Contessa 26

Well, I may have been very slightly lying about the “bath” but you can splosh around if she gets too much water in.
“Helix’s” galley is on the TA website.
Ain’t Twisters great !
 
Believe it or not, Lyn and Larry Pardey, have a bath on board their boat "Taleisin", which I believe is 29 feet long! It's made of epoxy-coated wood and I think it is where the engine would be, if they had one. Although it would be pleasant to soak in a hot bath after a day's sailing, I think I'd prefer to carry an engine.

I'd be interested to see where you have found room to install a shower. Maybe your Twister should be named Tardis instead of Helix!
 
Never sailed a Contessa 26 - but I do get the impression that they are a tad overpriced for the name they have.

I love the looks of the Invicta - unfortunately deep keel not very practical for me /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Have you thought about a Halycon 27? Designed by Alan Buchanan.

If it were me I would go for the best / soundest of any of these that I could find for my money at the time of looking. But for me the Invicta edges it on looks /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Hopefully a Halycon 27 will appear below................ /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

halcyon-27-sailplan.jpg


http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/halcyon-27/halcyon-27.htm
 
Thanks for everyones input! Going to have a look at an invicta and also am condidering an achillies 24 which looks a bit quicker!

Not sure im in too much need of a vanity unit though!

Does anyone have any views of the life span of a grp hull ? The invictas seem to be late 60's boats so this is an important factor.

If you epoxy treat the hull how much life will you add to it?

How good are osmosis cures and is the cure forever?

Cheers

James
 
My Invicta is 1973

Solid GRP, thickness varies, but it seems pretty solid.

No sign of osmosis, although to the best of my knowledge the boat has hardly been out of the water for four years( don't know about before that)

I have read that osmosis is really a cosmetic problem. (I'm sure I'll be corrected on this) I'm not sure that I would worry about the odd blister.

All the best

Paul
 
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Does anyone have any views of the life span of a grp hull ?

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My Twister was completed in 1967 and there was no sign of osmosis when the antifouling was scraped off last year, nor when last professionally surveyed a few years ago. She has never been epoxied.
 
The old itchen ferry I used to sail seemed fine on recent inspection! Hovever I reckon its better to be cautious and get the boat epoxied (or do it yourself) rather than end up with osmosis (3k to treat a 24fter).

Would you say the invicta was a firm cruiser? Where the contessa is a bit on the racy side?

James
 
GRP was developed during the second world war, and boat manufacturers started to experiment with boat hulls after that.
Many of those early boats are still going strong, many others have 'died' but often due to everything except the hull.

A GRP boat is only as good as the manufacture, and there are many things that can go wrong and thus weaken the grp, but these show up in a survey, its not yet known how long grp can last, my contessa is a 67 and still in its prime!
 
I really like the Invicta though the big portlights would worry me. For an offshore passage one would certainly be well advised to carry stormboards.
 
"Would you say the invicta was a firm cruiser? Where the contessa is a bit on the racy side?"

I think they are both much the same

contessa-26-sailplan.jpg


Both are great sailing boats

Both are Folkboat derivatives

The Invicta keel is slightly "shorter cut"( forgotten the technical term) than the Contessa's. You might expect the Invicta to turn slightly more sharply and the Contessa to hold her course slightly better

Cheers
 
I've heard it said that 60's grp boats might be a better bet than ones built after the 70's oil crisis which pushed up prices and made manufacturers pare down materials to the minimum.
 
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Some of us are meeting up in Terceira, I understand.


Where is that?


[/ QUOTE ]


A Jester Azores Challenge 2008 is being proposed for single-handed boats between 20-30 feet, starting on 31 May 2008. The destination in the Azores will be Praia da Vitoria, Terceira.
Please contact the event coordinator Ewen Southby-Tailyour for further details.
69 Entries so far JAC08 entry list.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi guys,

Viewed a Contessa 26 on Sunday and fell in love with it!

However I have a couple of questions which I hope you may be able to help me with.

How well does single skin GPR construction stand the test of time? I know that foam sandwich boats can be a bit wet!

Does the Contessa justify its price at around £10,000? Or is it a better idea to buy something cheeper and spend the rest on sails etc?

Are there any similarly quick and seaworthy designs out there which I should consider?

I keep coming across the invicta 26 and just wonder how similar it is?

Also is there anyone on the South East Coast who might be interested in doing some two boat (short handed) trips in the summer?

Thanks for any help

James

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The contessa 26, Invicta and the Halcyon are all very similar, basically plastic Folkboats. The Invicta's lines seem *slightly* more modern with a more cut-away keel. Make your choice depending upon you're height. 6' can stand at the chart table/nav area in a Halcyon. Not so the Contessa, but the Contessa seems to hold it's price better than the Invicta. The Halcyon is significantly larger than the others.

Also Marieholme Folkboats are absolutely gorgeous if headroom is not an issue.

All the above boats are forgiving and sail and heave-to well.

With regards to the GRP, my Halcyon 27 is '69 and there were no blisters apparent when I last antifouled early 2007 after 2 years solid in the water. Prior to that there were two very small ones which I treated individually. This is the best way of dealing with the odd blister IMO.
 
invictor = Van de Stadt
Contessa 26 = David Sadler

Not Jeremy Rogers he built contessa's but did not design them
 
The profile of the Contessa is almost identical to the Herreshoff 28 which is a much older design. My H28 is close on 40 yrs old, done in 'frozen snot' and has stood the test of time.
The longevity of GRP really depends on the quality of the products used by the builder and the quality of the workmanship - all seems to have been much better then than now.
When my GRP hull gives up the ghost I think I'll go for one of these new fangled kevlar-type of things - but then I'll probably be long dead.
 
The Contessa 26 is the greatest boat ever, and you must buy one!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I am of course somewhat biased... It would have been nice to be in England for the May Jester Challenge, that would have been a blast! Maybe I'll sail back around for the big one - 2010, no? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

nick!
 
Why not check out a Pioneer 9, falls just inside the Jester size limit and will give you more room. Plenty of them around and most well within your budget. Certainly just as capable and well built. PM me if you want some photos or check out the link in my signature.
 
If anyone would like a scanned copy of the Builder's catalogue from the mid 70's, along with copies of various reports from magazines, please do scribble me a note - I seem to have acquired stacks of info re Contessa 26's over the years.
 
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If anyone would like a scanned copy of the Builder's catalogue from the mid 70's, along with copies of various reports from magazines, please do scribble me a note - I seem to have acquired stacks of info re Contessa 26's over the years.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd be well-keen on any info you have!
 
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