Westerly Centaur with a bow thruster!!

[SteveSarabande]

Now I have seen everything, bow thruster on a 26' yacht.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westerly-...ng_Goods_Sailing_Boats_ET&hash=item461ec1085b

 

[Iain C]

Nah, that's an outboard well project gone wrong!

 

[Bru]

It does actually look like a proper job has been done of the installation though, it certainly isn't a bodge job

My initial reaction was "that's daft" and then I thought "well maybe not so daft after all" if it was the difference between the previous owner enjoying their sailing and not enjoying it

 

[john_morris_uk]

Is 24 hp four cylinder diesel a bit OTT for a 26' boat as well? Or is that the norm nowadays?

Whatever floats your boat... It looks nicely sorted from my very cursory first glance and hopefully someone will gain a lot of sailing pleasure from her.

 

[rogerball0]

Wow! it is possible then.................something else to add to my list.

 

[prv]

Is 24 hp four cylinder diesel a bit OTT for a 26' boat as well? Or is that the norm nowadays?

Didn't Centaurs always have a notably large engine, due to the particular deal between Westerly and Volvo? Taken by some people to mean that they didn't sail well, since they were provided with motor-sailer levels of power?

FWIW, we had a nominal 20hp (more like 18) in a 24' boat, so it doesn't seem completely nuts.

Pete

 

[dylanwinter]

Didn't Centaurs always have a notably large engine, due to the particular deal between Westerly and Volvo? Taken by some people to mean that they didn't sail well, since they were provided with motor-sailer levels of power?

FWIW, we had a nominal 20hp (more like 18) in a 24' boat, so it doesn't seem completely nuts.

Pete

That was how it was told to me - although LG designed it for a ten hp inboard

a classic example of the law of unintended consquences

having done my outboard experiment with the 6hp Tohatsu and getting an easy 5 knots and having enjoyed some up river sailing then I confess myself surprised about what an easily driven hull she has

as for a bow thruster - so far I have never felt the need for one and getting into my berth does seem to require some fairly precise positioning

D

 

[SteveSarabande]

Driving lessons would be cheaper than installing a bow thruster

 

[dylanwinter]

Driving lessons would be cheaper than installing a bow thruster

but the bloke wanted one

needs and wants are two different things

you only have to go to a boat show to see that

D

 

[Seajet]

The only reason the Centaur got a 23hp Volvo was because Westerlys struck a great deal with Volvo.

The Centaur gained an undeserved reputation as a poor sailer because of the large engine for those days, and a lot were bought by novices who didn't know how to trim sails; in the right hands the Centaur is a very capable passage making boat.

 

[Hambler Rambler]

That was how it was told to me - although LG designed it for a ten hp inboard

a classic example of the law of unintended consquences

having done my outboard experiment with the 6hp Tohatsu and getting an easy 5 knots and having enjoyed some up river sailing then I confess myself surprised about what an easily driven hull she has

as for a bow thruster - so far I have never felt the need for one and getting into my berth does seem to require some fairly precise positioning

D

Although the Volvo is allegedly 25hp, my dad's boat never seems to steam any faster than other boats, presumably with more proportionate power levels. Maybe this is due to an inappropriate propeller or maybe because caning a 40 yr old engine seems a bit unkind!?

I would say the boat suffers from fairly aggressive prop walk when initially going astern, at least by modern saildrive standards, and an added complication is that the prop is left handed so reversing off a raft of boats at the Folly is not always such a level playing field! Still, having a bow thruster on such a small boat does seem a bit like having stabilisers on your bike

 

[jwilson]

The only reason the Centaur got a 23hp Volvo was because Westerlys struck a great deal with Volvo.

The Centaur gained an undeserved reputation as a poor sailer because of the large engine for those days, and a lot were bought by novices who didn't know how to trim sails; in the right hands the Centaur is a very capable passage making boat.

The Centaur can actually sail pretty well, the big Volvo engines were a result of a very special price offer to Westerly from Volvo. A few Centaurs also had 30 hp engines, sailed one once and that could produce an impressive quarter wave at full throttle.

 

[30boat]

This may be the best appointed Centaur I've seen advertised.The bow thruster is a bit ott however.A long oar would probably do...

 

[Fantasie 19]

This may be the best appointed Centaur I've seen advertised.

+1 ... was thinking that too... that's clearly a well loved boat!

 

[Seajet]

+1 ... was thinking that too... that's clearly a well loved boat!

I'm not too sure about ' best appointed ', my Father clad all his Centaur ( #2187 ' Caroline ' ) with mahogany and did various changes, he found the table in the ' B ' layout a pain so made 2 smaller tables.

That boat happily sailed around the West Country, Channel Islands and France.

Dad has a photo of the Decca reading nearly 14 knots, but then that was in the Alderney Race !

 

[rogerball0]

That was how it was told to me - although LG designed it for a ten hp inboard

a classic example of the law of unintended consquences

having done my outboard experiment with the 6hp Tohatsu and getting an easy 5 knots and having enjoyed some up river sailing then I confess myself surprised about what an easily driven hull she has

as for a bow thruster - so far I have never felt the need for one and getting into my berth does seem to require some fairly precise positioning

D

So the 29hp lump going in the back of mines probably a bit ott then?