I'm gonna' start rebuilding my old, sidelined Centaur in a couple of weeks. It was made in the 1970s, used, abused and refused -- sank at least once, and then when I got it, I just kind of patched things up and used it for a couple of years doing "band-aid" repairs until I bought a big, steel schooner. The Centaur ended up coming back to me after someone I thought I'd sold it to failed to complete the deal and then left it in a boat yard that later contacted me for a couple thousand dollars in storage yard fees. It was still titled in my name! The yard wanted to destroy it, but I paid them the yard fees and had it transported to my farm 100 miles away. It's been sitting there, on blocks for about 5 years. Now, I'm ready to retire the schooner (as in SELL) and "downsize" to the Centaur. (I'm now 66 years old and it's a bit of a handful for me to single-hand a 50-foot gaff rigged steel schooner.) I'm hoping to get the Centaur into a better shape than when it was manufactured and then spend my remaining years gunkholing the Chesapeake Bay. I can see why a Centaur would be a "dream boat." I had a lot of fun on mine and it was a safe boat even in a storm. Refurbished and tweaked out a little here and there, I think I'll have found something close to perfection for the kind of sailing I do. I don't know where you are located, but I've seen Centaurs go for anything from "free" to a couple thousand dollars here in the Eastern USA. I hope you find one. If you love a Centaur -- it will love you back.

My father bought a Westerly Centaur, never having sailed before, in about 1973. It proved to be an excellent sea worthy yacht for sailing out of Chichester Harbour. We soon progressed to round the island sails around the Isle of Wight and cross channel cruises to Deauville and Cherbourg. It was a very good introduction to sail cruising.

I’ve not heard of that being done. You would loose insulation and likely have lots of condensation running down the walls in the cabin.

@@olibanks3846 insulation loss and condensation are two good reasons….perhaps the reasons it isn’t done. Thanks! I was wondering about a faster way of finishing that surface. If the headliners have any insulation value, that would be a logical (and fast-ish) solution. Regards….

@@just-dlI think if you can board the top (at least) and headline that like more modern boats you would save a lot of hassle. The quickest way though is to pay £3k 😂

@@olibanks3846 I'm all for that! My favorite kind of project is an SEP...Somebody Else's Problem.... 😂

roinuj arevir - Haven’t you ever heard, “it isn’t the size of the boat… it’s the motion of the ocean 🌊.” Lol. But really, yea you can go virtually anywhere with it. Maybe not Antarctica because of a collision with ice. Though technically this boat could go there but it wouldn’t be a good idea. But you can travel in the oceans and everything.

I would not cross an ocean in a bilge keel boat. Coastal sailing its perfect but, for blue water sailing, id want a deeper keel.

yes but you would starve or die of dehydration....storage my friend, storage is the enemy...food, water, tools, spare parts, repair kits, medical kit, clothes, emergency gear and space for 1 human. Perfect for coastal though.

@Homie I'm not saying its impossible. I'm saying that I would not do it. Like you say, there are many schools of thought and that is mine. That's all

@Homie Of what? Preferring to not cross oceans in a bilge keel?

get.google.com/albumarchive/110182886418433827802/album/AF1QipOCkH05kGdPTuhjahXOIzcMVvnRWyR9-hXjGry7?source=pwa

Concerto (the person who posted this following info) 16-09-15, 21:27 The expert is Roger Ball of this parish or Westerly Owners Forum (www.westerly-owners.co.uk/woaforum/index.php). He is renovating a Centaur and his web site is www.agentlemansyacht.com/.

stanthology thanks, I have seen the website but not really helpful as that guy has glassed his keels in which is a totally different concept. Not sure I would glass an iron keel in but anyway the friend who has keel problems has since discovered very bad work done by Dell Quay Marine so now having to fork out thousands to put it right.

I didn’t buy it new as it would have been about 15-20 years before my immaculate conception, however from memory it did look like someone riveted on blocks rather than a manufacturer supplied boom. I thought that gold mast had tracks though, so not 100% sure if you are correct that they all had roller?

@@olibanks3846 thanks for the reply. Yes, I've seen something about a conversion kit like that.

@@olibanks3846 Are the tracks underneath the boom, if they are on top, wouldn't that be for a fixed foot sail? I think that that wouldn't interfere with a roller boom system.

@@DaveWatts_ejectamenta I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a roller boom but I sold a few years ago and had a couple of boats in between, so my memory isn’t great. I wouldn’t get too het up on the details of an old budget boat, just sail with what ever is on the boat you buy. New / old, roller / slab, you’re still doing 4.5kts in british isles swell

@@olibanks3846 I thinking of buying one, it would be better with a proper reefing system instead of the roller system it has now, just thinking if it is easy to modify it to slab reefing, I think its not too difficult.

Why do you want a Centaur? You seem to be American. I haven't seen any well kept Centaurs for sale in the USA so you'd most likely have a ton of work to do on yours. I've recently put an obscene amount of money into mine and its still not finished. Then again, I've seen people living aboard much worse ones here in Canada. If you're planning on going offshore I highly recommend something sturdier, Centaurs don't heave-to super well I've been out in mine in a gale and it was rough even while hove-to. Definitely sail before you buy and be meticulous in your pre purchase inspection. If it has a Volvo engine be prepared to pay three times as much for used parts as you would for new parts on a good engine.

I think you mis heard, he said a Lister Petter engine. Which you are right, is a diesel.

This was a while ago and I no longer own it. Just buy one and enjoy it, they don't cost much.

How does it sail compared with a fin keel boat i have been always curious. I love them but not sure of the two keels. Any thoughts will be appreciated thanks in advance.

George Canakis the bilge keel is fine for UK coastal cruising. It depends on what type of sailing you want to do. They are ideal for shallow and drying harbours. They are also very foregiving for beginners.

@@olibanks3846 thank you for the reply cheers.

This was years ago I’m afriad. It was cheap though, in the region of £120 or so at the time from memory

@@olibanks3846 £120 a year, wow. I'm looking for nice 26ft. Do you still have your Westerly?

@@SpartanCnC not any more, it was for sale back when I made this

£6500 currently