Thanks for the help! I guess I will have to take the mast apart, and put it back together afterall - keeping my fingers crossed. Maybe next time I'm at the boat, I'll squirt some oil on the mast head and foot to let it work in before I try to remove them.
2 2008-03-11 18:33:48
Re: wiring gauge (9 replies, posted in Technical)
So John... or anybody else...
when you re-wired your mast, how did you do it?? Did you drill out the rivets and take your mast apart at the top and bottom, or fish the new wires through with the old ones?? I have a similar task planned this spring, since my mast is down for the winter anyway.
Thanks, Tim
3 2008-01-20 11:15:40
Re: prop size (2 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
still have a Petter in mine, and have a 3-bladed prop. I was able to do about 5 knots on average going full throttle. Unfortunately, my boat is 1.5 hours away, and I wasn't planning on checking up on her for a bit. The one photo of the prop I have from last winter doesn't show any numbers, so I'm not sure how to help you calculate the pitch. If the photo might help, just e-mail me. I expect there is some kind of coding stamped into the prop somwhere... I'll take a look next time I'm there. Hope you're not in a hurry.
4 2008-01-16 19:40:31
Topic: Settee Fill-in Board and Cushion for Bed (3 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
Hi all!
Getting a good night's sleep on our Contessa 26 has been a challenge. We gave up using the V-berth after the third night - just too cramped. Instead we used the settees for the rest of the season. I've been thinking of some kind of a fill-in board and cushion between the settees to make one big bed, and to my surprise, when reading Tania Aebi's Maiden Voyage, she mentioned one of her modifications was just that! Have any of you seen something like this, and how would the board be attached so it doesn't crash to the floor during the night?
Tim
5 2008-01-16 19:10:05
Re: Battery Chargers (9 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
I understand that we just don't get the violent thunderstorms in the upper Great Lakes, yet we seem to do alot for the "what if" scenarios. I am at a mooring during the week, not sitting at a dock with numerous boats with taller masts, and ussually all alone in an anchorage on weekends, so I have a reason to be a little paranoid. Little holes in my hull frightens me, to be honest! How did you glue the plate to your keel (preparations and type of glue)? I have even heard of keeping a set of booster cables on board, to attach one end to the shrouds or back stay and the other end gets tossed overboard to complete the ground. Does this make any sense?
Tim
6 2008-01-14 17:57:42
Re: Battery Chargers (9 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
My 1975 model doesn't seem to have any lightning protection, and from what I've been reading, in fresh water you need a copper ground plate 1" x 12' outside, just below the waterline, since we can't just tie onto a keelbolt. All the shrouds, stays and mast need to be linked to this with 4AWG copper wire. Has anyone done this, and are there any tricks on where to run the ground wires? What kind of groundplates are suitable? How are they attached to the hull?
Tim
7 2007-07-23 15:02:43
Topic: Steel Cradle (2 replies, posted in Wanted)
I am looking for a steel cradle to be welded onto a marine railway system for my Co26. Boat is at north end of Lake Huron, but I would consider transporting it from a reasonable distance.
8 2007-07-23 14:58:38
Re: Cradle for Contessa 26 (4 replies, posted in For Sale)
Does anyone have the dimensions for a basic steel cradle? I would like to see if I can have one built close to home rather than purchasing one.
9 2007-04-15 15:46:15
Re: Porthole Size? (2 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
On my boat, a 1975 model, there are three ports on each side; the front and aft don't open, the middle ones do. The two sets of foward portholes seem to be the same size, the aft set being bigger. In all the upgrades everyone has done, have any of you put in more opening ports or increased their size? The aluminum rainshield on my opening ports looks severley corroded, and have actually warped at the very top. I am shopping for repalcement parts, but if unsuccessful new opening ports would be required. Have sent e-mail to Atkins-Hoyle t osee if they can supply, but no repsonse yet.
10 2007-04-08 15:23:11
Re: Climbing the mast (11 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
Very funny story, and4ew!!
Seriously, though, I have to go up the mast, and weigh the same - and after hearing your story, makes me think a bit more.... I'm not afraid of heights, but....
I have a wind direction indicator at the very top of the mast that is leaning over and needs to be helped back into proper position (not a big job, I think). I have been told it is much safer to do while the boat is on the hard. Is it a simple thing to get hoisted up by someone on your own boat's winches?? Is a busun's chair really necessary for a little job like that?
12 2007-04-01 03:06:26
Re: topside, bottom and deck restoration (26 replies, posted in Technical)
For those who used Rolite in the past, how does the gelcoat look a year later? Did it hold it's shine? Did you use anything after the polish (wax or sealer)?
14 2007-02-11 11:37:43
Topic: Tiller Replacement (4 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
I just bought a new (1975) contessa, and the tiller looks like it may need to be replaced. Where could I find a replacement tiller? Cost? Alternatively, has anyone made their own?? What are the dimesions, and what would suitable woods be?
15 2007-01-25 17:19:39
Re: How to complete private sale? (5 replies, posted in Wanted)
Thanks for your help. A reputable surveyor advised me that moisture in the hull and deck can't be accurately measured when it's fozen solid, so they won't do it till spring. If the boat is still on the market, I'll get a survey done then. Thanks again. Tim
16 2007-01-15 17:53:11
Re: How to complete private sale? (5 replies, posted in Wanted)
Thanks, John Lee. Another problem is that the owner has the sails (2 genoas and 2 mains) stored at his home 250 mi (or 300 km) away. How long does it normally take to have a surveyor inspect a baot, and how much should I expect to pay?
17 2007-01-15 15:35:59
Topic: How to complete private sale? (5 replies, posted in Wanted)
I am about to put in an offer on a 1975 CO26 through a private sale in Ontario. Boat looks OK to my amateur eye, other than a number of small dimples in the gelcoat below the water line, but I feel pressured into closing without a marine survey (time of year doesn't permit sea trial either). Seller is warning that a couple of others are also interested. He has agreed to take me out when the boat is back in the water and show me the ropes. He says everthing works fine, and the diesel (6.6 Petter) has been overhauled and works great. Your advice/thoughts please!
And finally, what is needed to close a private sale?