Westerly Centaur 26: Twin Bilge Keels And A Proud History

An editorial in a boating publication in the late 1990s blamed the sailing industry's sluggishness on designers and builders for lacking innovation and failing to keep up with the changing desires of the marketplace.

Those criticisms should never be leveled against Westerly Marine Construction of Hampshire, England, arguably Europe's leading production builder of fiberglass composite boats from the mid 1960's through the 1970's. The Centaur stands out as an example of the company's innovative approach to the design of a 26-foot family cruiser. At the time, many small cruising sailboats were simply scaled down versions of larger yachts. Similarly scaled accommodations were the result.

Westerly recognized a market for a small cruiser with accommodations that approached the comfort level of larger yachts. Westerly commissioned the noted design firm of L. Giles & Partners to create such a vessel, and the collaboration was so successful that more than 2,500 hulls were produced between 1969 and 1980. Many of them were imported into the United States.

The Centaur's hull is a pretty straight-forward fiberglass composite construction, but Westerly was one of the first builders to make extensive use of fiberglass liners for interior components that formed part of the structural integrity of the vessel. Unlike modern boat builders that use fiberglass liners, Westerly incorporated hatches that allow easy access for inspection and maintenance when needed. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the Centaur, at least for the American sailor, is the use of fixed, cast iron bilge keels rather than the more traditional fin keel.

Although construction details changed over the years, for the most part older boats are sound and have held up well. But look closely for signs of problems that include the bilge keel attachments, the attachment of the forward bulkhead and the attachment of rigging shroud chain plates over cabin windows on older model boats.

The principal dimensions of the Centaur are 26 feet long, with a beam of 8 feet, 5 inches and a 3-foot draft. Even though the design is decades old, few, if any, 26-foot boats past or present, match the Centaur's roominess. Three interior layouts were offered over the years; the most common provides a V-berth cabin forward followed by a head, the main saloon with convertible dinette on the port side and galley on the starboard followed by port and starboard quarter berths.

Standing headroom is at least 6 feet throughout. Berths are all 6 feet long or better with enough shoulder room for the average sized adult. Storage space is excellent and there is a deep and comfortable cockpit. Alas, the spacious accommodations dictate tradeoffs somewhere. The long, high, wide cabin trunk leaves little foredeck and side deck space, resulting in a somewhat chunky looking design.

In addition, bilges are practically nonexistent and small persons will struggle to see over the cabin top from a normally seated position in the cockpit. Still, these add up to a small price for the accommodations this design offers. Although a few Centaurs were powered by outboard motor, most were fitted with various models of Volvo Marine inboard diesel engines ranging from 7 to 25 HP. The MD2B was a popular selection on later model boats, and while 25 HP may seem a bit much for a 6,000-pound boat, keep in mind this design was intended for the U.K. market where strong tidal currents are a fact of life, and too much power is far better than too little.

With its twin bilge keel design, there are any number of practical reasons for considering this arrangement in some areas of the world – for example, the boat can be stored on land without a stand or can be left to sit on the bottom when the tide goes out – but for the average Chesapeake Bay cruiser, the negatives clearly outweigh the positives. Most importantly, as the vessel heels the increased wetted surface and the separate hydrodynamic characteristics of each keel detract considerably from speed and pointing ability where light winds are common.

The Centaur was primarily built as a sloop rig with a displacement length ratio of 253 and a modest sail area displacement ratio of 15.1. Sailing performance measured against a racer/cruiser design of similar vintage, such as a Pearson 26, would be less than stellar but the comparison misses the mark. When compared to a pure cruising design such as an H-26 the differences in performance would be much less dramatic, and the accommodations of the Centaur are better than either.

It is hard to find serious fault with a boat that thousands of sailors have found suits their needs and stands up well to the rigors of the marine environment, in some cases, for decades. Good used boats continue to be in demand and offer excellent value and outstanding comfort for the cruising sailor.

Jack Hornor, NA is the principal surveyor and senior designer for the Annapolis-based Marine Survey & Design Co. Hornor writes for BoatU.S. Magazine and other marine publications.

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