Newby question ref westerly centaur

[Gareth j]

Morning all, this question has probably been asked countless times but can someone help? I'm looking at a centaur with square windows but it only has 1 port side and 1 starboard side not 2 which all the others I've seen have. Does anyone know likely year?

 

[Refueler]

Any online link to it so we can actually see what you are looking at ??

 

[VicS]

Brochures here might help

Westerly Brochures - Westerly-Wiki

Other changes include the rudder design from a simple spade type to the type found on the Berwick and other 31s (partially skeg mounted) and the relocation of the aft lower shroud anchor points from above the main cabin windows.. where it caused leaks

I think you may find that extra windows / portholes were an option from an early date. Early boats having round ones.

Sail number should give an indication of the age

 

[Gareth j]

 

[Praxinoscope]

‘It’s a Centaur Jim but not as we know it.’

Definitely a variant that I have not seen before.

 

[jwilson]

If you look closely at the photo there are actually two window frames, as expected for any Centaur. Just make sure it is 26 foot long and not the 23 ft Pageant that looks at a glance similar!

 

[Refueler]

If you look closely at the photo there are actually two window frames, as expected for any Centaur. Just make sure it is 26 foot long and not the 23 ft Pageant that looks at a glance similar!

Pageant never had any step-down in coachroof .... so its definitely not a Pag.

But I have strange feeling looking at the photo in post #4 .... it just does not speak to me of 26ft ...... but its definitely a Westerly Hull as they were unique in that 'knuckle' forward which helped keep foredeck drier than most other similar sized boats.

 

[fredrussell]

…I think you may find that extra windows / portholes were an option from an early date. Early boats having round ones…

…and not always two per side.

 

[38mess]

If you look closely at the photo there are actually two window frames, as expected for any Centaur. Just make sure it is 26 foot long and not the 23 ft Pageant that looks at a glance similar!

The pageant whilst similar looking, hasn't got the step on the coach roof in front of the mast.
Edit sorry didn't read #7

 

[VicS]

Pageant never had any step-down in coachroof .... so its definitely not a Pag.

But I have strange feeling looking at the photo in post #4 .... it just does not speak to me of 26ft ...... but its definitely a Westerly Hull as they were unique in that 'knuckle' forward which helped keep foredeck drier than most other similar sized boats.

Unless it has a fin keel it's a Centaur !

 

[Bodach na mara]

I have no idea what it is but it is a Westerly. Possibly a Warwick, the picture in "The Westerly Story" is unclear and small but it has one cabin window ( the Pageant has 2) on each side and it may have a step in the coachroof, in the picture that area is hidden by the genoa. It could also be a Jouster. But if it has only one cabin window on each side, it is not a Centaur.

 

[Praxinoscope]

If you look closely at the photo there are actually two window frames, as expected for any Centaur. Just make sure it is 26 foot long and not the 23 ft Pageant that looks at a glance similar!

I’m sure it’s not a Pageant or a Warwick, but you are correct, if you look carefully it does look as if there are two window frames, so a Centaur is still I think the most likely.
It also has the baby stay that the Centaur has.

 

[Bodach na mara]

Sorry, just reread your message re square window. I thought it was the main cabin window we were talking about not the fore cabin. All the photos in the Westerly book of the Centaur show one round window to starboard. There are no photos of the port side. Like Refueller I don't think that the boat in the photo in post # 4 looks 26 feet long but looks can deceive, especially where Westerly are concerned. A Centaur and a Longbow are easily mixed up.

 

[jwilson]

Early Centaurs mostly had one round forward window each side, later ones usually had two squarer ones forward each side. All had two saloon windows each side, with early ones having a chainplate in a structurally weak position at the top of each forward saloon window.

It does not look big enough for a Longbow. A tape measure would settle that!

 

[Jacana139]

My Dad bought a Centaur in 1977. I have the original invoice. One of the extras were 2 opening ports in the fore cabin which cost £50. The bronze green hull was an extra £55!

 

[dancrane]

 

[Supertramp]

That is definitely a Centaur. And it's a later one, not early. The early ones had the aft lower shrouds attached above the middle of the forward saloon windows (a bad idea). I think the portholes went square about the same time as the windows/shroud attachment changed. No idea why one porthole only, and it's the hanging area one, not the forecabin one IIRC.

 

[VicS]

Definitely not a Longbow or a Berwick.

 

[Jacana139]

That is definitely a Centaur. And it's a later one, not early. The early ones had the aft lower shrouds attached above the middle of the forward saloon windows (a bad idea). I think the portholes went square about the same time as the windows/shroud attachment changed. No idea why one porthole only, and it's the hanging area one, not the forecabin one IIRC.

Yes it is, although the hanging area was ‘open plan’ to the fore cabin. The heads was opposite and had an opening port as standard.

 

[justanothersailboat]

Is that sign that says 20?0 covering a place where a window used to be? Odd variants may well exist (they made a lot of Centaurs over a long time) but I wouldn't exclude the simple option "someone covered it because it seemed like a good idea at the time". To my untutored eye the rear of the two small fore-windows looks about in the right place for a normal Centaur. You could probably replace the missing one.

I think it would be pretty far down the list of things I would worry about, to be honest, compared to the condition of the important parts. If it has ok sails, motors reliably, doesn't smell too bad and doesn't leak you can have a lot of fun plus or minus a window. The reverse is unlikely