Colvic Countess 28 vs Mirage 28

[jrussill]

Evening all.

We’re considering a larger boat for our family of four and two options have emerged - a Colvic Countess 28 and a Mirage 28. It would be interesting to hear people’s views of which way we should go! We are after a sturdy, safe bilge keeler with good size accommodation and a large cockpit.

Thanks everyone.

 

[jwilson]

Countess 28 a bit heavier, more traditional, Mirage lighter, more modern looking and probably a bit faster, especially as it has angled bilge keels instead of the Countess's vertical ones. Countesses can vary a lot from roughly fitted out to beautifully, as many (maybe most) were amateur fitouts from bare hulls.

Countess keels were moulded GRP, intended to be filled with ballast material (usually steel punchings) and this sealed in with poured resin. Keel bases thus GRP and vulnerable to abrasion damage. If bad this damage can rust the steel, and expansion then causes major problems. Also some home builders may have used other ballast material, even scrap iron set in cement. Equally a few builders might have used lead set in resin, which would be far better than the steel.

Mirage keels are bolted-on cast iron which eventually may need rebedding, though this is fairly rare. Maybe a 40 or 50 year interval job if starting in good condition.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I had a Mirage 28 for several years and found it solid, safe and reasonably nippy. Accomodation is good, I like the traditional layout. Held its price well. My friend has a Countess 33 which is very roomy and can carry a good spread of 'canvas' so a good performer. I've no experience of the Countess 28 but if it's the sibling of the 33 should also be robust and safe. I prefer the keel arrangement of the Mirage but if I were buying today maybe would be looking at something more modern.

 

[jrussill]

Thanks for the feedback! Very good food for thought. We might be leaning towards the Colvic on account of her interior.

 

[SailorAleksi]

Hello everybody !

Tried to make a new thread about that but it disaperead so it was prabably not a good idea.
I am looking around to buy my first little boat, and am investigating bilge keel. I could find plenty of information about the mirage 28, but almost nothing about her sister Cobra 850. I'm about to visit one next week, but before i'd love to hear about her performances, quality, seawothyness, etc. Any informations, reviews, magazines are more than welcome. Thank you very much !

 

[ghostlymoron]

I had a Mirage 28 and liked it very much. Good accomodation, reasonable performance sail and power. Always felt safe. I'd imagine you could pick up a good one for >5k nowadays.

 

[[70521]]

Our first owned boat was a Mirage 28. Super boat, we just needed something bigger for longer passages.

 

[C08]

Countess 28 a bit heavier, more traditional, Mirage lighter, more modern looking and probably a bit faster, especially as it has angled bilge keels instead of the Countess's vertical ones. Countesses can vary a lot from roughly fitted out to beautifully, as many (maybe most) were amateur fitouts from bare hulls.

Countess keels were moulded GRP, intended to be filled with ballast material (usually steel punchings) and this sealed in with poured resin. Keel bases thus GRP and vulnerable to abrasion damage. If bad this damage can rust the steel, and expansion then causes major problems. Also some home builders may have used other ballast material, even scrap iron set in cement. Equally a few builders might have used lead set in resin, which would be far better than the steel.

Mirage keels are bolted-on cast iron which eventually may need rebedding, though this is fairly rare. Maybe a 40 or 50 year interval job if starting in good condition.

I have always liked the Colvic Countess and think they are good boats if a variable quality fit out as many were home completed but if I were buying one I would look very carefully at the GRP bonding the keels to the hull, I suppose lots of tapping to determine the laminate thickness or other more technical assessment. I am saying this as there was a Countess in the yard at Dickies some years ago that had lost a keel just on its moorings. Looking at the GRP laminating where it had broken away it was only about 6mm in places and most of that was not properly wetted out. I suppose you have to expect some variability in hand laminated hulls. My hull varies in thickness from 11mm down to 8mm in only the 7" across the diameter of a hole cut for a bow thruster in a hull!