 Centaur at the Pool of London in 2017
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Centaur |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | J & H Cann (Harwich) |
| Commissioned | 1895 |
| Status | Private use and private charter ship |
| Notes | 99460 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 61 |
| Length | 85.6 ft (26.1 m) |
| Beam | 19.55 ft (5.96 m) |
| Height | 80 ft (24 m) to top of topmast |
| Draught | 6.2 ft (1.9 m) distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull (keel) |
| Propulsion | Sails and auxiliary diesel engine |
| Notes | Wood |
SB Centaur is a wooden Thames sailing barge, built in Harwich, Essex, England in 1895. She was used to carry various cargoes, mainly grain, for the next 60 years. During the First World War she carried food and coal to the French Channel ports. During the Second World War Centaur was damaged when sailing to assist with the Dunkirk Evacuation. She did war work for the duration of the conflict.
In 1945 she returned to the grain trade until 1955, when she was derigged. Between 1955 and 1966 she was used as a lighter until bought in 1966 by Richard Duke to re-rig as a charter barge. She was sold in 1973 to the charity Thames Barge Sailing Club (now the Thames Sailing Barge Trust). Restored between 1984 and 1993, and further in 2013, she now berths at Hythe Quay, Maldon.