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Hi Sadie!  Sounds like you are picking the Contessa 26 for the same reasons I did: she will take care of you when the weather gets nasty, and we get some quickly nasty weather on the Pacific West (Wet!) Coast.  Also, she has the capability to take you anywhere, but is perfectly happy to daysail around the bay...or do overnighters while you get used to her.  Plus, I also am a new sailor, and I always single-hand her and I have found it very easy...I taught myself how to sail her! 
Yes, the later models lowered the sole (As J&J metioned it was in 1979, so likely why the 1978 is cheaper) and they added hatches and built a few more lockers around the chainplates and for the anchor...but you can always do those things yourself...and the headroom doesn't matter in your case! ;-)
John Vigor's book "20 Small Boats to Take you Anywhere" did it for me when I was looking for a safe, capable boat for me...I mean, my first time out, it took me two hours to carefully put the sails up, and I forgot to tighten the outhaul etc!!  Yet she was happily sailing along, obediently tacking, and barely needed a finger on the tiller, even when a "gust" (in my newbie view) of 10k came along and she would heel over and I would release the mainsheet in a panic!!   Now, I realize after she's had her lee rail in the water for awhile, and when   my carefully stowed continers start falling to the floor, I know it's time to shorten sail!  And, she will always make her way through chop and contrary current, as her full keel and good sized rig, coupled with her narrow beam and fine entry will keep her gliding through the waves instead of bashing into them...my teacher who helped me bring her home after I bought her was so amazed at her ability to go through 4' standing waves at a notorious pass in my area that he was pretty well hollering "yahoo!"   Plus, if you need to claw off a lee shore, she will respond, and will also glide gently along even in 1k puffs of wind...so yes, go for it, and you will fall in love with your boat when you realize how capable she is, and yes, everyone you know will think you are crazy!

Hi Christopher:
Stefan is right re: the lift pump issue, and if you ever have to remove diesel tank, much easier being in cockpit locker - however, the smell of diesel never bothers me, but I am crazy, I think?! ;-)
My fuel tank is the original steel one,(1984/1985). I have a partial picture of it, will send to you.  It is 12 gallons, and is about 2'wide by 1'high x 1.5'deep, or so (am just guessing, not at boat right now).  It is painted beige, and is strapped in with metal straps, sitting on a wooden bed, and has been very dry, surprisingly...for all of her years.  Also has stayed very clean, no fuel problems, yet...ok, now I'm jinxed! ;-)

My holding tank is about 1.5'deep x probably 6' or 7' long, fore and aft, and about 2'wide...it is flat inside, with slight baffle areas (like mini-bulkheads inside with a round door in each "bulkhead", if you were small enough to walk around in there, YUCK!!!  It's made out of fibreglass, and when I remove floorboard to access viewing/rinsing port, it is flat on top, you could store stuff on top, it's about 3"or 4" of room there, as it's below the cabin liner.  For example, if chainplates were to leak (like when I was re-caulking) water will run down inside of boat, right onto top of holding tank, and then spill forward into bilge, if there was that much water.   
Placement: it starts just at forward bulkhead between head & forepeak, and goes back to just forward of batteries'shelf...almost right under aft hatch or just about where settees start. 
Does that all make sense?!  Did it help you?! Please let me know and I can send you pics, etc!

Anyone fit a racor fuel filter to their Farymann:  clear "viewing" area at base, etc...
What does everyone use?! (or, rather,all two or three of you with Farymanns?! ;-)
And...Stefan, thanks for clarifying...yes things like filters and certain other parts can be interchanged...but I know the tempting ones are alternators, and, at least in gasoline powerboats: carbs are the biggies.

Bill,
I have one tank under forepeak, and holding tank below sole in cabin, like Adrian's (I'm hull #318)
My 1985 water tank: 20 Gallons, integral
My 1985 Holding tank: 20 Gallons, integral
1985 Steel Fuel tank:  12 Gallons, removeable.
All mine are vented, all with deck fills. (or in the case of the holding tank, deck un-fills! ;-)

Um...you don't really want your holding tank under the v-berth, do you?! ;-)  It's bad enough all the hoses/sea cocks are there!  (mine on the stbd. side, just forward of head bulkhead.)
However, I am wanting to install a manual pumpout: when I can't get to a pumpout station (and a girl likes her holding tank late at night solo in a strange marina or anchorage!) so I see now that the best place to put manual pump is between hold.tank and deck pumpout...but must tee, or rather, Y it into the overboard seacock...a veritable spaghetti of head hose...so, things to think about...read Don Casey's articles on it...you could always just install an approved treatment system and still be able to go overboard directly, or will that be a no no too sometime soon?!  Or....reverse where your head enters the holding tank, (ie: enter mid-tank, mine enters at forward end.)and have deck pumpout where water infill is....and have water fill aft where deck pumpout is now...if you are already rigged that way with deck plates...make sense?  Then  you can rig a macerator or manual pumpout right out the overboard hose...
Shannon

SMH: I know of three other boats, mine included, that say one year on the HID# but all documentation is the following year:  and mine is a registered vessel (with Ship's registry...internationally registered)  and all her documentation says 1985 for her "year", but she has 84 at the end of her serial/transom #s...and she has been a registered vessel since the 1st owner picked her up brand new in 1985 in Toronto. (I am fourth owner) So, he would have presented the papers (that I still have) where he is owner of a 1985 boat, but hull id# has 84 at the end.
Egads, did she lie about her age to me when I fell for the pretty blue hull and lovely lines?!

Hey Kristin!  Thank you so much!  I will send you a private e-mail with my office address...that's where I am when I am not at my boat! ;-)
And I indeed will pass on what I have extra of! 
And by the way,no one ever warns new boat owners, but you find out soon enough....boat things cost WAY  more than anything else on the planet!  Like....up to 10 times...it's sometimes good for a laugh!  "Oh sure, I'll get that heater for my boat...heh heh, it's only $2,500....wow!"  And we're supposed to be happy about it when it is finally  in the boat, smoking away, draining our batteries, and setting fire to the bulkhead?!  I'll wear extra clothes for now, thank you very much!
Some things can be interchanged: the RV world is great for certain boat items, but with the salt in the water, air, (and your veins!)  anything not stainless or with a protective coating of somekind: paint, varnish, corrosion inhibitor, etc. it will rust, mold or simply fall apart in no time!  You can sometimes watch it happen: just bring something "normal" from home and leave it on the boat all year...voila, GREEN, soft metal! ;-)  Or, moldy, smelly clothes...or white, slimy wood!! 
Oh, and you should not interchange automobile parts (alternators, etc) for engine or other marine parts in your boat - no matter how tempting the price may be...they are not made the same, and are not ignition protected (IE: fumes in your car simply hit the ground, in your boat they are in the bilge, just waiting for that little spark!)  That would be a very bad thing!
Ok, I rambled on enough about nothing, but you will still LOVE your boat to pieces when she happily charges along while you are deciding:  "should I be scared"?!
Thanks again for the manual!

Well, I'll be headin' that way for the Jester Challenge in 2010....anyone else?! Andrew?!?!  ;-)
Yup, we get some good currents here too (Vancouver, Canada, Mark knows!)...I learned real fast how to steer in reverse when the current caught me the very first time...now when it gets me I work with it, however, always in reverse...she steers much better, but it gives the heart a good workout, and it's even worse when everyone watches..."what's that dumb woman doing facing the wrong way...", I've learned to use my lines too while leaving the dock ("please don't touch my lines, I'm doing fine on my own, really, but thank you very much"...lots of dirty looks, I tell ya!...I learned I can turn her almost right out just by springing her stern against the dock, and bursts of power...and my prop is the little 12x9 two blader...lots of room for me to work on the prop!

A TWO GM20?!  Whaddya do, get rid of the cockpit lockers?!  Heck, you'll be doin' 10 knots!  Heavens!

Gee, isn't it weird how some things seem to work out...Kristin, someone is coming to Alaska; I now know what type of gloves and chart programs to buy; SkipperT &  John L. want a Contessa 26, Adrian may be selling his (three kids on the boat? Yikes! ;-)  and we'll all work on peace, health and happiness?!
(hmm, don't think an open 60 will fit in a stocking?!)

Thank you Santa!

I thought I recognized the interior and Rogers boat from somewhere, Cody has mentioned in another post he had one!  Wow, big job for you, like Stefan!  See, Skipper, these little ships go quick, so you have to just trust your gut: if it's a good deal for you, buy her!  Then, sail her as much as you can, every day, even if it's only for an hour!  That's how I learned, (not that I even know anything yet) but I now know how my boat handles in a large number of situations: tide, current, wind, waves, chop, flat calm, etc!  And I also know my heart can stop but will re-start at the whim of my boat, ha ha!  Anyways, yes, just sail her all the time, go out in crappy weather in your area, even for 15 minutes!  Be nervous sometimes, but be determined that you will learn how she handles, and then you will be so happy with her you will go anywhere in her!  And I always sail solo, so I am getting to know everything that happens on her and why...and hey, enjoy each day you are doing stuff with your boat, as you'll get old enough fast enough!  And when YOU feel YOU are ready, GO FOR IT!  Whatever it is, you'll do fine!  People said that to me the very first day I went out alone on my boat, and I did do fine! ;-)
And Christian, I'm glad us girls on the forum (Kristin too!) can temper the men around here! ;-)  Sometimes e-mail can unintentionally sound a little harsh, yet we all have the same passion: our little full-keeled ships that will take us anywhere we want to go, no matter how fancy of pants we are wearing! ;-)
Kid, keep us posted!!

I told the fellow who runs the group there I am going to do the Jester Challenge in 2010...so I'll see all you Rogers' boats then! ;-)
Good luck on your list!  By the way, the list never ends...did anyone tell you that before you bought your boat?! No one told me!  hee hee!
Merry Christmas to our boats...that's a good idea!