Bought a Never splashed Colvic Countess 33 on eBay, Looking for infos

[Scotsailor]

To be fair to Greg, I have bought a couple of boats in apparently good order. However in both cases I’ve spent considerable money to keep everything properly maintained …so the boat you might be able to buy for £20k ready to go might actually cost you £30k … if I was undertaking this project I would sort an engine installation. Sort a rig and sails. Steering etc. And go sailing. Just get internal bulkheads to a safe state. Leave internal joinery to another day. Well it’s what I would do

 

[GregOddity]

To be fair to Greg, I have bought a couple of boats in apparently good order. However in both cases I’ve spent considerable money to keep everything properly maintained …so the boat you might be able to buy for £20k ready to go might actually cost you £30k … if I was undertaking this project I would sort an engine installation. Sort a rig and sails. Steering etc. And go sailing. Just get internal bulkheads to a safe state. Leave internal joinery to another day. Well it’s what I would do

I’m doing this boat not just for me, for Phil as well, he asked me to teach him how to sail. Where I was born, Sailors must build the boat and sail it to be Sailors. Old geezer Portuguese sailing tradition. Our waters don’t respect anyone. Especially those that can’t repair damage underway and don’t even know where the through hulls are located. By the time Oddity is finished Phil will know EVERY screw and strand of fiberglass. He will be able to improvise a rudder on the fly and even know how to properly stich sail damage by hand. Where I learned that’s what it takes to be a Sailor. By the time I was first allowed to take the rudder I knew every little plank, knot and splinter till the top of the mast. If you can’t repair it you should not be sailing it. That’s why were doing it like this.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I’m doing this boat not just for me, for Phil as well, he asked me to teach him how to sail. Where I was born, Sailors must build the boat and sail it to be Sailors. Old geezer Portuguese sailing tradition. Our waters don’t respect anyone. Especially those that can’t repair damage underway and don’t even know where the through hulls are located. By the time Oddity is finished Phil will know EVERY screw and strand of fiberglass. He will be able to improvise a rudder on the fly and even know how to properly stich sail damage by hand. Where I learned that’s what it takes to be a Sailor. By the time I was first allowed to take the rudder I knew every little plank, knot and splinter till the top of the mast. If you can’t repair it you should not be sailing it. That’s why were doing it like this.

You are son of BrentSwain.

 

[GregOddity]

You are son of BrentSwain.

Papa?

 

[ex-Gladys]

As She was never finished she will not be a ketch. Estimates on a new mast and boom of 3k so far without discussion just asking for a quote. (not including anything else of course)

First point, the mast step for ketch rig is in a different place than the sloop... You won't get the boat balanced.

Gladys' new mast, boom and rigging from Z-Spars at Boat Show discount in 2011 was £5,500

 

[GregOddity]

First point, the mast step for ketch rig is in a different place than the sloop... You won't get the boat balanced.

Gladys' new mast, boom and rigging from Z-Spars at Boat Show discount in 2011 was £5,500

Yeah you make a good point. We’ve not yet looked properly at how sloop will affect her. We were lucky to find by coincidence that the owner of the Chandlery in our marina has a Countess 33 Bilge keels rigged as a sloop. He’s copying the set of plans for us and then we can start looking in more detail how were going to rig her. I see where you coming from with the balance but I fear she is too small to be a ketch and take full advantage of a mizzen. And don’t get me wrong I do like Ketch exactly for the balance you can get. Moving the mast will also probably mean adding a compression post somewhere. Just another detail to look at.
Yeah the mast including the all shebang will probably be around that. But I do have some stuff for it that will come out of that equation.
First I want to fabricate new chain plates for the ones I have I do NOT want to have. They may have been for a ketch rig but even so I do not want the wee thingies they installed and will make better ones to spread the loads a bit better.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I would stick with the ketch rig if that's what the deck moulding is intended for. You're going to have to install new bulkheads anyway to replace the rotten ones so that's not a constraint. The mizzen whilst not large proportionately, provides all sorts of options like sailing with Genoa and Mizzen only if you want to reduce sail.
Anyhoo, you're never going to finish her if you spend all your time discussing options on here. You've rejected the general opinion that you'll spend more than she's ultimately worth so GET ON WITH IT (if you want to finish while your young enough to enjoy sailing her).

Yeah you make a good point. We’ve not yet looked properly at how sloop will affect her. We were lucky to find by coincidence that the owner of the Chandlery in our marina has a Countess 33 Bilge keels rigged as a sloop. He’s copying the set of plans for us and then we can start looking in more detail how were going to rig her. I see where you coming from with the balance but I fear she is too small to be a ketch and take full advantage of a mizzen. And don’t get me wrong I do like Ketch exactly for the balance you can get. Moving the mast will also probably mean adding a compression post somewhere. Just another detail to look at.
Yeah the mast including the all shebang will probably be around that. But I do have some stuff for it that will come out of that equation.
First I want to fabricate new chain plates for the ones I have I do NOT want to have. They may have been for a ketch rig but even so I do not want the wee thingies they installed and will make better ones to spread the loads a bit better.

 

[GregOddity]

I would stick with the ketch rig if that's what the deck moulding is intended for. You're going to have to install new bulkheads anyway to replace the rotten ones so that's not a constraint. The mizzen whilst not large proportionately, provides all sorts of options like sailing with Genoa and Mizzen only if you want to reduce sail.
Anyhoo, you're never going to finish her if you spend all your time discussing options on here. You've rejected the general opinion that you'll spend more than she's ultimately worth so GET ON WITH IT (if you want to finish while your young enough to enjoy sailing her).[/QUOTE


The reason you’re getting so many replies is because I AM working on her. Designing her innards takes a bit of time. I learned to sail on ketches. I’m kind of partial to ketch and the combination of sails you can use. But like I said I fear a 33 may not be the best rigged as a ketch. As A sloop I would probably get a bit more out of her, and she also has a lot of downwind in her future. She Is fin keeled so that could allow for an extra foot or two on mast length. Its always a balancing act you take from somewhere to gain somewhere else. A 50-footer would be a no brainer. But she’s 33.

 

[dancrane]

I couldn't tell from your early video, Greg, whether you've decided on an internal layout.

Thirty years ago I spent most of my time drawing layouts (not very practical) for yachts whose interiors I didn't much like...

...but I have to say, I've always found paper, pencil, eraser and ruler a lot easier to design with, than high tech equivalents.

Somebody drew a Countess 33 interior (below)...I found the layout by Googling. I reckon she's not the deckhouse version.

It's very clear, if not millimetre-accurate...she looks a lot beamier than she ought to be.

But may we see your planned interior? Just to give us an idea - I know how things evolve when difficulties emerge.

 

[ghostlymoron]

On my friend's one, one minor irritation is that the forward bulkhead divides one of the windows in half - half being in the forward heads and half in the forecastle. This makes it almost impossible to remove the window - which leaks! Put a window each side.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Dan, your layout looksidentical to my friend's except there is a step down from the saloon to the forward accommodation and no door. His is a deck saloon ketch.

I couldn't tell from your early video, Greg, whether you've decided on an internal layout.

Thirty years ago I spent most of my time drawing layouts (not very practical) for yachts whose interiors I didn't much like...

...but I have to say, I've always found paper, pencil, eraser and ruler a lot easier to design with, than high tech equivalents.

Somebody drew a Countess 33 interior (below)...I found the layout by Googling. I reckon she's not the deckhouse version.

It's very clear, if not millimetre-accurate...she looks a lot beamier than she ought to be.

But may we see your planned interior? Just to give us an idea - I know how things evolve when difficulties emerge.

 

[purplerobbie]

I Bought a 40 footer 6 years ago. I thought she was tired and needed sorting. Some of my friends said sail her as she is. This is the third boat I have rebuilt.
I sat with a friend and worked out how much I’d spent on her over the 6 years and I had to stop adding up after 35k and that’s without mooring costs of 320 a month and the original purchase price.
So just on the mooring and work I could have bought something for about 60k but I didn’t have 60k. So this was the only way I was going to do it was A cheap boat and lots of work and buying stuff when I could.
I replaced the engine myself and had the shaft and controls in place and I still spent over 6k on the engine (a beta 38) now that’s an expected big price so you could see it coming. What you don’t see coming is things like battery wire. I paid over £100 on cables from the battery bank to just the charger not to mention the fact that the charger was £495. So all in I paid probably £200+ on battery cable. The house battery bank is two AGM’s which were £500. And two engine start which were £200.
I paid £1000 on an anchor and anchor chain I really wasn’t expecting that. I’m sure people will say you could have got secondhand chain and a secondhand anchor but I want to do some miles in this boat. I don’t want 6 years of my life sitting at anchor on £200 worth or scrap wondering if it will be there when I get back

The boat I had before this was a rival 32 and new sails for that 8+ years ago were £2200 and that was a good Dacron with 3 reefs. Nothing special

Now add into the mix you are looking at yours being a blue water boat?

Now can you do your boat for 20k? I think you probably could if you look on eBay and such like for all the old tat but what you will end up with in the end probably won’t be worth having and it will take years waiting for the right things to come up. Remember most second hand stuff isn’t taken off because it’s in good working order.
As someone said buying that one for 19k and stripping it will be within your budget and give you everything you need so yes you can do it for 20k.

As other people have said your best way forward would be to spend your 20k on good mast,sails, deck gear and engine and get out sailing her. Do the other when the weather is bad.

But the real question in my mind isn’t whether you can do it but whether you should?
If you have the 20k go and look at that other. But if you don’t and you’re doing this as an affordable way of getting a boat you have a lot of work ahead.

Good luck in which ever way you go.

Rob

 

[dancrane]

One thing I think Greg can be envied, is the opportunity he has to build modern plumbing, wiring and ducting into the accommodation, prior to bulkheads going in. Possibly the nastiest aspect of yachting is the dismal ventilation of bathroom compartments...

...but starting from a bare hull, Greg has the option to incorporate 3-inch diameter ducting to all cabins, especially bathrooms, enabling rapid forced inflow of fresh air, and (if he enjoys the company of ladies not demanding to be put ashore as soon as possible) he'll similarly arrange extraction of stale air, matching the inflow, so the fans don't fight a pressure gradient.

Likewise, insulation...this is the time to apply ample insulation to the inside of the hull...don't wait till all the cabins are finished and looking terrific, then start asking what to do about it seeming so cold and prone to damp, on board.

 

[dancrane]

...your layout looks identical to my friend's except there is a step down from the saloon to the forward accommodation and no door. His is a deck saloon ketch.

It was simply the first plan-view of a Countess that I found on Google images, Ghostly.

I would expect the raised coachroof on the deck-saloon version, to affect the layout of sofas (so they have more light) and steps...

...nice photo from Yachtsnet...

...so I thought that plan is not of a deck-saloon model. Plus, doesn't the deck saloon allow an inside helm? But I can't pretend I know.

 

[burgundyben]

I think if it was my project, I'd clear out the rubbish, put in the minimal internal joinery, domestic stuff like loo, heads and the engine and its stuff. I'd launch it like that and go messing about on the water.

Rig and sails, electronics, heating, posh soft furnishings, spray hoods and other non essentials would wait.

 

[LadyInBed]

First point, the mast step for ketch rig is in a different place than the sloop... You won't get the boat balanced.

I think you will find that the Main is stepped in the same place for ketch and sloop. The ketch has a shorter main boom. They also produced two mast lengths, shorter for bilge keel cruising rig.

 

[dancrane]

I think if it was my project, I'd...put in...the engine...I'd launch it like that and go messing about on the water. Rig and sails...and other non essentials would wait.

If Greg wanted a deep-drafted displacement motorboat, I'm sure he could have found one. He wants to sail, not just "mess about".

 

[LadyInBed]

Somebody drew a Countess 33 interior (below)...I found the layout by Googling. I reckon she's not the deckhouse version.

It's very clear, if not millimetre-accurate...she looks a lot beamier than she ought to be.

This is my interior layout

 

[ghostlymoron]

Thats different again.

This is my interior layout

View attachment 70147

 

[LadyInBed]

Thats different again.

I have made some modifications