127 2011-12-05 06:55:43
Re: ode to my storm jib (6 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)
Viragodeb... Are you the Deb we (Vixen) met in Tobermory this past July? How many Deb's can own Contessa's in Georgian Bay... must be!
Glad you made it through your leeward shore incident without incident. That's pretty unforgiving ground up there with little chance of the boat surviving vs. the escarpment.
On our side, we made it home safely with a few incidents on the way. We discovered our diesel tank was full of algae gunk while we were in the middle of Lake Huron and sailed to Goderich but had to do the walk of shame as the coast guard towed us up the channel (no room to sail/tack up that channel). We had 3 of 4 brutal days on Lake Erie - winds so high our knot meter stopped being able to display the numbers! They were in the 30+ a few times. Our final leg of Lake Erie brought 14' waves, 25-30 knot winds downwind and made our 25+ hour sail into 18.5 hours - No leeshores however. We came through it just fine, but the blew apart 2 snatch blocks and bent the pins & holes on the old traveller. It was a challenging night of sailing which I enjoyed but Feng did not... she's still willing to sail with me though!
128 2011-11-28 08:51:53
Re: Line Sizes - Please add yours (7 replies, posted in Technical)
1. Yes, exactly. I don't like the halyards but they appear to be sufficient for the time being. They're almost new so I need to recommission them to justify replacing them... not at the top of my list.
2. The 5:1 system hasn't jammed yet. It works smoothly and is extremely light to use... even when it was blowing like mad out, I never even thought about using force on the line. However, the tail of the line is not "a little extra", it's a lot extra. Even at full boom extension, there is a full coil of really fat line.. I'd guess conservatively 14mm but it could be larger. My traveller sits aft of the cockpit so I often toss the coil up on the aft deck to get it out of the way. The result is a very wet, heavy coil of line.
3. The cheap snap shackle that is on the jib sheets is loosing the spring pressure in the pull pin. And yes, it caught on the shrouds twice this summer and opened up. The first time I thought my wife had not snapped it shut, but the second time couldn't have been a coincidence so it was so I rigging-taped it shut so it wouldn't snag again. I sail on another race boat that has nice, light lines. I like the two line system they use, and although they use the trigger/spike-type of shackle, I think I will likely go with trying them on.
4. Good point, 8mm it is. As for the reef points, why keep the first? We sail under 155% genoa or 100% jib & full main until about 15-17 knots. The main gets reefed to the deepest reef at that point - by passing the first reef. Once the winds get higher, we reef the genoa or jib further as needed - this takes us up through 30 knots downwind. The only reason I'll keep the first reef rigged is "because it's there."
5. Thanks for the tip, I think I'll do that in the spring if the boom layout permits.
9. Yes, the "I need it NOW!" argument is certainly the view I've had from one side. And this is why I'm leaning towards using my 3rd quality halyard; It's strong enough to use in a pinch and I won't be heart broken if it wears - it doesn't owe the boat anything at this point. I'm not big on portable boom crutches and the stern of my boat is already full of "stuff" (traveller beam, BBQ, wind vane, life buoy, ladder and sometimes dinghy motor) No more! As it is, the BBQ and dinghy motor may stay home next season.
10. Yes, I'm loving my 3:1 Harken system. Some previous owner had installed an Aluminium I-beam track (unnecessary on the supported beam) with pin-stops and a Ronstan car. The car was fine but had no control lines. The pinstops were - obviously - unable to change position while on that tack, the pins would bind in the holes and not slide, and gybing was horrendous as you couldn't centre the boom and then ease it out. Once the Harken system was on, gybes became smooth as silk and the control of the sail became so much easier for making small adjustments under load. I'm sure any brand would do nicely because the technology is so far advanced.
129 2011-11-27 07:23:22
Re: Line Sizes - Please add yours (7 replies, posted in Technical)
Yes, I know all about 'inheritance issues' of wrong sized line... and fuel hoses... and anchor chain rode... We've been working at replacing everything as we can from the most critical on down, and this is why I posted the question.
1. Halyards. The owner replaced the halyards a short while ago and they seem to be ok but wouldn't have been my choice. I would guess they are 11mm or 12mm, cheap braid.
2. Mainsheet. This is likely 14 or 16mm old braid... even though it's got a 5:1 purchase, there is so much left over tail that it gets in the way. It will be replaced if I can find a good deal on a fiddle block setup to replace the elderly 3x2 setup that I have now.
3. Jib/Genoa sheets. 13 or 14mm braid. I feel secure with these in rough weather, but I think they are really heavy and quite a bit bigger than those I have raced with on larger boats. I want to buy stronger, lighter lines. Also, the previous owner built these lines as a single line with a snap shackle spliced into the centre of it. When they get replaced, I will go with two lines... jury is still out on the shackle.
4. Reefing lines. I think these are 13 or 14mm as well. These are totally the incorrect lines and bind in the sheaves on the boom. I think I'll get rid of the 1st reef line as we always go straight to the 2nd reef. You think 8mm is sufficient?
5. Outhaul. Same as reefing lines, 13 or 14mm. It's only a 1:1 system, do you think more purchase is necessary?
8. Roller furling. This is a small diameter braid line and is the correct size and good condition... I'd have to measure it for the size but I'd guess 8mm max.
9. Topping lift. This old, cruddy line needs to go. I have 2 different thoughts;
a) if I use this as a spare halyard, that means it's sitting in the weather and deteriorating; When I need to count on it, it might fail.
b) if I use an older line, and keep my spare halyard stored safely, then I could always fish the spare halyard using the topping lift if need be.
I currently have 3 halyards and the cruddy topping lift on the mast now, plus two previous halyards in a locker. I think I will use one of the previous halyards as a topping lift, move my main halyard to spare duty in the locker and buy a new main halyard.
10. Traveller controls. I just replaced my aluminium track, pin stops and car with a fantastic new Harken setup I built myself - I can't tell you how happy this improvement has made me; a warm glow sets in when I touch it. I configured it with 3:1 control lines, but consider backing that off to 2:1. The cord is ... 8mm? I can't remember the trade name for the line, but it is super strong, flexible, soft and easy on the hands.
11. Docking lines. I don't have a permanent place to dock her yet, but I built my dock lines out of 13mm, 3-strand, nylon. I have 4x26' and 1x80' ... I think I'll add some boat handling lines in braid as the 3-strand gets grungy and hard on the hands after only 1 season.
No 6/7/12/13/14 for me yet.
130 2011-11-26 15:21:23
Re: Line Sizes - Please add yours (7 replies, posted in Technical)
Thanks Ian, that is precisely what I am after. I usually sail in light winds, but want to make sure she can handle the worst - we've been out in 35+ knots of wind this summer and the running rigging held up, but the traveller and a couple snatch blocks failed. I'd like to ensure I don't give up bad weather performance.
Right! And you added a good addition. I don't have control lines for my genoa cars either and I don't have my spinnaker rigged completely yet so I forgot to add the following...
12. Genoa car control lines.
13. Spinnaker pole traveller control lines. (None of you guys actually have a track with big boat control lines on it do you??)
14. Spinnaker twings.
131 2011-11-26 00:26:24
Topic: Line Sizes - Please add yours (7 replies, posted in Technical)
Hi All,
I'm going stir crazy while the boat is on the hard this year and the weather still nice out... My thoughts drift back to things I want to fix, replace and maintain in the spring. One thing I'd like to do is inventory the line sizes I have on the boat and then work to replace them all with the proper size. I'm curious to know what size and type you have on your boat? Please include both size,type and material. For example my docking lines are 1/2", 3-strand, nylon.
Also, I'm curious to read about how often people replace their lines. Do you routinely replace them every few years or just monitor them for wear and replace them when you think they need it?
1. Halyards
2. Main sheet
3. Jib/Genoa sheets
4. Reefing lines
5. Outhaul
6. Spinnaker guy/sheets
7. Spinnaker topping lift/down haul
8. Roller furling
9. Topping lift
10. Traveller controls
11. Docking lines.
I won't post mine yet because I'm not sure what they are and many are the incorrect size; i.e. the reefing lines are too big for the sheeves on the boom, I *think* the genoa sheets are oversized. The only ones I've replaced so far are the traveller controls and docking lines.
Cheers,
Jordan.
132 2011-11-20 19:53:52
Re: Winterizing my Contessa 26... (19 replies, posted in Technical)
p.s. I managed to get at that exhaust today. If I never have to do that again, it will be too soon. I still have no idea how the previous owner managed to connect it...
Draining the box is technically very simple. There is a nipple with a rubber cap at the aft end of the Waterlock exhaust. The rubber cap is clamped onto the water exhaust with a hose clamp. To drain the exhaust, simply:
1. Rummage about in the engine compartment for days scratching your head.
2. Once you figure out that there *IS* actually a drain and it *should* be able to be opened, try to reach it with your finger tips.
3. When that fails, consider unclamping all of the hoses. Don't do it, but definitely consider it because you'll realize it's a worse solution because you can't reach those clamps either.
4. Get back into the engine compartment and feel blindly for the clamp. Hopefully yours will also be a simple hose clamp.
5. Once you have the hose clamp at your finger tips, have someone pass you a flat head screw driver so you can blindly try to unscrew it.
6. Fail to unscrew the hose clamp because the screw driver is too long to fit between the hose clamp and the wall of the engine compartment.
7. Ask for the short/stubby flat head screw driver which is missing from your tool box.
8. Finally unscrew the hose clamp by any means you can.
9. Spend at least 15 minutes trying to unscrew the rubber cap from the nipple before realizing it just pops off and spinning it is a waste of time.
10. Attempt to lift the fore end of the waterlock exhaust and realize you don't have enough height because the cockpit drain hoses, throttle cable and gear select cable are in the way.
11. Remove cockpit drain hoses.
12. Lift the fore end of the waterlock exhaust and wait for the water to trickle out through nipple.
13. Stick your arms back into the engine abyss and make sure the rubber cap is placed back on the nipple.
14. Spend at least 15 minutes trying to use one hand to hold the hose clamp and screw driver at the proper angle to get a few twists on it.
15. Replace the cockpit drain hoses. Seriously, use this time to put on new stainless steel hose clamps - 2 below waterline and 1 or 2 at the drains.
16. Go find a masseuse to fix your back after you've spent a few hours contorted in strange positions over top of the engine.
Now... time to call the mechanic about that antifreeze and then tarp the boat up! Almost done.
134 2011-11-16 15:17:41
Re: Winterizing my Contessa 26... (19 replies, posted in Technical)
Hi Fessalo,
You didn't miss that part at all. The engine manual says, "Drain the cooling system of the engine by detaching the cooling water pump (neoprene impeller pump) cover." I assumed this precluded having to run antifreeze through the system (which I've read about for other engines). I better call up my mechanic to see what he suggests.
It's my first boat so I'm learning as I go...
Cheers,
J.
135 2011-11-16 13:20:46
Re: standing room (5 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
I have hull #312 and am about 5'8"; I can stand fully in the galley... as long as I have the hatch open! There's no other way to stand below decks of a Contessa 26.
My wife is 5'3" and can stand with no problem... Not that it does you or I any good, but she likes to point it out.
Cheers,
Jordan.
136 2011-11-16 13:16:28
Topic: Winterizing my Contessa 26... (19 replies, posted in Technical)
Hi All,
Just thought I'd make a post, partly to help me to remember for next year and partly so you guys can give me some suggestions. In fact, I'm still stumped on the exhaust...
Ok, so my checklist
1. Contents.
- Empty the boat of all perishable contents; Including food, dry-goods, cushions and anything that can pick up mildew or break when frozen.
- Empty the boat of non-essential items; Remove those items that build up over time that just way the boat down. This is the clutter of spare or broken sunglasses, spare towels, jackets flip-flops and all the other "just-in-case" extras that you don't actually use.
- Remove and inspect all safety equipment; Flares, life jackets, buoys etc. Make a note to double check and replace the necessary items in spring.
2. Fresh water system
Our Contessa has a fibreglass water tank under the v-berth connected to a single Whale Pump in the galley sink.
- Open the inspection hatch. Yuck. Drain the stale water, either by pump or just running it through the system.
- Clean and dry the tank. I am unable to completely disinfect the tank by hand, but we've done our best and dried it as best as possible.
- Inspect the hose. Ours was filled with grime, so I have removed it from the boat completely. We'll replace it in spring.
Since the tank is dry and there's no outlet hose, nothing further is required. This saves the horrible mess of trying to deal with antifreeze in the system.
3. Waste system
Our Contessa has a Jabsco head with a new pump that I just replaced this year. It is connected to both an outlet as well as our holding tank via a Y-valve. We have discovered that the previous owner has improperly added the anti-syphon vent to the hoses... they will need to be redone in spring.
- Clean the toilet and head and pipes before haul-out. Finish by pumping it as dry as you can.
- Pump out the holding tank. Our big mistake this year was forgetting to do this before we put her up on the hard!!! Never again. That was a horrible job.
- Once on the hard, pump the toilet intake dry. Ours naturally drained with no water left in the clear hose.
- Fill the toilet bowl full of antifreeze, pump the head dry. This will clear out any standing water in the hoses.
- Fill the toilet bowl again with as much antifreeze as you think necessary and pump through the system. I left some anti-freeze in the bowl, just in case there is any condensation.
4. Engine
We have a K34 single cylinder diesel. I'm not sure if I have done this correctly, so any advice is greatly appreciated.
- Turn off fuel line.
- Fill fuel tank and add stabilizer.
- Remove and dispose of fuel filter.
- *** Manual says to add anti corrosion oil to some fuel and run it through the engine. Is this necessary or just a good idea?
- Change the oil. I changed the oil, but would also like to clean the screen... I don't have a spare gasket so I will leave that for the spring.
- Remove the cover to the impeller cover and let drain.
- Remove the impeller. Holy crap! Mine was missing two fins and I have no idea where they are! The previous owner rebuilt that part of the engine and told me he put in a new impeller... where could the fins have gone?? The temperature gauge never told me of an issue...
5. Bilge, Drains and seacocks...
Our Contessa has two cockpit drains and a Waterlock wet exhaust.
- Inspect the cockpit drains and ensure they are clear with no plugs. Since they are clear, there is nothing more to do. (Reminder: Replace hose clamps in spring)
*** BIG QUESTION HERE ***
- Drain the Water lock exhaust. HOW?? The exhaust is so far aft in the engine compartment, I can't reach the rear of it where I *think* there is a drain cover. I can't reach the hose clamps on the aft end to allow me to move the exhaust forward. The outlet side of the exhaust is attached to a high loop under the deck... I can't get to the hose clamp with a screw driver. I have no idea how to drain or replace this wet exhaust and I'm scratching my head how the previous owner got it in there. *PLEASE* some advice is needed.
- Don't forget to pump the bilge dry. After you've done so, pour a bunch of antifreeze into the bilge and pump it through the bilge pump until you see it pink out the other side. This ensures you've got anti-freeze into any crevices in the pump itself.
6. Electrical
Our Contessa has simple instruments but a bit messy wiring. We are having the instruments looked at over the winter so some of these steps may not be necessary in the future.
- Turn off the main electrical switch.
- Remove any instruments that may freeze & crack. Our JRC radar screen is definitely off the boat and so is the Mr. Man (the autopilot).
- If there are any holes in the cabin, make sure to cover these. We have temporarily done so with plastic, but I suspect something stronger should be used.
- Remove both batteries. Be sure to mark them with which one is fore and which is aft.
7. Rigging and hardware
Our Contessa is being stored with the mast up. The upside to this is that it saves me a tonne of money in storage and crane charges, the downside is that I'm worried about the components; Radio antenna, radar dome, lights, roller furler and the lack of ability for me to inspect them in spring before launch. *sigh*
- Remove all extra hardware; Genoa turning blocks and slide blocks, roller reefing blocks, windvane blocks.
- Remove our custom traveller; I just replaced our traveller, including supporting block. There is no way this is sitting outside all winter.
- Remove and store BBQ
- Remove and store anchors
- Remove and store boom, boom vang, mainsheet tackle.
*** What to do with halyards? Should I leave them out all winter or run other lines through for the winter?
- Remove and store the sails in a dry location
- Remove dodger, sail covers.
8. Other items...
- Don't forget to drain the hose.
- label wires.
- label blocks
- tie off halyards
- Wash... if you have the luxury of running water (we don't) scrub the decks down. *sigh* Wish we could use the hose on our boat.
- take pictures! It helps for the following year when you need to know where the cradle pads were located, how certain parts went together, what parts need to be replaced, and if something should have an accident, you can use the photos for insurance purposes.
9. Finally...
I haven't quite got here yet, so final items to add to my list
- Tarp the boat to keep the snow off. The previous owner used the mast on deck as a cross beam and put the tarp over that. However, with the mast not being taken down, we'll need to devise a system to keep the snow off.
- Lock up! Who knows what roams the yards at night. We've seen everything from blocks to turn-buckle split-rings disappear at other yards.
My outstanding questions
A. (as above) I don't know how to get to my Waterlock exhaust. What to do, what to do...
B. Should I remove my tiller handle?
C. Is it critical to run anti corrosion oil with diesel through the engine?
D. (as above) What do I do with halyards? Leave them in or remove them?
Any and all advice, tips, suggestions etc. are very welcome. Please feel free to respond here or send me an e-mail at (remove spaces) j o r d a n @ o m a t o . c o m
Cheers,
Jordan.
137 2011-06-21 13:35:50
Re: Wind strength and sail size (6 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)
Thanks all.
I went and had the 155% measured today and technically, it's slightly larger than 155%... it still feels monstrous so I'll have to see if I can carry it with full main up to 12 knots. Wish me luck. :-)
I prefer the idea of a smaller head sail while keeping the main full longer. However, I think I will work with what I have for this trip and go with the 155% genoa and reefed main. I don't intend to be out in anything over 20 knots but I will have the Jib, just in case.
Carolyn, I really like the idea of a second forestay. That's simply not in the budget for this year but I'll consider it down the road. I think it makes quite a bit of sense on a larger boat but I'm wondering if the extra weight and hassle is worth it on a Contessa, especially for those like you and I on the great lakes where we don't get over 30 knots of wind very often. As you said, with the furling 130% head sail, you haven't needed anything else.
jcfoto, thanks for the guide. That was exactly the head start for which I was looking.
On a related note, I have been racing on a Farr 30 that sails quite a bit flatter than I suspect the Contessa will. Does anyone know what the optimum heel angle is for our boats going up wind? Are we talking 15 degrees? 25 degrees?
138 2011-06-20 12:06:46
Topic: Wind strength and sail size (6 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)
Hi All,
I've recently purchased my Contessa and am getting acquainted with her. So far, only 2 sailing days in... one with less than 4knots of breeze, so not much sailing occurred and then a quick sunset cruise last Saturday. I estimate the winds were around 10 knots, although I didn't have the machine on and the >155% genoa, by itself was pulling me upwind around 4-5 knots (GPS SOG). We were just out for a sunset cruise so we didn't have the main up and we weren't heeling much.
To give me a head start with my experimenting, I'm curious to know what combination of sails you use for a given wind strength/range. Around the great lakes, I don't usually see anything above 25knots (although it has happened)
For example, what do you carry in 5-10knots? 10-15? 15-20 and 20-25?
At what point do you reef your main and at what point would you exchange a 155% genoa for a 100% jib?
Lastly, I'm considering ditching the 155% genoa altogether and having my 130% genoa cut for the furler as my primary head sail. I'm having a difficult time with the decision as I don't know the wind ranges for each sail yet. Is it a waste of money since my 155% is still good? Or will it make a better primary sail for winds 5-15 knots?
Regards,
Jordan.
139 2011-06-20 11:38:18
Re: Lee sails Does anyone have any experience ? (9 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)
Hi John,
I'm curious to know if you ended up with a Lee sail or something else. I'm not in the market for sails today, but over the next couple of years I suspect I will replace the main. I've been reading opinions on Lee sails vs. other sail makers so I'm torn between ordering from Hong Kong (via a friend there) or looking locally at Genco, since I can speak to them directly and get the support I need.
At any rate, if you picked up a Lee mainsail, I'm interested to hear what you think of it.
140 2011-06-12 20:17:30
Re: Looking for sails (3 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)
I realize this posting is a bit old.
I have a hank-on, 130% genoa that I don't particularly need. To get it cut for your furler will be about $220cad. E-mail me if you'd like to chat.
Also, I have a "main" that the previous owner of my boat gave me. It's a mizzen from another boat but apparently the correct size for a Co26... he used it as a spare. It's a bit dirty but the sail loft said the fabric is in acceptable condition. I would let this go very cheaply to anyone that could use it.
Regards,
Jordan.
141 2011-06-12 20:10:23
Re: oil pressure sensor on a K34 ???? (3 replies, posted in Technical)
Hi John,
I believe you were reading about my oil pressure issue. I logged in here to post the same question I had on other forums... "What are the idle and nominal oil pressures on a Farymann K34 diesel?"
For what it's worth, what I have found so far...
Service manual states: Idle (7psi), Nominal (23psi)
Farymann website: Idle (1.8bar=26psi) ... We've determined this is clearly incorrect information.
Experienced mechanic: "You can probably run the K34 down to 3-5psi and not have problems." And, when asked if 15-18psi is acceptable, he agreed that it's sufficient.
My engine is running at 10psi at idle but only 15-18psi at full revs. I am trying to find out if this is "normal" or if it is not receiving enough lubrication.
Now back to your question... I have taken a few pictures will happily e-mail them to you. I'll take better ones on the weekend to show you how it is installed. It looks like some sort of T-attachment on the starboard, forward part of the engine. Out of the top is the electric sensor and out of the starboard side is a thin tube that runs to the mechanical pressure gauge and then back to the engine. I'll have to double check where the other end of that oil line returns to the engine.
I don't believe it would be difficult to install one.