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Westerly Centaur

1969–1980 · designed by Laurent Giles & Partners · built by Westerly Marine Construction Ltd (renamed Westerly Yachts Ltd, 1976)

Designed by Laurent Giles as an affordable, robust twin-keel family cruiser for British coastal and tidal waters, where the bilge keels let the boat take the ground upright on drying moorings without legs or a lifting mechanism. It became one of the most numerous fibreglass cruising yachts ever built, prized for load-carrying capacity and a forgiving motion rather than sailing performance. Reputation is as a tough, go-anywhere-slowly small cruiser, not a passage-maker or a racer.

This is a general read on the Westerly Centaur class — informed background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history, and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.

At a glance

Hull form: Bilge
Ballast type: Bolt On Iron
Rudder: Skeg Hung
Mast step: Deck Stepped
Hull construction: Fiberglass
Production: 1969–1980
Built in: United Kingdom

What the Westerly Centaur is known for

Hand-laid solid GRP hull with generous laminate schedule for the era, giving a reputation for toughness well beyond what the 26ft length suggests, with a number of documented ocean crossings.
Twin bilge keels allow the boat to dry out upright on tidal mud or a grid, a major practical advantage on the UK east and south coasts where many moorings dry at low water.
Accommodation and load-carrying capacity are unusually generous for the length, with a genuinely usable interior and stowage for coastal cruising or weekending a family of four.
Simple, low-maintenance keel arrangement compared to a swing or lifting keel boat: no moving keel mechanism to service.

Known trade-offs

Windward performance and pointing are noticeably worse than a fin-keel boat of the same length, owing to the wetted surface and drag of twin bilge keels.
The bolt-on iron keels are the single highest-leverage inspection item on the class: keel bolt corrosion and weeping at the keel-to-hull joint are common on hulls of this age.
Most surviving hulls are now 45-55 years old, so original engines, rigging, tankage, and window frames are commonly at or past end of service life and need budgeting for regardless of how the boat presents.
External iron keels sitting proud of the hull are more exposed to grounding damage than an encapsulated fin, and rust staining/bleeding at the keel joint is cosmetically common even when structurally sound.

Age-related quirks to expect

Keel bolt corrosion / weeping at the bolt-on iron bilge keel joints severity: High affects: 1969-1980 (all)

Original small diesel auxiliary (Volvo Penta MD1/MD2/2002 era) reaching end of service life severity: Medium affects: 1969-1980 (all)

Gelcoat blistering/osmosis typical of early-era hand-laid GRP severity: Medium affects: 1969-1975

Teak trim and single-glazed acrylic/perspex window frames prone to crazing and leaks severity: Low affects: 1969-1980 (all)

Deck-stepped mast compression post/bulkhead rot from historic deck leaks severity: Medium affects: 1969-1980 (all)

Systems to check before you buy

Keel bolts and keel-to-hull joint (twin bilge keels) priority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard

The highest-priority inspection zone on the class: check for weeping, rust bleed, movement under load, and bolt corrosion where the bolt-on iron keels meet the hull.

Original auxiliary diesel (Volvo Penta MD1/MD2/2002-era engines) priority: motor, offshore, liveaboard

Many surviving boats still carry an original small diesel now decades old; check hours, smoke, and mounts, and budget for a repower as a real possibility rather than an edge case.

Deck core and hardware penetrations (chainplates, stanchions, portlights) priority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard

Decades of deck fitting leaks are common on hulls this age; probe for soft coring and check chainplate bedding and backing structure below.

Standing rigging and deck-stepped mast compression post priority: offshore, racing

Rigging is almost certainly original or long overdue for replacement by this age; also check the compression post/bulkhead under the deck-stepped mast for rot from historic deck leaks.

Fuel and water tankage priority: liveaboard, offshore

Era-typical integral or mild-steel tanks can be corroded or contaminated after decades of service; check condition and consider replacement before extended cruising.

How it fits your plans

Offshore: Tough enough to have made ocean passages, but slow to windward and small for serious bluewater work; adequate rather than well-suited, and the keel bolts need a clean bill of health before any offshore commitment.
Coastal: This is the design brief: a forgiving, load-carrying coastal cruiser purpose-built for tidal drying moorings and family sailing.
Liveaboard: Workable for a couple on a tight budget or part-time basis given the generous-for-length interior, but 26ft with dated systems is a stretch for full-time long-term liveaboard.
Weekending: A strong fit: roomy cockpit and cabin for the size, easy to handle, and forgiving of crew inexperience.
Racing: Not a racing design; heavy displacement and bilge-keel drag make it uncompetitive against fin-keel classes.
Motor: Adequate auxiliary diesel for coastal motoring but not a motorsailer; original-era engines are commonly near or past repower age.

This guide is the class. A report is that hull. Paste the listing you're looking at and FairKeel grades every claim in it against what's known about the Westerly Centaur — where the evidence is thin, the red flags worth a second look, the costs likely to land in your first season, and whether the boat suits the plans you describe in a few short questions.

It won't read the photos or put a number on the boat — that's the $249 Deep-Dive, and for the real answer, a surveyor. It will tell you when a Deep-Dive isn't worth buying. Free, no account, usually a minute or two.

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