Correct.  The tiller can only be pushed to the side and not up / out of the way.

I do prefer a traveller and think it is the better setup.  George Gurr also has a nicely built traveller bracket on his boat.

Hi Adrian,

I have seen that boat for sale over a long period of time.  I don't know anything about her though.

With regards to your traveller comment, the traveller must be that high to accommodate the vertical movement of the tiller.  Mine is at least that tall and probably farther aft.  This creates several problems;  Leverage on the base plates as well as increased load due to the mainsheet's angle to the boom.

You can take a look at my base plate, which is less robust than his if I bring the boat out this weekend.  Mine has stood the test - I sailed it in over 35-40knots AWS which destroyed the aluminium track, pin-stops and 2,000lbs snatch blocks with no ill effect on the traveller support.

Second, the angle to the boom can be compensated for by purchasing cars&tracks that will accept the side-load, or angling the track&car on the bracket so that the load to the boom is perpendicular to the support beam.  I took the former, Little Minute took the latter.  His looks nicer but wasn't going to work without some major rejigging on my boat.

In other words, the traveller is awesome, don't sweat it.

The boom looks like the proper height to me.

Hi All,

We met another Contessa on the water today.  Northern Spy II #137 from Port Credit Yacht Club.  We hailed over the open water and told the fellow to check the forums to find our contact information.  I sure hope he does.  It is a pretty little navy blue boat and it looks like it's in great shape.  Lets hope he decides to join our little class association... one more to the ranks?

Does anyone have a contact at PCYC?  Perhaps I should call there and leave a message with our info.

At any rate, Northern Spy II... if you read this message, then Welcome Aboard!!

Regards,
Jordan.
Vixen, 1983 Contessa 26 #312

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(9 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)

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Hi cPaul,

i had the same question as I look to rig the asymmetric for the first time.

How do you have the tack rigged now?  Do you have a tack line through a block and back to the cockpit or do you have a fixed tack point?  I have a furler on the forestay so I'm not sure where I'll attach the tack...

I'm also interested in if anyone uses the beads and how they're made.
Regards,

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(9 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)

I ordered the new sheets today.  They tell me 55' is enough per side and that it should cover me for both asymmetric and symmetric.  They tell me a few things...

The ISP (halyard height off deck) and JSP (spinnaker pole length) of the boat should be 31.5' and 10.3' respectively.  And the shop also recommended 180% of JSP for the foot of the sail.

My symmetrical is the right size.  yay!  Even has my sail number on it and in the right colours.  I can't wait to get it flying after I patch a couple tiny holes.

The asymmetric... well... I don't know the measurements for that one yet, but the luff is in the 28-30' range so I know I can get it hoisted.  Hopefully, it'll not only fly but fly well.  How do others find the asymmetric on the Contessa?

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

I think it's sufficiently far away from the compass, and we're not talking a giant magnet here.  Just something to keep the metal flakes from floating around.

Speaking of which... I installed my new instruments the other day.  *sigh* The wind sense packs interfere with VHF operation.  The field is so strong that even at the very stern of the boat, my handheld radio is inoperable while the wind instrument is on.  I'll post that in another thread...

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

We were discussing ways to clean out the tank.  I think it goes beyond just cleaning as I suspect that it may be a little rust in the tank... 35 year old steel tank + marine environment = likely rust, yes?  A friend suggested I swish a magnet to gather up any metallic junk as well. Instead of messing with that, I'm thinking of getting a magnet to put on the outside of the tank after I drain it.  I hope this will capture any loose metal particles that may be slopping around in there in the future.

I like your idea of using the oil sucker to empty the tank.  I'll have to see if I can pick one of those up.

That's terrific news!  Glad to hear everyone is happy and healthy.
Congratulations Adrian.

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

We've been through some rough weather this spring;  In June, we pummelled through 8' waves to get out of Toronto harbour, but the remainder of the summer has been reasonably calm.  Exiting Port Dalhousie, when the problem occurred was very rough - 24 hours of north wind had caused a large swell that was working against the 2-4knot current leaving Port Dalhousie.  It was both choppy and reflecting off the breakwalls of the channel.  I can see how that would have stirred up any yuck in the tank and clocked the intake screen.

It was very evident that something was blocking the fuel intake / tank outlet as I was sucking on the hose quite hard to get any sort of flow.

As for the vent, yes, the thought crossed my mind, but while I was testing the syphon, I had the fuel filler hose removed from the tank as I had tried to peer inside.  That, alone, vented the tank with a 1.5"-ish (maybe 2"?) hole.

I have run the engine now for an hour.  The engine plugged away with no signs of problem.  However, the green charging light is still coming on at lower RPM.  I think I will have to trouble shoot that as a second issue.

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

Well... the fuel in the filter cup seemed clear with the exception of half a teaspoon of water.  Which I emptied and replaced the filter.  I was having a hard time bleeding the fuel line though so I took off the fuel filter intake hose.

This is the part I hate...  I tried to syphon fuel from the tank and it turned out to be really difficult to pull the fuel and wouldn't continue the syphon once started.  Hmph.  I then blew as hard as I could and blew some bubbles in the fuel tank.  After that, no problem with the syphon.

I would say that implies the problem was a clogged fuel intake and further makes me think this problem will happen again.  *sigh*

Is there an easy way to clean a fuel tank??  The closest thing I have to an inspection hatch is the fuel filler hole and I can't see much in there, and it is impossible to reach in to clean.  Ideas?

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

I'm on the boat as I type this.
After sitting for a week, after having the battery used for radio and wind instruments on our last trip with no recharge, the battery sits idle at around 12.15V.

I started the engine and ran it at idle and the battery reads 12.4V
Under load (tied to dock and in forward gear) at about half-revs (no tach), the battery continues to read 12.4V
Under full load (tied to dock, in gear) at full throttle, the battery reads 13.9V
In all cases, the green light is flickering.

On the cooling side of things, I have checked the impeller and it is still looking brand new (only has about 6 hours on it).  There is water being evacuated through the exhaust as per normal.

I like your theory that it is a high-load on the engine; Like I said, it sounds like the diesel is labouring.  I think I will check the fuel filter first though.

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(9 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)

AH!  It's asymmetric!  I stretched it out over the pool in the backyard and it's definitely not symmetrical.  Looks like I'm going to have fun as soon as I get to go sailing again.  I hope it's the correct height.

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(9 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)

More info...

I just pulled my two spinnakers out and spread them across the living room.
The first, appears to be a proper symmetrical spinnaker with really nice spinnaker cloth.  There are a few small holes right near the head so I'll have to get that repaired before I try to fly it.

The second, I'm not sure what it is exactly.  It has a sail number of #121 on it so it definitely wasn't made for my boat.  It appears to be symmetrical in shape, and has red/green corners (one would assume port/starboard), but at the same time it doesn't have that "full belly" symmetrical spinnaker look.  It also has a tackline eye spliced to the (red/port) corner.  I wonder if the guy before me was trying to fly this as an asymmetrical chute.  It is cut with horizontal panels across the bottom and vertical panels at the top.

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

Thank you Ian.  I'm hoping it's not electrical, but you have provided some much needed suggestions in that area.

FWIW, the "sudden drop" in oil pressure appears to have been due to the engine stalling.  Obviously without the engine turning, the oil pressure pump wasn't turning and did not create pressure.  The mechanical oil pressure gauge, I believe, is functioning and accurate.

The green warning light is the one that concerns me.  If I read your post correctly, you believe this is the "charge indicator light" (and not related to temperature).  I am going to go to the boat and see where this is connected;  Would the charge indicator light be connected to the regulator or the engine itself?

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(9 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)

One of my goals this summer is to get the spinnaker rigged and flown. I bought the boat a year ago and so far I haven't even pulled the spinnakers out of the bags to inspect them.

I have a spinnaker pole, which I've unseized and checked for defects.  It appears to be of sufficient length and strength so I'm not worried about that.  The spinnaker halyard is also my spare jib halyard.  It is relatively new and in good condition.

Q1)  How do you folks with symmetrical spinnakers have your lines rigged?
-  How long are your sheets?
-  Do you use lazy sheets/guys?
-  Do you have twings rigged?
-  How far aft do you have the turning blocks for both sheets (and guys if you have separate ones)

Q2)  What size line do you use for the downhaul?

Q3)  I'm not sure what is in the sail bag and want to make sure they are appropriate for the boat.
- What are the appropriate dimensions for a Contessa spinnaker?
- If you have multiple, what do you consider your code 0, 1, 2?

Q4) The uphaul is rigged.  Unfortunately this is not run back to the cockpit.
- Is it worth it to change this?

Anything else I'm neglecting to ask?

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(12 replies, posted in Technical)

Hi guys,
I'm looking for some generic diesel engine trouble shooting.  If you have experience with the Farymann K34, then all the better.

The back story is that my trusty engine stalled on my while exiting Port Dalhousie last weekend.  I haven't had a chance to look at anything (almost anything) yet and want to use my time wisely trouble shooting.

Symptoms
- Leaving port, the engine struggled for a second or two, I looked down as the oil pressure suddenly dropped from its cold 60psi to 0psi.  Both warning lights came on.
- Later, i started the engine and ran it for 30 minutes.  It sounded like it was labouring slightly.  Only I might notice it was not quite as free as it normally is.
- Upon arriving in Etobicoke, the I started the engine for less than 5 minutes to get me into the slip.  Our green warning light came on and flickered... this is new, never seen it on before.
- My temperature gauge has not moved... either broken or the engine is not warm yet; Both are quite possible.

Trouble shooting steps
- Pull the fuel filter and check for grunge.  Check the fuel for bacteria growth.  (I have not done this yet)
- Look for water coming out of the exhaust.
- Check the cooling impeller to make sure it is free, clear and all fins are intact.  (I did this yesterday.  All looks well.)
- Check oil level.  (I did this yesterday and it is at the full line with no outward signs of leaks on the engine.)

I'm not sure what the green warning light is.  It's either charging light or temperature.  Anyone know to what it could be connected?

What other steps should I take before I seek the advice from a professional?

Regards,
Jordan.

Being in the east end may make it more difficult to get to NYC (let alone EYC, Mimico, TSCC etc.)  Driving through downtown to get to the boat is no fun at all.

I'm much less familiar with the Bluff's, but all of my visits there have been very positive that have given me a positive view of the facilities, grounds and it would be some place I'd like to keep a boat.  My only concern would be the boring sailing... where's an island to sail around?!  ;-)

I'm not sure what your other options would be out east...