Westerly Centaur - Any suggestions

If he is stripping all the good stuff off the boat, make sure the inventory is actually up to the task. You don't want to be immediately spending money on basic things like warps, fenders, safety gear, a handheld VHF, etc etc.
 
I have been advising KentishPirate by Private Message. All your comments are reinforcing my private comments about this Centaur. He has now spotted a Konsort for sale on the Medway and is trying to get details and the price. It may not be within his budget, but would certainly meet his original requirements and probably give him a boat he would keep for longer. The Konsort is a much later design than the Centaur, so newer than a Centaur and about double the price for a good one.
 
KentishPirate said:
Evening,

So yes, I went yesterday. The documents were all there, back to the beginning Lloyds certificate and VAT paid, and there was a pretty much complete series of bills of sale.
It was antifouled this time last year, hasn't been out/antifouled/anode checked this season/since.
The engine was new when fitted, he had a receipt for it, they got quite a decent discount for it (was £5.5k they got it for £4kish). He had docs and receipts for most things on the boat. The engine seemed very well looked after, it was cold, started nicely and the oil was practically transparent, I'm used to it being sludge brown so I was a bit surprised. Fuel tank is painted steel, the water tank was stainless steel. The upholstery was fine, seemed in good nick to me. He hadn't done it, he said it was original but ... it seemed pretty clean to be 40 years old to me.
The boat didn't smell at all, no funny smells. The only private boats I've been on before one had a sort of damp-ish smell and the other wreaked of varnish, so it was noticeable.
He'd replaced the bulging starter battery, but only recently. He said it had needed doing, it was the one mentioned in the 2018 survey, it just didn't have much oomph and he wanted the engine to start beautifully for prospective buyers. He definitely made the engine the centre-piece. The Victron charger and the shunt were good, I'd seen them in youtube videos before, replaces all the voltmeters and stuff which I thought was good.

The diesel heater had been removed, but he was a welder so he'd made an aluminium 45 degree bracket in the port quarter of the stern locker. That was impressive. He'd already warned me about it being gone, it wasn't supposed to be in the ad he said. And the Garmin chartplotter (£800 he says) which wasn't listed (just an empty bracket) so I got the impression it was just extracting all the good, decent bit of kit for his new boat, a Konsort. In the listing he said the gas hob was included but not fitted, but I didn't see it on the boat just the Origo. I just got the impression a lot of the valuable gear was being taken, as much as possible, to squeeze that £7.7k out. Fair play, I guess, but don't put it in the original ad.

The inmast furling was an add-on as well, or so he said, it was just a gold-anodised track that was rivetted onto the back of the mast.

All said and done, I did like the boat. I was being so nosy and asking questions so we spent about two hours, I forgot to ask and he didn't mention going out. I didn't get to see the roller furling jib.
The design and proportions is what I'm looking for. 26ft would do me fine. Not too big for me, not too small. It was well-looked after. I just think, especially with some of the stuff missing and the headlining, it's really squeezing it at £7.7k, he did make a Freudian slip "I'm not willing to budge on the price but I thought 7..... 7 and a half was fitting for the work that's been done", but then at the end he made a point that ... he didn't really want an offer, but then he said "unless it doesn't sell". So he was a bit wishy washy it was hard to read him. especially considering he didn't put the engine in... and he paid £8k for the boat originally in 2023, incidentally. Just the personal work, and the rigging and new mainsail.

He said I was the first to view it, but then made sure to tell me he'd had four people call and one person viewing on Wednesday. A previous commenter said £4-5k, I think £4k would be a steal. It's maybe ... 6.5k fair price? Hard for me to say. I'm going to leave it and think about it, if there is someone on Wednesday that takes it straight away so be it but I think I'll give it a few days, have a hard think and make a bid at the weekend but I'm not paying £7.8k for it, with the survey and lift out he's getting too good a deal. He didn't transfer it into his name on the SSR from the previous owner, though he had a bill of sale, and said it was to do with him not being good with computers and left school illiterate, but he's very good with electronics and telemetry so ... yeh, he said it was expensive (£35?), and he was quick to mention he needed £30k to do up his new boat. I dunno, he seemed a bit miserly which is fine but it grated on me, if it were me I'd maybe think it but not say it. Incidentally his berth was £250 a month, and his new boat was on the most expensive pontoon A (again, what are you telling me for? xD)

Oh, and p.s. the outside of the boat and the deck was very clean, almost immaculate. All the bottlescrews, stanchions, guardrails etc was gleaming, the rustiest thing on the boat was the Danforth and the anchor chain. But I can't fault the outside condition or the paintwork etc. And I checked the whole deck for sponginess, it was solid as a rock.

And to answer your question, I'd say as good in the flesh if not better, but it was a glorious sunny day in Southampton yesterday! and buyer desire... I don't know, the boat is nice, it's just whether it's worth the amount he's asking for I don't like the feeling of being had over.
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Thanks for the update, a common pathway on YBW is a question similar to yours, advice offered and we never hear anything again!

Couple of things I’d consider, getting a Centaur from the Solent to Queenborough is quite a trip. You could easily spend another grand on marina fees, and travel costs if the weather doesn’t play ball. The second you take ownership someone will be holding their hand out for money for berthing etc.

Someone will be along soon to say they used to pop over to Cherbourg for lunch on one regardless of the weather but in the real world of the first boat owner you’ll want to be more conservative with it to begin with.

There’s quite a bit of choice in the sub £10k range locally, I’d have a look at some other craft before making an offer.
 
sigma38dave said:
Couple of things I’d consider, getting a Centaur from the Solent to Queenborough is quite a trip. You could easily spend another grand on marina fees, and travel costs if the weather doesn’t play ball. The second you take ownership someone will be holding their hand out for money for berthing etc.
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One time doing that trip a combination of uncooperative weather and being constrained to weekends and bank holidays meant leaving the boat for a week at Brighton and the same at Dover. Doing the same today would have cost us around £400 in berthing fees and likely the same in the logistics of train fares, parking charges and car travel.
 
Last edited:
Concerto said:
I have been advising KentishPirate by Private Message. All your comments are reinforcing my private comments about this Centaur. He has now spotted a Konsort for sale on the Medway and is trying to get details and the price. It may not be within his budget, but would certainly meet his original requirements and probably give him a boat he would keep for longer. The Konsort is a much later design than the Centaur, so newer than a Centaur and about double the price for a good one.
Click to expand...
Konsort is a league above centaur
 
Lucky Duck said:
One time doing that trip a combination of uncooperative weather and being constrained to weekends and bank holidays meant leaving the boat for a week at Brighton and the same Dover. Doing the same today would have cost us around £400 in berthing fees and likely the same in the logistics of train fares, parking charges and car travel.
Click to expand...
I had to leave the boat for 2 weeks in ramsgate a year ago in may as some blocking high meant non stop 30 knot easterlies. It might have been 2 years ago.
 
potentillaCO32 said:
Konsort is a league above centaur
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Yes, it may come down to the old dilemma for someone who is relatively new to boat ownership: Do you go for an excellent example of a smaller boat or maybe a larger, more attractive perhaps less well kept boat ?

You are also pray to mission creep. I remember, back in the day, having an "absolute maximum" budget of 18k and then buying a boat outright for 24 as soon as I clapped eyes on it.

.
 
That would be a very good first boat, for £6k! The engine and rigging are big ticket items. The stripped headlining is dissapointing, but in reality better than saggy headlining, as the worst job is stripping all the shit off, not refitting new stuff.
You don’t want to leave it bare thouh so you have some cost and work ahead of you.
The upholstery will cost almost £2k to replace if you find the foam is shot when you start sleeping on it, don’t keep the red leatherette if you do, it makes you sweat.

The big big question on centaurs is…. What height are you and did you try lying down in the forepeak to see if you fit? I am 6ft 1, when I looked at a centaur, I couldn’t fit comfortably lying down in the forepeak. I ended up with its bigger sister, the longbow, which has so much more space and is an even tougher boat.

Edited to add…. Oh, and don’t be so quick to put gas back in. Try the origo first and see how you get on. It’s remarkably comforting to know you cannot blow up your boat :) Not to mention the added locker space, or the crazy price of gas refills now!
 
potentillaCO32 said:
I had to leave the boat for 2 weeks in ramsgate a year ago in may as some blocking high meant non stop 30 knot easterlies. It might have been 2 years ago.
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The new marina at Dover is your friend for leaving a boat down that way.

We left the Sigma there for 7 days recently and was £198 inc electric. It was blowing 30 from SW and wasn’t too bouncy, the new wave break or whatever they called it obviously works.

I’d say much less chance of damage compared to the free for all and rather short pontoons at Ramsgate.

Dover VTS are really friendly too, couldn’t be any more helpful really.
 
steve yates said:
That would be a very good first boat, for £6k! The engine and rigging are big ticket items. The stripped headlining is dissapointing, but in reality better than saggy headlining, as the worst job is stripping all the shit off, not refitting new stuff.
You don’t want to leave it bare thouh so you have some cost and work ahead of you.
The upholstery will cost almost £2k to replace if you find the foam is shot when you start sleeping on it, don’t keep the red leatherette if you do, it makes you sweat.

The big big question on centaurs is…. What height are you and did you try lying down in the forepeak to see if you fit? I am 6ft 1, when I looked at a centaur, I couldn’t fit comfortably lying down in the forepeak. I ended up with its bigger sister, the longbow, which has so much more space and is an even tougher boat.

Edited to add…. Oh, and don’t be so quick to put gas back in. Try the origo first and see how you get on. It’s remarkably comforting to know you cannot blow up your boat :) Not to mention the added locker space, or the crazy price of gas refills now!
Click to expand...
5'6". The height was perfect ;)
 
If bilge keels are your aim athe bigger version to look for is Berwick or if you like a stern cabin a Pentland. When our centaur was bought as a first yacht in 1976 the westerly salesman persuaded my Dad not to buy the bigger Berwick -cannot imagine any salesman today taking that approach today . my Dad was 5 ft 10 and had no height issues with berths . The coffin berth on galley side was convenient size to store an Avon dinghy and oars I recall plus a load of other essentials. Hope you send picture when final choice made.
 
ashtead said:
If bilge keels are your aim athe bigger version to look for is Berwick or if you like a stern cabin a Pentland. When our centaur was bought as a first yacht in 1976 the westerly salesman persuaded my Dad not to buy the bigger Berwick -cannot imagine any salesman today taking that approach today . my Dad was 5 ft 10 and had no height issues with berths . The coffin berth on galley side was convenient size to store an Avon dinghy and oars I recall plus a load of other essentials. Hope you send picture when final choice made.
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Our second boat was a Berwick, basically a grown up Centaur with better performance and roomier interior. In common with Centaur, check keel stubs have been strengthened. A couple on Apollo Duck <£10k. https://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/boats/westerly/berwick
 
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