Contessa 32 purchase advice. Newbie here. Yatch world purchase

[pcatterall]

She looks to have had a lot of work done on the hull and cockpit and to a high standard if that has been repeated below then that could well account for a few grand on the price compared to sound but shabby alternatives, Not heard anything about osmosis on this particular boat or the model in general this is often another potential big spend. Take a balanced view of all the comments made here. Look at the fittings, winches, anchor chain etc. If your happy the next decision is whether to proceed with a survey. Good luck

 

[pvb]

Like most others here, it's the engine. At that age you are buying a lottery ticket. Not a matter of if but when your number comes up. Probably measured in months not years.
You will be looking at £5k at the very least.

I'd suggest £10K, not £5K, as we can assume the OP doesn't have the experience to do it himself and will be paying boatyard labour rates, plus lift/launch, etc.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I'd suggest £10K, not £5K, as we can assume the OP doesn't have the experience to do it himself and will be paying boatyard labour rates, plus lift/launch, etc.

Add that to the other £5K of updates and you have a £40k 1970s 32 footer

 

[flinny]

She looks to have had a lot of work done on the hull and cockpit and to a high standard if that has been repeated below then that could well account for a few grand on the price compared to sound but shabby alternatives, Not heard anything about osmosis on this particular boat or the model in general this is often another potential big spend. Take a balanced view of all the comments made here. Look at the fittings, winches, anchor chain etc. If your happy the next decision is whether to proceed with a survey. Good luck

Hey thanks for the positive response.
The other responses have also given me much to think about, re sailing first, re-viewing boats first...

Because of covid the plan was to buy it, haul it, anti-fowl it, replace the engine, stick hydro-vane on or tiller pilot, (15k spend) which would kill the time to relaunch round about march when i had built up enough contacts in the marina and taken my RYA course in crew skills to hopefully take it out from Newcastle with a few local experienced sailors

The internals have had all new rewiring, as well as new electronics pack and all gutted internally.
it is unclear, yet whether the water and fuel tanks have been replaced or the sea cocks, vis-a-vis the extent to the internal overhaul...

i'm going to phone the boat yard on monday Firmhelm Ltd, Pwllheli - Bing check sail's age, and what exactly was done inside:

• Fully Re sprayed Topsides, Decks and Cabintops.
• New Standing Rigging
• New Running Rigging
• New Windows + Hatches
• Fully Rewired + New Instruments
• New Solid Teak Cockpit
• Internally Fully Refurbished
• All new Deck gear including Winches
• New Upholstery
• New Toilet
• New Cooker

from this list of attention, we might assume from the statements "internally fully refurbished" to include sea cocks and water tanks. but i'll keep you updated after i've spoke to the ship yard in wales.

They are obviously proud of the refurb, as the thumb nail of the boat is still on website after three years and they are quite well know yard

Firmhelm Ltd, Pwllheli - Bing

 

[dankilb]

Add that to the other £5K of updates and you have a £40k 1970s 32 footer

Herein lies the issue...

If you’re serious about the chartering, that’s a big lump of the startup capital tied up (assuming - I’d say optimistically - you can get back 2/3 to 3/4 eventually upon resale). Plus all the time you’ll spend working on the project (and all boats of that age are projects, no matter how well-found they may be).

If you’re serious about learning to sail, that’s also a big investment of money and time just in the boat (a much more modern version of which someone will charter to you for a tiny fraction of that outlay).

If you’re serious about owning a C32... well, then this seems a very nice - if rather pricey - example!

 

[flinny]

Add that to the other £5K of updates and you have a £40k 1970s 32 footer

the alternatives were:

the hans christian 33
carbo rico 38
Tashiba 37

you can kind of gather that i prefer the older boats rather than the mass market, modern, ones. i'm aware of the problems inherent in older boats. i have spent alot of each day researching thanks to lockdown, although wouldn't presume to state that i know what i'm doing...

thanks to this thread i'm more down to earth a little and have much to consider

 

[flinny]

Herein lies the issue...

If you’re serious about the chartering, that’s a big lump of the startup capital tied up (assuming - I’d say optimistically - you can get back 2/3 to 3/4 eventually upon resale). Plus all the time you’ll spend working on the project (and all boats of that age are projects, no matter how well-found they may be).

If you’re serious about learning to sail, that’s also a big investment of money and time just in the boat (a much more modern version of which someone will charter to you for a tiny fraction of that outlay).

If you’re serious about owning a C32... well, then this seems a very nice - if rather pricey - example!

thanks for broadening my options
i will consider this also

appreciated

 

[PetiteFleur]

As said by many, look at a few boats before you finally decide. OK, the Contessa 32 is a fine boat and is well regarded BUT they are cramped, wet when sailing and it's still an old boat. Look at Westerly and Moody yachts of a similar age and size and you might change your mind. Definitely don't buy the first boat you view. Look at the Westerly Fulmar and the Moody 33 mk2(I am biased though on the M33...) Good luck in your search.

 

[PaulRainbow]

the alternatives were:

the hans christian 33
carbo rico 38
Tashiba 37

you can kind of gather that i prefer the older boats rather than the mass market, modern, ones. i'm aware of the problems inherent in older boats. i have spent alot of each day researching thanks to lockdown, although wouldn't presume to state that i know what i'm doing...

thanks to this thread i'm more down to earth a little and have much to consider

If your aim is to buy a "throwaway boat" to practice sailing with and sell after 18 months, buying a "pretty, semi-classic" boat makes absolutely no sense at all.

By the time you've put an engine in the Contessa and added a few updates you'll be in for £40k, in 18 months time you might get £20k back.

Get out and actually view a few different makes/models. You'll find things that put you off that you will not have even thought about. Headroom, space in the heads, storage space, just generally moving around the boat, getting around the cockpit, getting to the winches, where are the winches and lines.

 

[Koeketiene]

you can kind of gather that i prefer the older boats rather than the mass market, modern, ones. i'm aware of the problems inherent in older boats. i have spent alot of each day researching thanks to lockdown, although wouldn't presume to state that i know what i'm doing...

I am the same.

Have you considered a Contessa 34?

Contessa 34 OOD from 1979 for sale on YachtFocus.com

 

[pvb]

Because of covid the plan was to buy it, haul it, anti-fowl it, replace the engine, stick hydro-vane on or tiller pilot, (15k spend) which would kill the time to relaunch round about march

So you're planning to spend £40K on a 1973 boat, which will be worth a lot less when you want to sell it in a couple of years time. For £40K you could buy a well-kept AWB, built in this century, with much better accommodation and sailing qualities, and which would sell easily for about the same money in a couple of years time.

 

[doug748]

Herein lies the issue...

If you’re serious about the chartering, that’s a big lump of the startup capital tied up (assuming - I’d say optimistically - you can get back 2/3 to 3/4 eventually upon resale). Plus all the time you’ll spend working on the project (and all boats of that age are projects, no matter how well-found they may be).

If you’re serious about learning to sail, that’s also a big investment of money and time just in the boat (a much more modern version of which someone will charter to you for a tiny fraction of that outlay).

If you’re serious about owning a C32... well, then this seems a very nice - if rather pricey - example!

Indeed

The present trading conditions do not help. I can only find 3 of these for sale and considering they produced over 700, in this country alone, that is not a lot. I think in a buyers market going to buy to resell, a very sought after boat, is high risk. Most people are just looking for family transport.
However I am sure the OP is getting the drift of opinion! Fundamentally it is not about boats but the flaws people see in the basic plan

.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Over-egging the pudding there a bit fella! Yes, you can spend uber amounts on state of the art line, but you don’t have to. I just purchased 30 metres of Liros 14mm for less than £40. No need to scare the guy needlessly.

To the OP, if you like this style of boat there are plenty of equally pretty boats of other designs from that era that don’t command the inflated prices of the legendary Contessa 32. Someone mentioned the Albin Ballad, have a look also at She 31 - a boat sometimes described as the thinking man’s Contessa 32!

There is much to agree with in your post, but i can't help make a comment on the £300 rope. You'd have to seriously go out of your way to find such a thing on a Contessa 32. My boat is bigger than the Contessa and my most expensive line can be replaced with some budget braid on braid for £39 or some Jimmy Green Dyneema for £115.

Slight Fred Drift, i was surprised how cheap decent Dyneema can be had for these days.

Thank you both for the correction / advice.

Having not yet replaced the rope I had in mind I googled "Jimmy Green halyard" and used their pricing calculator. I included a snap shackle and the cost of splicing - I guess I filtered on the Contessa's total sail area instead of main sail area and hence priced up a thicker and more expensive rope than necessary; possibly a more premium rope than necessary. These are the sorts of mistakes you make when you only have 3 years' sailing experience - I would have double checked were I actually buying one, but I'm sure I've made a number of such mistakes at my own expense.

I see that OP has replied to to other comments in this thread, but not mine.

I am proof that you can do it - you can start with no sailing experience and, in a couple of years, singlehand across Biscay in your own boat. But from this experience I can also tell you that you don't know what you're letting yourself in for, and you should be prepared to revise your plans, to decide that it's not for you or that you want to do things a little differently.

I rejected the path to becoming a professional skipper because my vision of sailing was about about freedom, and I didn't want to have a boss - I'm sure being a charter skipper is a great job when you have convivial customers and good winds on a sunny day, but it's still a job and it's probably not so much fun when you're struggling to make a living for reasons beyond your own control; you have to pander to the guests and, since this is a job desired by everyone, the margins must be thin as a blue rilza.

I thought about buying a first boat, to be replaced after a couple of years, and rejected it for reasons which I now see to be fallacious. But I would recommend a much cheaper boat, because there's less chance of losing money that way.

If you're serious about a career in sailing then I have been quite impressed by the graduates of UKSA that I've sailed with; you could volunteer on the tallships.org Challenger fleet and, with a yachtmaster in hand, I reckon you could become a first mate pretty quick; I believe that's a paid position - they certainly pay their skippers, which is a position I'd think you can attain within a reasonable timeframe. I wouldn't be surprised if Clipper recruit from there.

 

[flinny]

So you're planning to spend £40K on a 1973 boat, which will be worth a lot less when you want to sell it in a couple of years time. For £40K you could buy a well-kept AWB, built in this century, with much better accommodation and sailing qualities, and which would sell easily for about the same money in a couple of years time.

as you can appreciate, i'm prtetty new and everyone's insights have given me much to think about.

namely not to rush in, without the sailing experience (passion for the reality, rather than a passion for the perceived reality.
manybe consider charter as a means to get sailing experience, rather than buying a boat to gain that experience (cost saving)
looking at lots of boats to gain a feel for them rather than just one boat and one model...

the initial plan, was much more sensible than this, i just didn't want to end up in the "wannabe" thread, so thought i may as well take the plunge...
by all accounts i should have finished my crew skills course by now without a boat purchase...

i guess covid is just making me hasty. but you guys have helped alot with that

i'm still going to view the contessa though

 

[flinny]

Having not yet replaced the rope I had in mind I googled "Jimmy Green halyard" and used their pricing calculator. I included a snap shackle and the cost of splicing - I guess I filtered on the Contessa's total sail area instead of main sail area and hence priced up a thicker and more expensive rope than necessary; possibly a more premium rope than necessary. These are the sorts of mistakes you make when you only have 3 years' sailing experience - I would have double checked were I actually buying one, but I'm sure I've made a number of such mistakes at my own expense.

I see that OP has replied to to other comments in this thread, but not mine.

I am proof that you can do it - you can start with no sailing experience and, in a couple of years, singlehand across Biscay in your own boat. But from this experience I can also tell you that you don't know what you're letting yourself in for, and you should be prepared to revise your plans, to decide that it's not for you or that you want to do things a little differently.

I rejected the path to becoming a professional skipper because my vision of sailing was about about freedom, and I didn't want to have a boss - I'm sure being a charter skipper is a great job when you have convivial customers and good winds on a sunny day, but it's still a job and it's probably not so much fun when you're struggling to make a living for reasons beyond your own control; you have to pander to the guests and, since this is a job desired by everyone, the margins must be thin as a blue rilza.

I thought about buying a first boat, to be replaced after a couple of years, and rejected it for reasons which I now see to be fallacious. But I would recommend a much cheaper boat, because there's less chance of losing money that way.

If you're serious about a career in sailing then I have been quite impressed by the graduates of UKSA that I've sailed with; you could volunteer on the tallships.org Challenger fleet and, with a yachtmaster in hand, I reckon you could become a first mate pretty quick; I believe that's a paid position - they certainly pay their skippers, which is a position I'd think you can attain within a reasonable timeframe. I wouldn't be surprised if Clipper recruit from there.

hey Komp

i didn't reply, but i saved your links for the fast track course re-yatchmaster. i noticed that you couldn't do it from scratch though and still had to have bare bones experience beyond, comp crew cert...

i have hadcontact with with RYA Boss certification out of Southampton i think... i held off doing the course just after summer, because the 2 days over 2 weekends (comp crew skills) no longer, involved staying over night on the boat, due to covid and i wanted the full experience, especially the night navigation and sailing. now it looks like it will be march at the earliest...

the qualifications, were really just a way, of being able to get away, and stay away once i'd left. when funds dried up i could use my qualifications for a whole range of paid jobs, the Catamaran idea was not researched it was just part of a possible long range plan, that could be tweaked as i put the process in place re-baby steps now, since a wide variety of options remain open, once certified, later...

i'll check out the UKSA thanks

 

[dankilb]

As a fellow dreamer, as I think many of us are...! The only other thing to consider is whether you could actually get your dream/charter-capable boat as your first yacht instead? That way, at least any work required will contribute more directly towards your goal.

The UK market seems to be in a major bubble right now. A year or two ago there were >40’ production cruisers going for that kind of money (with work required). But the Caribbean, Panama, US East Coast, Thailand/Malaysia etc. consistently offer great hunting ground for cheap bluewater cruisers. Sure that will continue post-covid.

Check out White Spot Pirates on YouTube... perhaps not the most sensible approach, but she bought ‘Karl’ sight unseen, for a song, with no experience. A few years on and they were doing charters successfully around the Western Caribbean.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I am proof that you can do it - you can start with no sailing experience and, in a couple of years, singlehand across Biscay in your own boat. But from this experience I can also tell you that you don't know what you're letting yourself in for, and you should be prepared to revise your plans, to decide that it's not for you or that you want to do things a little differently.

Yes, you can definitely do it. We bought our first boat, a 32 foot twin engined motor boat with no experience at all (no dinghy sailing even) and no qualifications. I took the VHF course during the time we were giving the boat a minor refit. I'd also spent a lot of time reading, but we launched and put to sea. We didn't crash, sink or die, but we were cautious. When i got fed up with motorboats i bought a 35 foot sailboat, having never sailed, even on someone elses sail boat. Again, i did a lot of reading and research and knew all of the bits of string by name, i even had a vague idea of what they did My wife refuses to set foot on it, she didn't like the look of the other sail boats "leaning over", so i put to sea on my own and a had a practice with the main sail, just locally. Next time i had a play with the genoa and the following time i got really brave and set them both. Still didn't crash, sink or die. can competently handle the boat in marinas, pick a buoy up single handed and sail her.

I wouldn't put anyone off of giving it a go, i would try to offer some useful advise, which is what we're all doing in this thread (good to see that no-one has recommended the OP take up dinghy sailing for 20 years before buying a 16 footer and slowly working up the ranks)

 

[KompetentKrew]

hey Komp

i didn't reply, but i saved your links for the fast track course re-yatchmaster. i noticed that you couldn't do it from scratch though and still had to have bare bones experience beyond, comp crew cert...

i have hadcontact with with RYA Boss certification out of Southampton i think... i held off doing the course just after summer, because the 2 days over 2 weekends (comp crew skills) no longer, involved staying over night on the boat, due to covid and i wanted the full experience, especially the night navigation and sailing. now it looks like it will be march at the earliest...

the qualifications, were really just a way, of being able to get away, and stay away once i'd left. when funds dried up i could use my qualifications for a whole range of paid jobs, the Catamaran idea was not researched it was just part of a possible long range plan, that could be tweaked as i put the process in place re-baby steps now, since a wide variety of options remain open, once certified, later...

i'll check out the UKSA thanks

My advice to you is just to get as many miles as you can, as quickly and cheaply as possible.

www.PhoenixYachtClub.co.uk did me very well - I got my competent crew with them, with an instructor who also works for Boss; later I also got my Coastal Skipper with them. See also www.BrightonBelle.org

If you sign up for tallships.org they often offer last-minute discounts if their trips are undersold. I did one on their ketch, which I'd recommend against but I'd like to sail on one of their Challengers.

Once I had my competent crew, that opened up loads of possibilities on the Solent Facebook crewing groups, from which I got:

• Dover-Solent delivery - literally the next day after I got my competent crew; the skipper was desperate and I was available ?
• Solent-Dartmouth-Camaret-Pornic-Île d'Yeu-Brest - with lots of other stops, about 900nm total, I think; 3 weeks sailing every day, over a period of 4 weeks
• An interview to crew for @Ningaloo, who subsequently ghosted me. ?
• Solent-Le Havre-Solent - there and back over a weekend
• a Solent day sail, which was an interview trip for:
• Olhão-Cadiz-Gibraltar and back - with more stops, sailing just about every day for 2 weeks

Then I did a mile-builder with www.SailracingAcademy.org, Solent to Malta over 4 weeks.

This was my first year sailing, in 2018. Obviously I had the advantage that it was in The Beforetimes, and that I was available to go sailing anytime I wanted (yet it was still somewhat frustrating how much time I spent idle).

 

[Bilgediver]

Hey All

I'm new to the forum and new to sailing.
spent about three month researching sail boats before i decided to put an offer in on a Contessa 32 (it's a little earlier than i planned as wanted some sailing classes first but covid is driving me mad so i thought let's just do this)

also a lurker here, and didn't want to post until i decided to take a plunge to avoid ending up in the broken dreams, didn't happen thread.

1973 Contessa 32 Sail New and Used Boats for Sale - www.yachtworld.co.uk


I've got a viewing on Saturday, 30th and it looks like my offer may be accepted.


This boat was recently refitted by a boat yard in wales, prior to the current owner purchasing it in 2017 and getting it delivered:

Tigo II Delivery

It has new standing rigging (2016)
New running rigging (2016)
Mast replaced in (2006)
full interior rebursh in 2016
basic electronics pack 2016

the engine is original
as are the water and fuel tanks i believe but that these are yet to be confirmed.

obviously the purchase is subject to survey, haulout and sea trail.
i just wondered what you guys think at 25k

and anything i should be looking out for, any advice would be great. whether you think it priced fairly etc

cheers

I would question the details of the advert regarding the engine as we have a Contessa of this age at our marina with its original engine and it is not 18HP It is an elderly Yanmar single cylinder Horizontal.

18HP is an unusual rating for 1973. It could be a Yanmar 20 GM from the 80s/90s or a Volvo 2002 80's . I would check this.

One thing I would look at regarding a Contessa 32 of this age is the woodwork under the seats around the table and the attachment of the hull to the lower port side of the forard bulkhead. This problem if it existed would certainly have been fixed in Pwllheli if not before but wise to check for any distress in these areas which is easily seen from the seat lockers.

 

[Ningaloo]

This lockdown is certainly a great time to make plans and have dreams. I am getting a new boat this year which might not have been the case without CV19, although I had started looking in February before the full impact of the pandemic was realised. Is this just an armchair dream it is there a basis is reality?
I ask the OP what is it about sailing the Contessa that you liked and what didn't you like about sailing a French/German AWB? How did you manage the large overlapping Genoa on the Co? How was it cooking a meal? Was the shower/heads usable?
If you are single, does this mean you plan to sail singlehanded - quite an undertaking if you are new to sailing. If not, what does your crew think of your plans and choice of boat?
Unlike others, I am not in favour of following the RYA syllabus too closely, and certainly not the fast track, learn it all in a week, type course. I feel that competent crew level can (in normal times) be acquired by getting experience as crew on other boats with a skipper who has awareness of the CC syllabus and an interest in passing on skills. Day skipper is a good entry point into the RYA syllabus and this with an ICC should get you a fair way. But with the limitations imposed by CV19 getting the basic experience without doing a paid course may not be so easy.
I think that your adjusted plans to spend a bit more time looking around before committing to anything are sensible. We are all feeling the frustration of continuing lockdowns!