The Fulmar looks like a fine boat, but very thin on the ground where I am (France).

All the Fulmars for sale I could find are UK based and since the Brexit shenanigans the UK market seems to have become a no-go area for potential buyers on the continent.
Shame really.

I have helped a Frenchman and a Spaniard with advice that led both to buy Fulmars. They are not as plentiful as they should be as in 1980 when the Fulmar was launched, the Pound was too high against the European currencies making French boats 25% cheaper. At the Boot Show, the dealers did not sell a boat and all forward orders were cancelled. News of this caused the bank Westerly were using decided to recall the £2 million overdraft used to buy their premises, sending Westerly into administration. Most staff were sacked and a few were kept on to complete existing orders and find customers for the boats in production that should have gone to Europe. During administration the company remained profitable, so was eventually relaunched after a takeover. This is why so few Westerly’s were sold in the 1980’s to Europe.

 

[John 32i]

Thank you all for the comments so far.
Sounds (more or less) encouraging - especially performance under sail.

Point taken about the cramped accommodation.
However, as 95% of the sailing would be singlehanded it's not really a huge concern.

The boat under consideration has got a low hours Yanmar 3GM30 engine, so hopefully that should be fine for the foreseeable future.

I thought the Standfast was a keeper

 

[Koeketiene]

I thought the Standfast was a keeper

In an ideal world: yes, most definitely.
She sails like a dream and she's really well fitted out for singlehanded sailing.
New sails, rigging, electrics and electronics, ... - everything just works.
The worst I have had to deal with these last 3 years was a dose of dieselbug.

A bit of background:
Last year we moved from Brittany to the Med.
In Brittany we kept the boat on a mooring over here she's on a pontoon.

I can sail her solo just fine, however to 'park' the boat (especially when the wind is blowing me off the pontoon) is becoming problematic.
Manhandling 7.8T solo does no longer come easy - it can involve a lot of swearing and a couple of days flat on the sofa afterwards.
I have asked the marina if they have a more sheltered berth available but the prospects are not good.

I am considering my options at the moment:

1. with painkillers I could probably soldier on for 2, maybe 3, years more before I have to pack it in.

2. relocate the boat back to Brittany and keep her on a mooring again.

3. find something smaller (and lighter!) which would allow me to keep on sailing for hopefully much longer. Also the prospects for obtaining a more sheltered berth in the marina are much better once boat length is less than 10m.
One of the possible boats under consideration is a Centurion 32 - hence my post on here.

There are other factors (not sailing or health related) to consider too.

Right now, no decision has been made yet.
Should I go down the third route, I would still have to sell my current boat first.