If you ever want to reverse in a marina 3 blade prop is much better. You have much more control manouvering with a 3 blade prop, not as much prop walk and the loss in sailing performance is minimal at most. As far as I am concerned if you are worried about tenths of a knot in boat speed under sail the contessa 26 probably isn't the best boat for you.
27 2006-03-07 17:25:33
Re: LINE KEEPERS and GPS (18 replies, posted in Technical)
not sure what the loops are called but i know a shop in victoria that sells them, but that probably is not much help. For GPS, if you want one with charts I would recommend the garmin 276c. Thats what I use and it is an amazing unit. It is relatively small with a nice sized screen, and garmin bluechart is fantastic.
28 2006-02-05 04:34:15
Re: The Molds (12 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
I got some more information on the molds that i thought were contessa molds. Turns out that they are folkboat 26 molds and they were used by a company from sidney that built 12 folkboats. When they went out of buisness they moved a bunch of stuff they never sold to gabriola island and now they are sitting in the woods and there might also be a bare hull there too.
29 2006-02-03 18:08:46
Re: Stepping down the mast (21 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
there is an article about creating a tabernacle mast step under technical stuff but it looks like a lot of hassle, i think i will just stick to using a crane. It is quick and safe and easy and free.
30 2006-02-03 03:20:25
Topic: Stepping down the mast (21 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
I have tried. I think it would be possible if you had sufficent help but there was only 2 of us so we decided to take the 2 minute motor over to the government dock and use the crane there, much easier!!
31 2006-01-29 01:19:43
Topic: Heater and stove (32 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
unless you want to put propane on your boat oil is the best alternative. I have a 2 burner dickinson propane stove and force 10 propane heater on my contessa and they both work great. I went this way because the boat already had an almost brnad new propane heater installed so i wasn't goin to change that and since I needed a proper propane system for that I changed out the old alcohol stove for a propane one which is far better. I am not too familiar with small oil stoves but I have used many large dickinson oil stoves which were fantastic. Your stove shouldn't be hard to light so maybe you should investigate that, it might be dirty/clogged.
32 2006-01-26 00:45:16
Topic: Contessa 26 ballast (7 replies, posted in Non-Contessa Chatter)
The ballast is encapsulated lead in later model(1983 i believe they changed) JJT contessa's. The earlier JJT boats had encapsulated iron ballast.
33 2006-01-23 17:47:03
Re: The Molds (12 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
There is a set of contessa hull molds in the woods on gabriola island, BC. Not sure if they have anything to do with the JJ taylor molds but the hull I believe is identical but the deck has been modified to have an opening companionway hatch.
34 2005-12-30 03:52:23
Re: boat buying advice wanted (12 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
The size and design is very suitable for a first boat because the boat has a very solid design and can be used for anything from daysailing to round the world voyages. The full keel is a huge plus if you hit rocks because there are no keelbolt problems or any of that bad news that comes with fin keels. If you hit the rocks with one of these beast probably the only repairs to be done is a bit of grinding/fiberglass repair.
I have a 1979 and I bought it as my first boat and I sail predominatly singlehanded and it is great. Small boat= small sails= easy to handle. It is so easy to handle under sail I don't have to winch until 25 knots. The hardest part about dealing with these boats is docking but with a bit of practice (preferably with a crew on each side with a blader and a stick to fend off) it gets easy.
I have an original mainsail with 2 reef points and I have sailed in 45 knots with no problem. The third reef is not nesscary unless you are planning to go offshore and even then it is more of a convenience rather than a nessecity. By the time you need to use your third reef in coastal sailing you should be parked at the dock and offshore storm jib alone would probably be sufficent.
Also I sail with a 150% genoa on a furler and in 8-10 knots of wind under full sail I am fully powered up and going to windward I can get the most speed at this wind speed so in my opinion it is a pretty good light air boat. You have to remeber it is a 26 foot boat(21 LWL) so you are not goin to find a boat this small that will be a rocketship and be suitable for any sort of cruising.
35 2005-12-22 02:09:49
Re: Late-model JJT26 tankage question (14 replies, posted in Technical)
In my 1979 the holding tank is under the vee-berth. I like it there because it is close to all the thru hulls and the head, my longest hose is 5 ft. I think. You should not have to worry about having waste under the v-berth as long as you used proper hose, I recomend using double hose clamps too and a proper setup (ex. must not forget vent). I hooked mine up for the first time last fall and no leaks or smell at all.
My water tank is located on the port side under the sink/setee and is not built in but not removable(no holes are big enough to get it out of) and it is about 15 gallons.
Fuel tank is 10 gallons(aluminum) and located in port cockpit locker. I had it out earlier this year because 25 years of diesel + 25 yrs of condensation = lots of sludge and clogged filters.
36 2005-12-14 18:45:08
Re: Contessa Advice (39 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
That contessa in Newburyport, MA i have seen for sale for quite awhile on yachtworld.com. 5500$ sounds pretty cheap but it is super hard to know what you are gettin from looking at pictures from the internet. Go have a look at it if you are nearby, you could always phone the broker. He may have some useful information about it that is not on the website. Good Luck
37 2005-12-14 18:38:28
Re: Prop size (47 replies, posted in Technical)
I would recomend a 3 blade prop if u want more control while reversing or docking. The 3 blade prop will also give you more bite while powering. You will have a slight performance lose while sailing but it is not a race boat so i wouldn't be too worried about it. I have a 3 blader on my 1gm10 and it does good work, my boat is out of the water but unfortunately it is about 1000 miles away from where i am now so i am unable to measure the pitch. I sail on the coast of British Columbia with strong currents and my average cruising speed is approx. 5.2 knots so it is not very nice to deal with 2-3 knots of current all the time.
38 2005-12-14 18:28:23
Re: Found 3 more (54 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
My boat is:
Purchased November, 2004
Name: Mark Sherlock
Anchorage: Victoria, BC, Canada
Boat: 1979, J.J. Taylor, Hull # 216, "Aurelius"
Engine: Yanmar 1GM10
According to the number on the hull it looks like the hull was started in 1978 but finished in 1979. It is documented as a 1979 in all the official papers.
39 2005-12-14 18:22:21
Re: Final call for Xmas wish list (19 replies, posted in Cruising)
I will be in Alaska again next yr with my contessa 26 but i don't think i will be making it to Homer. I think Glacier Bay will be my last stop before heading back south, sorry.
For my christmas list for my boat i would like a mainsail ideally new but i would settle for a used one as a backup to my current sail. Windvane selfsteering gear would be nice as well because my rope to tie the tiller is gettin a bit worn out.
40 2005-12-09 18:41:28
Re: Contessa Advice (39 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
maybe if you have shitty electronics.
41 2005-12-09 14:05:03
Topic: Mast Step (2 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
deck stepped
42 2005-12-08 19:50:25
Re: Contessa Advice (39 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
I do not agree with your idea of ditching the electronics. In todays world i believe it is now irresponsible to go to sea without proper electronics. Ya all of you traditionalist can say "well they have done it for thousands of years" but people have done lots of things over the years which are no longer thought smart with new technologies. Now electronics are available and are not incredibly expensive they should be a part of every sailors navigational arsenal if you plan on sailing your boat outside of the bay where your marina is located. It is much safer to be able to navigate with both traditional navigational techniques and also use the electronics. The electronics make everyday navigation much safer easier and quicker. No matter how good and experienced you are at navigating without electronics i would put my money on the inexperienced navigator with GPS and radar in tight busy waters with thick fog to pull through without running up on the beach or being struck by another boat(not an ideal circumstance and one you should try to stay out of but it does happen. If it hasn't happened to you then you probably haven't sailed enough or you are very lucky).
SkipperT, I bought a contessa 26 last november and did an extensive refit (3 months) on it. I lived on it for 8 months last year and sailed it singlehanded from Victoria, BC to Alaska. I am nineteen years old. My email is mark_sherlock@hotmail.com if you are interested in chattin you could drop me a line.
43 2005-12-05 22:46:47
Topic: rigging tension (2 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)
I never use a meter to tension my rig. I just go by feel. Cap shrouds should be tightest along with forestay and back stay. Once they are all relativly tight make the forward lowers tighter then the aft lowers but looser then the cap shrouds. Look up the mast and make sure it is straight, if not adjust accordingly. Giver a good shake to make sure she is sturdy and then go sailing. When sailing at about 25 degrees the leeward cap shroud should feel loose but not look loose and so should the lowers.
That was the advice my buddy who is a professional rigger gave me after i installed a new roller furler and the mast is still standing after almost 2000 miles so it seems good to me.
44 2005-12-05 22:38:31
Re: Mast Ht (5 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)
The mast when stepped is less than 36 feet because i have traveled under a 36 ft bridge multiple times in my contessa(gave me a scare the first few times).
45 2005-12-05 22:35:07
Re: Thru hulls - how many is enough... (8 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
I have 8 underwater thru hulls(2 head, sink, engine intake, knotmeter, 2 cockpit drains, prop shaft) on my contessa and to be honest i do not worry about them. They used to be all bronze with ball valves but i have been replacing them with marlon thru hulls and valves if they have showen any wear or corrosion. Marlon = no corrosion. Thru hulls should not worry you if u carry emergency plugs and ensure that the valves are not seized, there are many other things that are more worrisome to me for instance teeing of the engine intake for the head. I would much rather have 2 seperate throughull fittings rather than a 4 meter hose snaking its way through my boat under the floor from the engine intake to the head and the extra joints at the tee fitting.
For the emergency bilge pump, i carry a bucket which is much cheaper, simpler and faster than using the engine(which i estimate only moves a couple of liters of water per minute). I only plan to use the bucket if my electric pump and manual pump both fail, which would suggest there is something clogging them down in the deep dark cavern so i wouldn't want to risk my engine's pump anyways.
46 2005-12-05 03:24:00
Re: PICTURES - Finally (10 replies, posted in Repairs/Modifications/Upgrades)
All i can say is WOW. I am impressed with your patience!!! Great pics, you should now know your boat quite well!!
Is there any core in the coachroof? If so how is it doin?
47 2005-05-21 22:22:23
Re: Raw water cooled diesel (8 replies, posted in Technical)
the best way to flush a raw water cooled engine is a good hard drive through freshwater. A river is handy to drive up for a quick flush. When i wanted to flush my engine, i went for a quick trip up the fraser river. It is very simple and effective.