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The Contessa Corner → Technical → Varuna #324 Sold!
The following e-mail came to me about this boat, as I inquired about wanting to see it. It is amazing.
Mr. Lee,
The auction process turned out to be a nightmare. I had a "cash on the barrelhead" buyer appear with a generous offer and I sold the boat. I've removed the website.
Thanks for your interest,
Steve
So, if you want a boat, buy it!
Hopefully someone who can sail her bought her. She's champing at the bit.
The new owner of Varuna is in Harpswell, Maine! Just down the road from my parents and just up the road from SMH. It is a small world and we should welcome him aboard and ask for pictures of the famous boat. You can see a picture of Varuna in its new home when viewing the localtion/regrister map on home page.
Hi Everybody,
I'm Varuna's new owner. After working on her for two months straight ( wiring, engine, and electronics ) she is looking pretty good and we just towed her down to the local marina for a launch later this week. After some summer shakedown cruises on the Maine coast, the plan is to head for the Bahamas in mid-October. I'll be glad to start participating in discussions as soon as I have something to contribute... although right now I'm pretty knowledgable about the Bukh engine and parts! Her sail inventory is excellent and in good condition, maroon Awlgrip topsides look gorgeous, and the Monitor gear looks like new. However, I gather from reading Maiden Voyage that her interior got pretty wet on her circumnavigation, and her wiring showed it... new electric panels needed for a start and much new wiring. Also, there are mysterious deck leaks that seem impossible to trace. I'm really excited to be a part of this group now.
Deck leaks are about the hardest thing to trace. I'd start with the chainplates, then the opening ports and hatches. After that, the mast partner, then the cabin-top hardware.
Is mid-october going to cause any trouble with hurricane season?
As far as deck leaks go, once you've ruled out the easy to fix, I'd look at the genoa track. Mine leaked even tho I didn't want to admit it. After having sucessfully replaced the track - with the tips of my fingers not too abraded (it's all done by feel), and having used enough goop (5200) that both me and my Dad would have been shitcanned from the assembly lines at either Catalina or Hunter, I'm hopeful I never have to do it again. I think the only other person foolish or persnickity enough to attempt such task was 'SMH'.
Forgot to add something in that post. Trick for looking for leaks. If it's not leaking when you're looking for it, you'll never find it. Draw lines underneath all fittings or holes or wherever you think there is a leak on the inside of the boat with Lumocolor water soluble non permanent (NON PERMANENT WATER SOLUBLE!!) overhead (acetate) markers. You know, the kind teachers use. When your boat leaks when you're not around, you'll see a nice line interrupted by some drips. Voila. If it's not leaking where you think it was, some paper towels and water will wipe off your nice, non leak detecting marks. Back to the drawing board, or more lines where you never thought your boat could EVER leak. Don't, (DON'T!) use dry erase or permanent markers.....
Hey Stefan;a blow by blow account of replacing that genoa track would be interesting.Soundslike a beast.Bill
I'm moving this to technical. I'd like to know more about that genoa track replacement too.
Thanks for the advice on Varuna's deck leaks. The problem was that sitting on her trailer tilting slightly forward, that during Maine's endless rains in May water was running off the upper (i.e. hidden) surface of the cabin top liner and dripping on the electric panels from behind (both sides!!!) I had visions of rapid salt water wire corrosion when in the water, so made rubber guards out of tire inner tubes to shield the panels. But.... miracle of miracles, Varuna was launched on June 1 and we've had 7" of rain already this month and there is no sign of of leakage anymore. Yeah, I know.... take off the genoa track, stanchions, and all deck hardware and rebed, but I'm going sailing this summer!
I've been out every day this week learning the ropes in 10-15kn of wind. I've got a pretty good jiffy reefing system worked out (Tim Hendley, Varuna's owner from 1989-2003 replaced Tania's bent boom and never had a quick/effecient system,) and find that the Autohelm steers beautifully while I'm up on deck messing around with the main.
Tell me, where does everyone have their topping lift lead to? Varuna's is to a cleat on the mast, whereas I'd prefer it in the cockpit to one of the two line stoppers on the cabin top that are there at the moment for special foresail halyards that I doubt I'll use much at all.
I'm also a bit unclear about shroud tension, as the leeward shrouds go slack with the rail under at 500lb of tension on the 3/16" shrouds. And since I can't measure the forestay tension with the furler in place, what should I set the backstay at??.... it is 1/4".
Any help much appreciated.
Cheers, Sam
Congrats Sam, you are going to have fun!
My topping lift is led from aft of boom, up to top of mast, down inside mast, out aft along deck to stbd. side of companionway hump. MUCH easier to handle when ready to dash forward and reef...(reefing all done at mast) and also handy as it's last thing you release when in cockpit and wonder why your sail is not setting right, guffaw!
I also have a small clip and line (6" or so) that clips from end of boom to backstay that holds up boom alongside topping lift to take strain off topping lift when boom lifted out of way once sail is down. (must remember to release it first before doing any sail raising, or else you will forget!)
Re: finding water leaks from rain or sea: Flashlight (and mirror) along the hull and along bilge areas will also show glint of wet trickles.
Also, check lockers and areas daily for water seepage as well as after you sail, and after any rain. If no water one day(or event) but there the next or after, very easy to narrow down.
Shannon - Thanks for the topping lift info. Now to figure out how to change it with the mast standing, from it's cleat on the mast about 2' above the deck to running inside the mast the rest of the way to the bottom and out the side, where the blocks are there back the the starboard rope clutch. Recently I broke one of the levers off the port clutch due to 20 yrs of sun fatigue to the plastic lever. I was relieved that the mounting holes on the new Lewmar clutch were identical to the old ones.
Was pleased that the boom-end-to-backstay line and clip that I devised is just like what you have.
As Varuna has roller furling installed by Tim Hendley (owner from 1989-2002 after Tania,) I have two headsails that are made for the furler, yet also some in very good condition that have hanks on the luffs... but there is no available forestay to clip them onto. Yesterday I tried hoisting the genoa (with hanks) and just cranking the halyard very tight and sailing that way, and it seemed to work fine as long as the winds were light (i.e. the luff stayed pretty straight.) Any ideas?
All the best,
Sam
Hello again Sam...
Does your topping lift run down the inside of the mast to a hole in the mast then to the cleat or does it run down the outside of the mast to the cleat? If it runs down the inside then put a wire down lift exit hole above the cleat and try to retrieve it where you would like the t. lift to exit at the mast step. Then a fix the wire to the lift line and pull down inside to the step and out. If the topping lift is on the outside from the mast head then you can go aloft on Tania's steps and drop a light line with a lead weigth down inside the mast and try to retrieve with the wire you put in the exit hole at the step. Good luck. Make sure you have someone on deck on belay.
My CD Typhoon has the t. lift down the outside of the mast to a mast cleat. At the mooring the light boom hangs from the t. lift with a clip at the booms end clipped to the backstay so it doesn't swing. The co26's boom is to heavy to hang on the lift. A ss cable clamped or better yet nicropressed to the backstay I think iwould be the way to go.
I don't release my lift until the main is hauled otherwise the boom would drop in to the cockpit. The tradeoff is that I often sail off with a pretty ugly main.
Your headsails: You could have a bolt rope sewn into the sails luff for the furling extrusion otherwise you are going to put alot of strain on the jib halyard block that it probaly was not designed for.
Take all of this for what it may worth to you. My Typhoon went in the water three days ago and as you know my CO26 has yet to see brine since I have owned it, going on three years.
Bob of Bob & Kim, Ipswich
PS Thanx again...
For a forestay for hank-on, which I wanted to do, I was going to get new stemhead made in stainless with two holes, and have the roller furling forestay be forward of the spare hole for clip on forestay, and then only use one or the other, with roller furling fstay also on clip so can be removed to use hank ons...of course, all depends where and what kind of sailing you are doing...I also had a reef put into my 90% jib to make it a storm jib of sorts, and have three reefs in main, with a nice crisp 115 Genoa hank on that should cover me in all hank on weather...
My roller furling genny is 135%, plenty big.
Bob and Shannon -
Thanks for the topping lift and sail info and ideas. As I have to go up on deck anyway to set the main tack cringles on their reefing hooks at the gooseneck and tighten the jiffy reefing lines, I've decided to leave the topping lift system the way it is for the time being (It runs down through the mast and out the starboard side about 3' off the deck.) Also, the rope clamps on deck are for 7/16-1/2" line as Varuna's halyards are very large, so there would be no way to have the 5/16" topping lift get clamped, and I don't want a huge topping lift line. I've marked the topping lift so I can set it in advance for the right tension for either full or reefed main.
A nico-pressed SS wire line (with a snap shackle) from the backstay to the boom sounds like the right way to go for me.... I've got a little trial piece of nylon line there now and it works, but isn't rugged enough for extended use.
Was out in 25kn winds over the weekend and with a double reefed main and 110% jib had plenty of power to windward, albeit with a lot of heel. My jiffy reefing systems worked perfectly, and very quickly. I think on my trip South in the fall I'll have the 90% jib on the furler and use the 135% genoa without a forestay in light winds. (Shannon... Varuna has that SS stemhead fitting already that you talk off... a great idea.) Varuna's storm jib has hanks on it too... and a super heavy bolt rope built into it. I like the idea of a heavy weather sail not being on the furler so that it can be reaised and lowered with maximum certainty. The halyard roller in the masthead fitting is simple and rugged, so don't think that will be a problem as far as having high halyard tension.
Bob... I'm counting on that Typhoon sail in August!
The Contessa Corner → Technical → Varuna #324 Sold!
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