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WATERSKI MagazineThe Eclipse is not only the latest addition to Centurion's inboard line, it is the first boat designed and built to take advantage of the company's new Monocoque construction process.
In an era where more and more boatbuilders are waving the banners of all-fiberglass construction, Centurion has taken boatbuilding to the next level. The Eclipse is not only an all-glass boat, but a boat that is fabricated from just three major structural elements.
The deck mold includes the topsides and most major interior components, including the console, seat bases, floor, bilge liner and engine mounting structures. Rather than conventional wood, fiberglass or foam-composite stringers, the Eclipse gains strength from a molded, bi-directional stringer system which also includes the bow liner.
This substructure is bonded to the hull with Plexus, a space-age adhesive that forms a bond stronger than the actual fiberglass. Clever engineering allows the substructure to provide complete ventilation to the boat's bilge and also provides integrated, protected chambers for electrical wiring.
The hull and deck are also Plexus bonded, using a unique exterior lip that captures and holds the hull for absolute rigidity. In fact, boats built with Centurion's new Monocoque system can be assembled with tighter tolerances than conventional boats. They also exhibit greater structural rigidity and strength than boats built by traditional methods.
In the buyers' eyes, the most obvious differences the Eclipse offers are a seamless cockpit fitted with low- and no-maintenance components. Bound snap-in carpet and premium vinyl upholstery provide an upscale look. Underneath is a molded nonskid deck and noncorrosive fiberglass and thermo-formed support structures.
The bow offers another departure from conventional design — a forward-facing bench that's accessed through a half-height console. This design not only allows for a full-width observer's seat, but doesn't require passengers to crawl through the windshield, as is the case on some compact bow riders.
