Newbie seeks advice - buying a westerley Centaurer 26

[roadsterfun]

Hi,

I am a newbie in sailing and am thinking of getting a small motorsailer under 30'. I have done some research about small motorsailers and found that the Westerley Centaurer 26 is highly recommended of its sailing ability and the combined motor performance.

I understand that most bilge keel motorsailers do not perform as good as the fin keel variant but this is not quite the case in the Westerley. I need some advice from the owners/experts here what to look for in the Westerley Centaurers and if there are other alternatives that I should also consider. It looks the bilge keel variants may proof a cost-saving option (mooring etc in the long term.

Re. safety, dothe small motorsailers require a lot of sailing skills to master or it is quite easy to master it. My first sailing experience (in a 15' Enterprise) wasn't a pleasant one as we sailed in very gusty environment in Maldon and my friend (very experienced) has tipped over 10+ times in his Enterprise.

Am I right that the smaller motorsailers are very safe that they don't usually 'tip over' that easily?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Evadne]

The Centaur is a a solid boat, not fast under sail but definitely a sailing boat rather than a motorsailer. If you take the definition of a motorsailer form the 1960's, which was something like greater than 2hp per ton, then the majority of modern sailing boats could be classed as motorsailors.

You may hear from Centaur owners on here (I'm not one) but your best bet is to as on the owners' web site here

 

[VicS]

A good Centaur is a good choice for a 26 ft bilge keeler.
The accommodation is not bad for a boat of its size.
It does not look bad.
It remains popular so should sell gain easily but it means they ain't cheap!
A few years back it was darned near impossible to buy one without being gazumped.

There are boats that sail better, a Sadler 26 for example, and there are simliar sized boats that are cheaper.

Ensure it has a good engine, preferably not still the original Volvo.

Ensure that the hull has been strengthened around the keels esp if you intend keeping it on a mooring that dries to mud or if it has been in the past.

Look at getting some decent modern kit, instruments etc with it

Look at the electrical installation and the gas system. The latter is unlikely to be to modern standards unless it ha been upgraded.

There was an aft cabin version .. the Chieftain and a fin keeled version too ( Pembroke??) Rare I think but there were also ketch versions

Read all about them on the Westerly Owners Association website at the link already given.

There is quite a bit about the keel reinforcing issue on the Yahoo discussion thingy.

 

[emsworthy]

Hi,

Am I right that the smaller motorsailers are very safe that they don't usually 'tip over' that easily?

QUOTE]

When you say 'tip over' in reference to a dinghy I presume you mean capsize. Ballasted yachts do not capsize (assuming the keel stays on of course). With a dinghy the reason it capsizes is when then effort in the sails (ie wind) exceeds the righting force (ie your body weight) and the whole thing ends up on its side. With a yacht as the force in the sail heels the boat over the most likely scenario is the boat rounds up to windward and just sits with the sails flapping. It will not go over and stay over by the force of wind alone, the minute the wind is out of the sails she will pop back upright.

This is something I have been trying to convince my wife for some time!!

No doubt someone will be along in a minute and point out stability curves and breaking seas greater than the beam of your boat, but as a newbie I assume you'll be taking it easy to start with.

Good luck!

 

[Searush]

The Centaur is probably the most popular single manufacturer sailing cruiser design of all time, over 2,000 being built & sold. They still hold a reasonable value almost 40 years after the first one rolled out of Waterlooville. That many satisfied owners are unlikely to be wrong. They are an ideal first family cruiser.

Forget your dinghy experiences, These are not flighty unstable lightweights, a Centaur is stable & predictable. Everything happens much slower in a cruiser - but it will still happen & with more force if you don't heed the signs. You have two large cast keels underneath that allow you to sit on the seabed when you get the tides wrong & to hold you upright-ish when the wind blows. Centaurs like to be reefed early & sailed upright - just as the ladies like it. Centaurs have crossed the Atlantic.

I have a Pentland ketch, the 31' version of the Centaur, & we have had it for 22years. I've just never come across anything that suits my style of sailing better. There are other similar boats where designers have tried to emulate the format, but few match up the the all-round capabilities. If you want better sailing & are not so bothered about accomodation, look at the Sadlers. If you want something just not as good, look at the Snapdragons or Macwesters.

 

[jakeroyd]

Sound advice already posted.
I thought to add that Centaurs had 3 layouts , A , B & C.
The A layout which I had once has a 4 person dinette to port with rather upright seat backs. The table drops down to form a small double.
The other two layouts di away with the dinette and had a seat down one side basically.
On all Centaurs the galley is along the starboard side of the saloon.
My wife and I , average heights , both of us, were quite comfortable in the foreberths.
Mny Centaurs started life with a 10hp Volvo MD1B , this for a heavy boat was underengined by todays standards Some later Cenataurs had tin cyclinder 20 hp engines,much better.
As has been said , already , try to find one that has had the engine replaced.
We ran our MD1B for about half a season once with a broken crank , without realising it ! It was only when rocking the flywheel to and fro we realised something was wrong.

A safe steady starter boat.

 

[roadsterfun]

Thanks for the advice guys.

So are the Centaurer 26 the best motorsailer you can get under 30' (for for around £12k in today's market) in terms of handling, build quality, performance and accommodation.

And I need to look for new engine, modern outgrades and extra outboard too?

Yes that dingy capsizing experience wasn't that encouraging. My friend got nearly dragged out to the open sea while he was struggling to tack it back to the club for almost 3 hours - very frighting experience even with his 30+ years sailng experience.

 

[aquaplane]

Just to add to what's been said, a Centaur will cost somewhere between 8 and 12,000 for one you can use.
One with a new engine, loads of instruments/kit, and very tidy inside may be £14,000, or at least asking that much.
Popular projects for the DIY boaters seem to be,
Dropping keels and rebeding them,
adding stiffners to the keel stubs if it's not already done.
replacing headlining, messy and expensive if you get SOE to do it.
replacing the Volvo, expect a bill for £5000 +/- £1000 ish

then there is just the usual replacing worn out bits, or repairing them untill funds are available.

As for sailing performance, there is loads of room inside.

Mine is a B layout, comfy for a couple and a couple of guests. My 5th berth is used for storage as cockpit lockers are lacking. The C layout is better as the stbd ¼ berth is lost in favour of a decent cockpit locker.

 

[VicS]

So are the Centaurer 26 the best motorsailer you can get under 30

I doubt you'll get anyone to say that unless thay have owned one for years and are incredibly biassed. It's an excellent, although rather dated, choice for the reasons given.

I'd not have called it a motor-sailer. Motor-sailers to me have an enclosed wheel house like a Fisher. To me its a sailing boat with a decent sized engine.


BY the way. Get one thing sorted now! Its called a CENTAUR , not Centaurer, as in Greek mythological beast .. half man, half horse.

 

[aquaplane]

Thanks for the advice guys.

So are the Centaurer 26 the best motorsailer you can get under 30' (for for around £12k in today's market) in terms of handling, build quality, performance and accommodation.

And I need to look for new engine, modern outgrades and extra outboard too?

Yes that dingy capsizing experience wasn't that encouraging. My friend got nearly dragged out to the open sea while he was struggling to tack it back to the club for almost 3 hours - very frighting experience even with his 30+ years sailng experience.

I don't think anyone says it's the best, but it is a good option to look at.

You may be looking at £10,000 if you get one with a new engine, but less if some of the other jobs mentioned need doing.

My Centaur was £6000 but that was a good price for me, even if the engine breaks tomorrow, which it probably won't.

All boats are a compromise, think about how you may want to use the boat and decide what your priorities are, then keep looking for a while.

HTH

 

[Tranona]

Thanks for the advice guys.

So are the Centaurer 26 the best motorsailer you can get under 30' (for for around £12k in today's market) in terms of handling, build quality, performance and accommodation.

As already indicated a Centaur would not be considered a "motor sailer" but a sailing auxiliary - that is a sailing cruiser with an engine.

It was the most popular of its type and size for many years - hence the large numbers (relatively) for sale at any one time - in the range £8-14k depending on age condition and equipment. There are no hidden "nasties" and a very active Owners Association where you can get advice.

As to "best under 30ft" that is an entirely different question. Firstly there is a world of difference between a 26 footer and 30ft in size and complexity as well as price - £12k would not get you a very good 30 footer but an excellent 26.

From your questions, sounds like you don't know too much about this type of boat, so suggest you do some research - PBO often runs articles on buying older SH boats like this, join a cruising club so you get to talk to people who own such boats and look at as many as you can.

Lots to learn but usually fun learning!

 

[roadsterfun]

OK. Maybe I should ask what are the best sailing boats/motorsailers above 25' you can get for under £12k.

Centaur is one of them, Sadler 26 and ..... ?

 

[capetown]

OK. Maybe I should ask what are the best sailing boats/motorsailers above 25' you can get for under £12k.

Centaur is one of them, Sadler 26 and ..... ?

Hi roadsterfun,

Pageant owner here, if you are down sarf (Fareham) give me a PM and I'll show you over mine, it's 3' shorter than the Centaur.

We wanted one, but at the time the price difference was too much, so bought it's smaller sister.

Good if it has been re-engined, but not the end of the world, if the Volvo is looked after it may well go on for another 30 years.

Good offers on engines are to be found at SBS in September.

Have a look at the Westerly Griffon, some are in your price range.

The only problems I've heard of is keel re-enforcement on the MK1, this should have been done, a surveyor will help.

The book, "The Westerly story" is for sale from the Class Association, this loaded with info on these boats.

Happy hunting.

 

[Tranona]

OK. Maybe I should ask what are the best sailing boats/motorsailers above 25' you can get for under £12k.

Centaur is one of them, Sadler 26 and ..... ?

No. All you will get is a long list - or nothing because there is no such thing as "best". All boats are a compromise, but generally speaking boats that sold in good volume when new offered a good compromise for their expected market. For the same reason they remain popular today.

That is why you really can't go wrong with a Centaur if what you want is a a basic, capable family cruiser to learn the ropes - although many people keep them for years because they are so well matched to their purpose.

But you could say the same about Sabres, Snapdragons, Mirages, Cobras and hosts of other similar boats except there is not the volume available on the market.

 

[roadsterfun]

Someone mentioned joining a crusing club to learn more. Just wonder if there are any recommended cruising clubs in the essex/kent/suffolk area.

 

[FullCircle]

Someone mentioned joining a crusing club to learn more. Just wonder if there are any recommended cruising clubs in the essex/kent/suffolk area.

Loads, you will have to be a bit more specific on location.

 

[VicS]

Someone mentioned joining a crusing club to learn more.

It really is a good idea. For a number of years (until I moved from the area) I was a member of the Guildford Coastal Cruising Club. Regular meetings with talks etc during the winter months. Social events. Sailing rallies in the Solent and cross channel in the summer.

I had a number of crewing opportunities and ended up as the regular crew for one of the founder members who had a Westerly Berwick, a non sailing wife and a son too busy with his own family.

Almost all the sailing I could wish for without the expense of owning my own boat!

A great way of leaning about sailing, and different boats.

Sorry Guildford is not of any help to you but there are similar clubs in other areas. If anyone suggests one in your area go for it but be aware that it takes a while to become known. You are not likely to walk in the front door one week and be sailing on a big flash superyacht the next.


BTW as a novice with no experience a boat about 24/26 ft is a good choice. Big enough to be a proper yacht with good seaworthiness but not so big that cock ups are big cock ups. That can be the case once you get to 30ft+

 

[jontifosi]

I just bought my one

 

[roadsterfun]

I am based in Brentwood Essex therefoe and is easily accessible to Southend, Maldon, Burham, Blackwater or south to Kent and a bit north to Ipswich etc.

 

[Bajansailor]

Some good info about Centaurs here at http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/westerly-centaur/westerly-centaur.htm

Here is a long list of Centaurs for sale on Boatshed - http://www.boatshed.com/dosearch.ph...brand=&form_country=&form_boatref=&newboats=0

And here are 29 for sale on Yachtworld - http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...cyid=1005&city=&pbsint=&boatsAddedSelected=-1