Contessa 26 pre 1972 not self draining/post 1972 self draining

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MINESAPINT2

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Firstly I feel the need to identify what I mean by self draining as I communicated with a broker yesterday and he assured me a boat was self draining and when questioned further said "the water drains into the bilge"! My interpretation of self draining is "the water drains back into the sea".

OK. My understanding is in 1972 the Contessa 26 was given a new set of deck/cockpit mouldings which enabled her to be "self draining".

Previously the cockpit drained into the bilge.

However not every Contessa 26 which is self draining whatever the date of its first launch can be assumed to be the genuine factory built self draining version as many of the older hulls have been modified to make them self draining

I understand when the new mouldings were introduced there were some other changes. I am wondering if it is possible to determine whether a boat is a factory self draining version or a retro modification. Any other signs? if possible to be seen on photographs

Thanks

Mike
 
My Contessa was finished 1969 and doesn't self-drain. I have the option of a manual or electric pump direct overboard (I don't like the idea of allowing water further in to the boat before getting rid of it) with the controls fitted in the lazarette.

Jeremy Rogers would be the man to ask - www.jeremyrogers.co.uk . Presumably there'll be records of whether a boat was built with a self-draining cockpit? You should note though, that those boats also have a shallower cockpit floor and are not as pleasant to sit in.
 
Mine was CO266 and drained into the bilge. I fitted a pump to drain the cockpit.
As stated above, the self draining boats have a high floor, of necessity and are less comfortable at sea.

But a wonderful boat anyway!

Tony.
 
Thanks, The reason I need a self draining cockpit is because I do quite a bit of fishing. Cannot resist if there is no wind! Do not want smelly water down below. I am looking to buy a boat and the CO26 is on my short list but I would rather buy a factory produced boat that has self draining rather than a retro fit Mike
 
Jabs said:
Mine was CO266 and drained into the bilge. I fitted a pump to drain the cockpit.
As stated above, the self draining boats have a high floor, of necessity and are less comfortable at sea.

But a wonderful boat anyway!

Tony.
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Doesn't sound wonderful to me. Either you have wet feet or nowhere to rest your back. All the boats I've owned have self draining cockpits including my Leisure 17. Basic requirement IMO.
 
ghostlymoron said:
Doesn't sound wonderful to me. Either you have wet feet or nowhere to rest your back. All the boats I've owned have self draining cockpits including my Leisure 17. Basic requirement IMO.
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Agreed, it is odd and not ideal for a boat to lack a self-draining cockpit, especially one that has genuine blue-water capabilities. In reality though it doesn't make a huge difference; any water in the cockpit drains down to a float switch and I can either choose to pump it out manually or electrically. If a big wave came aboard and filled the cockpit then the electric pump would shift it as quickly as most self-draining set ups (given that most of them have holes that are far too small anyway).
 
Major_Clanger said:
Agreed, it is odd and not ideal for a boat to lack a self-draining cockpit, especially one that has genuine blue-water capabilities. In reality though it doesn't make a huge difference; any water in the cockpit drains down to a float switch and I can either choose to pump it out manually or electrically. If a big wave came aboard and filled the cockpit then the electric pump would shift it as quickly as most self-draining set ups (given that most of them have holes that are far too small anyway).
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My reason for wanting self draining cockpit as indicated in previous post is because it is unacceptable for fishy water to get washed down below after a fishing session (assuming I have caught a few). However I would imagine a blue water sailor would be concerned about many other issues to do with operation of bilge pumps. Pump failure/blockage, Electrical problem, insufficient electrical power/a real issue on a sail boat, any others you can think of.

I recently saw a Victoria Frances 26 footer and the self draining was the best I have ever seen, at least for my purposes. There are no drain holes in cockpit sole. The cockpit sole runs right aft to the cruiser stern and a single scupper is provided. This scupper arguably could do with enlarging but it does away with drains, pipes, seacocks.

Mike
 
MINESAPINT2 said:
I recently saw a Victoria Frances 26 footer and the self draining was the best I have ever seen, at least for my purposes. There are no drain holes in cockpit sole. The cockpit sole runs right aft to the cruiser stern and a single scupper is provided. This scupper arguably could do with enlarging but it does away with drains, pipes, seacocks.
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Must have been a modification. Standard setup is two standard drains at the back end.

autoimage-213724_f5d586507532e94a8f109a71e433cc63.jpg
 
Major_Clanger said:
Agreed, it is odd and not ideal for a boat to lack a self-draining cockpit, especially one that has genuine blue-water capabilities. In reality though it doesn't make a huge difference; any water in the cockpit drains down to a float switch and I can either choose to pump it out manually or electrically. If a big wave came aboard and filled the cockpit then the electric pump would shift it as quickly as most self-draining set ups (given that most of them have holes that are far too small anyway).
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Its a design fault/compromise. Most people agree that the CO26 is a pretty boat but if the basics aren't right, it can't be a classic.
 
Strange that people are referring to the non-self-draining cockpit as unusual... Before designs maxed out on freeboard and 5 star accomodation (to the detriment of sailing potential) cockpit soles were always nelow the waterline and all cockpits drained into the bilge, pumping of which was a part of the watch's duties.

I sailed in "interesting" seas back from the Channel Isles after a gale had moderated to a freshh breeze from another direction, setting it across the established wave pattern and producing pyramid waves. Every other wave broke over the boat, some amusingly filling the mainsail and sluicing down the skipper's neck as he tried to sleep on the leeward bench. We took turns to write up the log on the hour and needed around twently strokes on the bilge pump each time - not exactly a lot getting down there, then!

Rob.
 
rob2 said:
Strange that people are referring to the non-self-draining cockpit as unusual... Before designs maxed out on freeboard and 5 star accomodation (to the detriment of sailing potential) cockpit soles were always nelow the waterline and all cockpits drained into the bilge, pumping of which was a part of the watch's duties.
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Before I bought my own boat, a large part of my offshore heavy-weather experience was in racers with an open transom, which works very well, despite frequent criticism on here that I've never really understood, so that's what I consider normal. I'm a bit surprised that a supposedly serious offshore boat like the Contessa 26 was built with such a poor arrangement. It's all very well putting the onus on the crew to compensate for design weaknesses, but if they have to prioritse some other emergency or are incapacitated for some other reason, then all you have is a boat that is slowly sinking.
 
lpdsn said:
Before I bought my own boat, a large part of my offshore heavy-weather experience was in racers with an open transom, which works very well, despite frequent criticism on here that I've never really understood, so that's what I consider normal. I'm a bit surprised that a supposedly serious offshore boat like the Contessa 26 was built with such a poor arrangement. It's all very well putting the onus on the crew to compensate for design weaknesses, but if they have to prioritse some other emergency or are incapacitated for some other reason, then all you have is a boat that is slowly sinking.
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That is rather harsh on the Contessa. You have to remember that it is essentially a Folkboat which did not have a self draining cockpit. Nothing unusual when the boat was designed. It is a consequence of low freeboard meaning that there simply is not enough height (even with the extra depth of a Contessa) to get the cockpit floor high enough to self drain. as already suggested the later self draining (which have a habit of back filling) have a very uncomfortable cockpit. Boats of this shape have deep bilges which will hold large amounts of water compared with modern boats. Also the Folkboat style was never intended for offshore sailing even though in time it became quite popular for this.
 
Tranona said:
Boats of this shape have deep bilges which will hold large amounts of water compared with modern boats. Also the Folkboat style was never intended for offshore sailing even though in time it became quite popular for this.
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I can see how it could cope with rainfall or the odd splash, but I've heard the Contessa 26 hyped as a good small offshore boat on many occasions but I can't see how it can be if all the water that comes aboard in heavy weather and ends up in the cockpit, drains to the bilges, no matter how deep they are.
 
lpdsn said:
I can see how it could cope with rainfall or the odd splash, but I've heard the Contessa 26 hyped as a good small offshore boat on many occasions but I can't see how it can be if all the water that comes aboard in heavy weather and ends up in the cockpit, drains to the bilges, no matter how deep they are.
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How much water are people used to taking into the cockpit. In my 26-footer I don't think I have ever had more than half a bucketful get in, and that only a couple of times. I'm moderately surprised if a cupful makes it, even in great bumpiness.
 
JumbleDuck said:
How much water are people used to taking into the cockpit. In my 26-footer I don't think I have ever had more than half a bucketful get in, and that only a couple of times. I'm moderately surprised if a cupful makes it, even in great bumpiness.
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I have had an old 19 and a 27 footer that drained into the bilge. Not a great problem on the Clyde, but crossing the North Channel in a f7 was a different matter for each boat... water above the cabin sole and me too busy to pump effectivly.
 
What the OP could do is to fit some adequately sized drains part way up the sides of the cockpit. Although these would not clear all the water out in the event of the cockpit becoming full they would quickly get rid of the bulk of it, leaving a relatively small amount to be pumped out. when an opportunity occurred.
 
parsifal said:
What the OP could do is to fit some adequately sized drains part way up the sides of the cockpit. Although these would not clear all the water out in the event of the cockpit becoming full they would quickly get rid of the bulk of it, leaving a relatively small amount to be pumped out. when an opportunity occurred.
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As the lower cockpit and bilges fill; the drains will get lower.... Also how do you stop water coming in when heeling?
 
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