The Westerly Centaur - plug or English Classic?

[Daydream believer]

Now that I am an old bloke and own one.....

I think they look quite nice


am I deluded?

Well Dylan- to each his own as they say
But i am on old bloke as well & I think they look absolutely horrible
But there is no denying that people love them
I suppose if you have bought one you can hardly say anything else

 

[JumbleDuck]

Two classics in one hit, Centaur and a Vega.

Eilean MacCormaig Mòr?

 

[Tam Lin]

Changing the subject completely, can anyone tell me why my photo came out smaller than the others?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Changing the subject completely, can anyone tell me why my photo came out smaller than the others?

Because you added it as an attachment and they linked to theirs on hosting sites. Attachments display as biggish thumbnails. Here's what you get if you open yours, save it on Photobucket and then link to it ...

 

[Wansworth]

Always think a dark hull adds distinction..

 

[aquaplane]

Eilean MacCormaig Mòr?

got it in one,

It was a glorious evening.

 

[tatali0n]

The thing with the centaur I've never understood is the fact that its successor, the Griffon, is a better boat, sails better, very similar interior with a few tweaks, definitely better looking.... And these days available for very similar money. Yet the love just isn't there in the same way... Why?

Always wanted a Centaur. When we finally decided to make the move from our Drascombe lugger to something with a roof, we went to look at one, but it had a kind of neglected, unloved and abandoned feel, no fault of the boat, the sort of air any boat inevitably develops when they get left abandoned on their moorings for a season or two. Not put off, just put off that one, as we conveyed our regretful no thanks to broker, he replied, "Why don't you come and have a look at this Griffon I've got in, she's only just over there . . . . "

Griffon, I thought? What's a Griffon? We're after a Centaur. But it had been a long drive over, so we figured we might as well have a quick look.

It came as a surprise, but all the little things that had seemed to bother me about the Centaur once I saw one up close seemed to have been fixed with the Griffon. Almost a year later (good grief, how time flies) and now about 700 miles of tramping up and down the Bristol Channel and we're still utterly in love with the little boat.

Might just be that I know no better.

I've been in love with, or at least grown quickly to love, every boat I've ever owned.

And I still have a soft spot for Centaurs. No, Dylan, you're not deluded. Your tastes have simply "evolved"

 

[Tam Lin]

Thanks, JumbleDuck!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Thanks, JumbleDuck!

You're welcome. Smart looking boat, by the way. I like the contrast between the dark blue hull and the pale blue antifouling (boot topping?).

 

[Romeo]

Centaur is a much better looking boat than the E Boat, as well as being more practical for old folks and cups of tea. And they don't capsize.

 

[dylanwinter]

Two classics in one hit, Centaur and a Vega. :

I know which I would rather take across the atlantic

the centaur is great for coastals though

 

[Mataji]

The only complaint I would make, as an old bloke, is the lack of comfort down below in the Centaur. Was OK when single handed, as I could put my feet up and stretch out on the port side (B layout), but with extra crew there didn't seem to be any way to get comfortable other than going to bed. I always thought the C layout was a bit more civilised, and gave valuable extra stowage in the cockpit.
I've now got a real old mans boat, LM27, far more comfortable than the Centaur and sails just as well.

 

[dylanwinter]

The only complaint I would make, as an old bloke, is the lack of comfort down below in the Centaur. Was OK when single handed, as I could put my feet up and stretch out on the port side (B layout), but with extra crew there didn't seem to be any way to get comfortable other than going to bed. I always thought the C layout was a bit more civilised, and gave valuable extra stowage in the cockpit.
I've now got a real old mans boat, LM27, far more comfortable than the Centaur and sails just as well.

5 up in ours last summer

loads of room for two I reckon

D

 

[johnalison]

5 up in ours last summer

loads of room for two I reckon

D

Comfort and roominess are not quite the same to me. I look for floppablity in a boat, ie can I come down tired and just collapse into a semi-recumbent position? I know several boats of 40' or so where I can't do this and so would never consider as a purchase. My old Sadler29 was pretty good and one reason we rejected the Westerly Ocean33 was because the saloon appeared to have pews in place of seats. I don't know the Centaur well enough to judge but I think this was the sort of thing that Mataji was getting at.

 

[Tam Lin]

You're welcome. Smart looking boat, by the way. I like the contrast between the dark blue hull and the pale blue antifouling (boot topping?).

Thanks, I did a lot of work on the hull. I removed the white stripe which was just below the rubbing strake and also the one at the waterline and raised the antifouling. I painted the hull in Toplac (twice) after trying everything to get the dark blue hull to come up nicely.

Before!

OK, JD, I've put a photo on Photobucket and posted the link, now how do I make the picture appear? Now that you have explained it to me I just want to keep practicing!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Thanks, I did a lot of work on the hull. I removed the white stripe which was just below the rubbing strake and also the one at the waterline and raised the antifouling. I painted the hull in Toplac (twice) after trying everything to get the dark blue hull to come up nicely.

Been there, done that, though in my case it was a rather smaller faded blue Westerly hull, and the Toplac was green ...

OK, JD, I've put a photo on Photobucket and posted the link, now how do I make the picture appear?

That link goes to a photobucket page looking like this:

Towards the top right you'll see this

The link you need is the second one down, "Direct". Either cut and paste it or, if you have flash enabled, just click in the box with the ink and it will briefly turn yellow with the word "Copied"

The quickest way to insert it into your post is with the [ímg] and [/ímg] tags, thus

[ímg]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah287/Tamlin/P1020781_zps62yd2u1x.jpg[/ímg]

and thus

Alternatively you can click on the "Insert Image" icon, which is circled in red here

which pops up this dialogue box

Choose the "From URL" tab

and past the copied "Direct" URL from Photobucket in the box. Make sure that "Retrieve remote file and reference locally" is unchecked

and click "OK". The net results are the same:

 

[rogerball0]

Been there, done that, though in my case it was a rather smaller faded blue Westerly hull, and the Toplac was green ...



That link goes to a photobucket page looking like this:

Towards the top right you'll see this

The link you need is the second one down, "Direct". Either cut and paste it or, if you have flash enabled, just click in the box with the ink and it will briefly turn yellow with the word "Copied"

The quickest way to insert it into your post is with the [ímg] and [/ímg] tags, thus

[ímg]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah287/Tamlin/P1020781_zps62yd2u1x.jpg[/ímg]

and thus

Alternatively you can click on the "Insert Image" icon, which is circled in red here

which pops up this dialogue box

Choose the "From URL" tab

and past the copied "Direct" URL from Photobucket in the box. Make sure that "Retrieve remote file and reference locally" is unchecked

and click "OK". The net results are the same:

Is that UV damage Tamlin?

 

[Wansworth]

Comfort and roominess are not quite the same to me. I look for floppablity in a boat, ie can I come down tired and just collapse into a semi-recumbent position? I know several boats of 40' or so where I can't do this and so would never consider as a purchase. My old Sadler29 was pretty good and one reason we rejected the Westerly Ocean33 was because the saloon appeared to have pews in place of seats. I don't know the Centaur well enough to judge but I think this was the sort of thing that Mataji was getting at.

Having looked at century and macwesters with their dinette arrangements the ,as you call it.Flopabilitya sold me on the A bin Vega

 

[aquaplane]

Having looked at century and macwesters with their dinette arrangements the ,as you call it.Flopabilitya sold me on the A bin Vega

Yep, the Vega with seats each side is great for 2 to lounge on an evening, as a C layout Centaur should be I think. I still like my B layout Centaur, and I can reverse it

 

[JumbleDuck]

Is that UV damage Tamlin?

All old blue Westerlies go like that. Polishing helps a bit, at first, but eventually the discolouration/chalking goes too deep.