Wauquiez Centurion 32

[Judders]

He did indeed though I thought this pretty boat was Don Pye.

I recall reading somewhere that KH stopped being directly involved in the design process when he had to put curves in coach-roofs. However according to Sailboatdata.com (not 100% reliable)it was indeed designed by KH and was first built in 1968, the same year as his stroke so one presumes it was designed beforehand.

I suppose it is not impossible that KH designed the hull (it is after all terribly similar in silhouette to other designs of his at the time such as the Shaker and Barlovento) and then someone else at H&P did the lid.

 

[sailorman]

He did indeed though I thought this pretty boat was Don Pye.

I recall reading somewhere that KH stopped being directly involved in the design process when he had to put curves in coach-roofs. However according to Sailboatdata.com (not 100% reliable)it was indeed designed by KH and was first built in 1968, the same year as his stroke so one presumes it was designed beforehand.

I suppose it is not impossible that KH designed the hull (it is after all terribly similar in silhouette to other designs of his at the time such as the Shaker and Barlovento) and then someone else at H&P did the lid.

The bow is very similar to Shaker, i was talking to her present custodian on Saturday whilst standing beside her bow. She is a handsome yacht.
I understand that David Cooper was working in the yard when she was built

 

[Concerto]

I remember seeing the first built Centurion that had been recently launched in Ostend. Wauquiez was on board and my parents went onboard and were very impressed. At the time they owned a Northerney 34, a Holman design. I am pretty sure that Kim Holman did not design the Centurion, but Don Pye did. It has no similarities to Shaker, the basis of the Northerney 34, as it was a fin and skeg design. To my knowledge CR Holman never designed any fin and skeg designs.

 

[Metabarca]

The chap who used to work in the Wauquiez yard, David Merlot, now specialises in spare parts for the Centurion (such as the teak) and knows the model backwards, as you might expect. Any queries can be addressed to him.
davidmerlot at orange.fr
I think he speaks some English.

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Prettier than a She 36? ..... discuss!

 

[Metabarca]

Prettier than a She 36? ..... discuss!

YES (but then, I'm married to one...)

 

[armchairsailor]

. To my knowledge CR Holman never designed any fin and skeg designs.

I seem to remember Holman bowing to fashion towards the end of his designing days and drawing a few fin and skeg boats; but that could feasibly have been the company rather than Kim himself.

 

[bedouin]

Prettier than a She 36? ..... discuss!

It is a very short discussion - YES!

Although I am biased I think the Centurion is one of the prettiest boats of its style/size ever built.

 

[Justin Wood]

Greetings to fellow Centurion owners. I am very lucky to be the current owner of 'Mayfly' (ex Aeolus IV, ex Lismore) a Mk2 built in 1973. Longer in the tooth members of these pages will recall her in Jeff's ownership. Mayfly is based at Mylor in Cornwall.

Back in the 1970s my father owned a Mk1 Centurion 'Fiasco of Ashton'. She was rare in that she was built with wheel steering and had the pilot berth saloon arrangement...we raced and cruised her from the Hamble and took her to the Med and back one year. I'd love to know where she is now but last sighting was soon after she was sold in the mid 1980s in Lymington. She had/has a red painted hull but that may have changed...as could the name I suppose! Anyway, if anyone knows her current owner or location, I'd be delighted to hear.

 

[bedouin]

Welcome to the forum Justin, I knew your boat when Jeff owned her.

I have seen a red-hull Centurion around the Solent in the last couple of years - I seem to recall she was berthed in one of the Solent marinas

 

[Justin Wood]

Thanks Bedouin,
That may well be Fiasco as there are very few Centurions in UK waters, as you know. I'm hoping that at some point it will be possible to track her down and/or make contact with the new owner. V best, Justin

 

[Metabarca]

Hi Justin,
welcome to the Centurion world (clearly a man of taste!). Don't forget to visit the owner's site (http://centurion32.fr). This is mainly in French, but there are a lot of useful tips and projects from other owners. The only red-hulled C32 that I can see is in France, but there are a lot of gaps in the list...
If you need original spare parts or any advice, David Merlot is your man: he used to build the boats at Wauquiez and now restores them.

 

[bedouin]

Hi Justin,
welcome to the Centurion world (clearly a man of taste!). Don't forget to visit the owner's site (http://centurion32.fr). This is mainly in French, but there are a lot of useful tips and projects from other owners. The only red-hulled C32 that I can see is in France, but there are a lot of gaps in the list...
If you need original spare parts or any advice, David Merlot is your man: he used to build the boats at Wauquiez and now restores them.

If you visit the site you find that Justin as a star mention on the front page

A few years ago there was a different Centurion32 site that gave a lot of info and included a list of the owners of many of the boats. Is this the same site (redesigned) or does that other site still exist?

 

[newtothis]

If you visit the site you find that Justin as a star mention on the front page

A few years ago there was a different Centurion32 site that gave a lot of info and included a list of the owners of many of the boats. Is this the same site (redesigned) or does that other site still exist?

Click on LOCALISATION DES CENTURION32 and zoom in on the map over the UK and there appears to be a red one called Bloodshot in a distribution warehouse somewhere in the midlands .

 

[Justin Wood]

Click on LOCALISATION DES CENTURION32 and zoom in on the map over the UK and there appears to be a red one called Bloodshot in a distribution warehouse somewhere in the midlands .

Thanks guys. No, Bloodshot is not Fiasco...I remember both being around the Solent in the mid-late 80s at the same time.

In the French website, yes I am a member of the centurion32.fr one and Mayfly is listed there some way down the Flotte. I also remember the other site which had quite a few useful articles and boat data, etc...it seems to have vanished from the reach of Google but I'm not sure it was combined or absorbed by the French site.

Justin

 

[Metabarca]

My understanding is that the old site was revamped into the new one. The articles are all there and there is even a forum (as Justin has found, I now see!).
Re your search, try contacting Merlot. His email is merlotdavid-AT-wanadoo.fr. What he doesn't know about centurions and who has them isn't worth knowing.

 

[Justin Wood]

Many thanks for suggestion...I'll contact Merlot! J

 

[Zac Claymore]

Hi Everyone,

Ive recently gained a Centurion 32 - but she's a little worse for wear. First major job was on her hull repairing a smiling keel, second is her engine. She has the original Volvo MD2B in her, but to my knowledge it has been sat un-winterised, so full of saltwater for the past 10 years. In which case I'm looking to replace the engine - has anyone got any advice and/or experience they can lend as I plan the job and look for a new donkey. A previous post details a Beta 25/28 is the one to go for - any updates or further experience on this?

Thanks in advance, and proud as punch to be an owner!

Zac

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

In 2003 I had to replace the MD2B in our then Centurion 32. After talking to a German owner who had recently undertaken the task, I made to scale profile and plan cutouts of the then available engines (Beta, Nanni, Volvo and Venus (IIRC)) and discovered that, at that time, only the Beta BD 1005 would fit without revamping the furniture. It did-just! Subsequently a friend fitted the Beta 25 with a bit more room to spare. Most of the new engines are lower, but wider. Check the sizes carefully.
Good Luck with Her. They are superb yachts.

 

[Zac Claymore]

OK thanks for the reply. I'll look into the Beta 25 for now I think. When replacing the engine, did you take off all ancillaries and use a couple of able bodies to hand ball the old out/new in or use a crane?