1

(5 replies, posted in Technical)

Is it a tank with a deck fill and vent?  This was the smallest I could find.  It's 25 litres

I used to just have a 3 gallon outboard tank in there...

2

(5 replies, posted in Technical)

another picture

3

(5 replies, posted in Technical)

Finally there is a plastic fuel tank on the market that is almost a drop in for a Contessa 26.  Vetus makes a 25L tank that fits with only a minor mod (adding a cleat to keep it in place as seen in the picture)  Product is Vetus FTANK25

4

(0 replies, posted in For Sale)

just curious what you are referring to by "nicer lines"?

Treasure Island Marina
Collins Bay Marina
Williams Marins / Pecks in Ivy Lea

Iroquois Marine Services (although probably a bit further east than you would like, it's about 55nm to the 1000 Islands)

When are you planning on coming up?

on my 74 taylor boat, hull/deck attachment was accomplished with 3/8" rivets.  i didn't remove these.......  just the screws for the rubrail.....................................

I never reinstalled the rubrail when installing the new genoa tracks.   I glassed in the hull/deck joint (including c-sinking and filling all rubrail screw holes) after digging and picking and removing all traces of what was appeared to be a butyl type sealant.  Just couldn't bring myself to put more holes in my boat.  No leaks....

again just differences in these boats and how they made them.  beautiful job and you will be able to sleep at night without worrying that she might sink (both while on the boat and during the week when she's alone in the marina....)  some of the stuff out there is downright scary (grey pvc fittings, gate valves so green and seized, etc etc)

on my 74 the drains are at the far aft end of the cockpit, and are just 3/4" dia.  so it was a little easier to put everything together. 

most important thing is to actually take the the time to pull the floor panels at the start and end of each season, and exercise those valves....  means a chance for a good look (and clean) at the engine compartment and all the things that look sooooo far back from the companionway steps.....

thats a proper installation, and Construction Standards for Small Vessels (2010) - TP 1332 El standards do call for:

3.3.1.2 Means shall be provided for positively shutting off underwater penetrations, with the exception of wet exhaust systems.

so

only thing that raises a flag is the hose...  i'd think about ditching the vinyl hose and replacing with wire reinforced exhaust hose

11

(8 replies, posted in Technical)

When reinstalling the genoa track rails, you'd be surprised how easy it is to bend as you go.  Start with one end, and just keep going along, one fastener at a time.  You'll need a helper for sure.

12

(10 replies, posted in Sails & Rigging)

Are your spreaders the earlier cinkel (essentially alum pipe) with cast ends that slip in? 

i'd be less worried about whats going on at shroud/spreader, more imporant to make sure that the spreader bases are up to snuff - as in secure to the mast, and while unloaded hold the spreader upward at some angle (so when you are looking from foreward or aft, the spreaders have some dihedral, like a set of wings)

once you see a spreader below horizontal, it's pretty much just there for decoration, look around its easier to spot spreaders that arent doing anything at all.

i have reworked the original spreader bases, and when rigging the mast every spring i install spreader boot over the spreader and shrouds, tie-wrap in place (while keeping the shroud under decent tension), and rigging tape over the whole thing.  this holds things together nicely, albeit is not a solution for a long term cruiser - as i drop the mast and derig in the fall...

Anyone going to be at the Boat show this weekend?  I will be up on Saturday

14

(6 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)

Looks great!

Ultra Furl is a great system, serviceable and nearly bulletproof.

Heider is still in business in Toronto, and he would be more than happy to help you out with any issues

If you decide to change furlers, let me know I will gladly purchase your old ultrafurl!

I installed a Ballenger Spars Mast Step 2 seasons ago and it works unbeleivable

I use a pair of plates clamped at the base of the bast and the spinnaker pole as the rigid member, halyards to the top of the mast and lead the lifting line through a block at the stem fitting, back thru genoa car to primary winch.

If you just start the uppers, there is enough slack to raise and lower the mast while still providing lateral control.

This is a two person job, and it's always nice to have a third set of hands.

I will try to find and post some pictures in the near future

16

(1 replies, posted in Technical)

Just wondering what the masses are using to make electrical and coax connections at the mast?

I have a hinged mast step so running thru a hole directly beneath the mast is out of the question

I'm looking for a suitable 6 pin thru deck connector, as I take the mast down for winter

Last few seasons I've been using a cable clam with the bundle of wires shrinkwrapped together and then a little 3m 4000 to seal the irregularities (with all connections made belowdecks).  It works,  but this looks a bit like the dog's breakfast and I'd like to tidy it up and make 100% serviceable instead of gooping up every spring.  I'll still use a clam and make the coax connection belowdecks, where it's nice and dry, but would like to keep electrical connections to a suitable thru deck connector

as far as Canadian collison regulations go:

a powerboat under 12m (or a sailboat, whilst "steaming...") can display sidelights and one all-around white light - this can be at the top of the mast, or a combination of stern light and partial white light forward (usually referred to as steaming light **edit: and installed usually one-half to  two-thirds way up a sailboat mast)

while sailing (vessel length 7-20m) - sidelights and stern light, or tricolour (**edit: at top of mast, or masthead)

so for simplicity's sake, one can get away with sidelights, one stern light, and a one 360 deg white light at top of the mast and cover off all scenarios. 

for the extra effort of two more circuits, it's not a bad idea to add a combination steaming/deck light installed on the leading edge of the mast, (**around 2/3 the way up)  you can turn on the "friday night lights" and makes it far easier to anchor and work on deck in the dark without having to hold a flashlight.......

on another sidenote about wiring sizes, don't forget that runs are cumulative, this doesn't always work in a bad way....  you can effectively lessen voltage drop by running larger wire where it's easy (inside the boat, ie 12ga panel to mast step) and then dropping down where its not quite so fun to work or not required (14ga, mast step to LED anchor light) instead of running 14 for the round trip, and being borderline on the run.   buy (marine) wire from a wholesaler, by the roll, and you'll never again worry about cheaping out on an extra 6$ worth of wire and again ending with borderline runs

delcity is a great supplier, and you can buy listed wire (almo) and all sorts of other cabling, goodies, and tools from them.  last i bought was about half the price of the ancor stuff...

19

(2 replies, posted in Non-Contessa Chatter)

I use Roberston and Robertson (skippers plan) and the underwriter is Aviva.  2 million liability and an actual cash value policy on an insured value of 15 000 for my contessa is 230 and change per year.  Loss of use, electronics to 1000, personal property to (i think) 1 000.  Etc etc.  No survey was required.  They just wanted to see photos of the vessel out of the water before coverage could begin.  All claims are settled at depreciated value (ie current market value of the boat or damaged equipment)

Survey was required if I wanted an agreed value policy (ie payout in a loss would be actual replacement cost - which can be somewhat difficult to determine in the case of our older boats that they don't make anymore, coupled with the wide ranging states/conditions of the boats that are out there)

Not being the type to make an insurance claim for every single little thing that ever happens that in actuality is one's own fault, this coverage suits just fine....

20

(9 replies, posted in Non-Contessa Chatter)

Where is she right now?

I have a name and number of the guy who moved my contessa, if he's still doing it he can move her closer to water

Looks great!

Different strokes I guess.  I'd just really rather not have another fair-sized hole in my boat.  Especially not for a "somewhat-essential" piece of equipment.   Or a 2" appendage sticking down way up front.   Not to say that a depth sounder doesn't come in handy, just that I'd rather have a half-dozen other things I can count on before I think about depth sounder.   Most times I've found that when I might use it (unfamiliar marina approaches, taking shortcuts between channel markers, etc) everyone else who has one is glued to it, oftentimes getting erroneous readings off weeds etc... and getting very concerned about depth of channel etc...  My approach is to try to know where you are at all times.  I'll admit though that I'm looking very forward to the day that I don't have to haul up (by hand) an extra 50-70 or so feet of chain for being just outside a depth countour at any given (new!)  bay.  At least I wouldn't have dragged out to deeper water in the night........

You can use the raymarine ST40 transducer inside the hull one of two ways.  Building a spirit box(which I don't really like all that much) or siliconing the transducer to the hull.  I've seen that work with success, the only thing on our contessas is one would have to make a levelling block and bond that to the inside of the hull somewhere (under v berth?) and then goop the transducer to that.  Some small strap clamps would be helpful in holding the transducer down  as well.  Use nothing more than plain clear plumbing silicone, you can get the works apart if you ever have to.  This is my plan for when I ever finally get around to installing my instruments, never really had a need for them yet...

23

(2 replies, posted in Technical)

not likely - any early boat i've seen has an vertical flange - deck curved down and outside and hull inside.  riveted and caulked with what was probably butyl tape

i've since glassed over mine ('73 or 74, hull 79)

24

(6 replies, posted in General Questions/Comments)

I thought that Little Minute did sell (earlier forum postings....)

When I was getting close to finishing refitting Untold Want, I had a price in my mind that I might ever sell her for.  After enjoying it for 6 seasons, the reality of my almost 6 figure pricetag has pretty much disappeared.  I'm getting to the point that I've sailed just about as many hours as I've worked on her.  She still looks pretty good, but by no means perfect.  Theres some more original .125 thick gelcoat thats crazing, and its showing thru the paint.  My homemade paintjob on the hull bothers me twice a year (when I can get up close, out of the water)  Everyone else seems to like it tho...  I've still not got all the interior back together, but working on it.  The six bomar opening ports have to be worth something??  I have roller furling now, a hinged mast step, etc etc.  At the end of the day, she's still a 40 year old boat.  I'm fortunate in that I can repaint her if I want, repower her if I need, and pretty much do whatever else without depending on anyone else or laying out big $ for labour.

At the end of the day, she's still worth way more to me than any buyer, auction house, insurance company, or surveyor.  But that doesn't mean she will ever sell for that "magic number"

Theres really only a few reasons why one would by a Contessa 26 (be it 197x or 199x).  You're either heading off and need a boat that will take care of you, or you like the way they look.  They're small, a wet ride, old and almost always need work.  But you rarely see restorations - or the following/community - of a Grampian 26........

25

(5 replies, posted in Cruising)

Just a thought - if you are in close proximity to the 416 I would consider Iroquois for the winter (a working yard, as in you can work on your own boat....) and somewhere further upriver (Prescott, Brockville, Gan, Kingston) for the summer.  There's more than enough water between Gan and Kingston for great daysailing (far better than the Ottawa) as well as many many places to explore for the (too short) weekends (Cape Vincent, islands, etc) and even more places to get to on an extedned cruise....

Iroquois is nice because its close to work on the boat, and they are fully qeuipped with yard trailer and travel lift so you can almost start the season and return in the fall at just about anytime you want...  Need antoher week on land, take another week on land.....  Not like getting stuck with a crane schedule.....