Westerly Centaur Removed from Hythe Marina

Westerly Centaur in Hythe

The final voyage of the old Westerly Centaur was a short one, ending not with a splash of the sea, but the grinding gears of a low-loader truck. Nestled in a tired cradle at a boatyard in Hythe, the 26-foot twin-keeler had reached the end of its sailing days, a victim of economics and wear.

For its long-time owner, the decision was practical but perhaps a little melancholy. The boat’s original engine had finally given up the ghost. Faced with the daunting estimate for a complete re-engine—a figure that comfortably exceeded the boat’s market value—he made the tough call. The engine-less Centaur had been a hard sell, proving that even a sturdy, well-regarded design couldn’t escape the scrap heap when a major component failed so definitively.

Stanchions and Bases

Before the recycling crew arrived, the owner had diligently stripped the boat of its valuable gear, salvaging navigation electronics, ropes, and sails. Yet, a few worthwhile items remained for the taking. Our team focused on carefully removing the decent set of winches, still operational and ready for a new life on another yacht. The relatively recent sprayhood was unclipped and folded away. Inside, we managed to save some sturdy internal fittings like hinges and latches, and most importantly, the complete set of aluminium stanchions and bases, all destined to be cleaned up and reused.

With the salvage complete, the truck slowly carried the hull away from the water she was built to navigate. The Centaur’s life as a sailing boat was over, but the small parts we saved will live on, quietly assisting other sailors for years to come.