Contessa 32 v Rival 34

[djstefan]

Dear all,

I'm looking for a yacht to live a board for a few years, although I plan to spend a year in the med my aspirations lie further afield. I have narrowed my search down to either a Contessa 32 or Rival 34 as these are both well proven designs that are within my budget. Most of my sailing will be shorthanded (1-2 crew members), but some may be single handed.

Does anyone have any experince of the Contessa or the Rival which they would like to share? Which would be most suited to my needs? Advantages, disadvantages etc?

I know that both have huge reputations (and ultimately the preferred choice may be somewhat subjective!) but I'd appreciate any comments or feedback, especially if they are based on personal experience... Thanks in advance.








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[Talbot]

Contessa 32 is a great sea boat, and will go anywhere, but I am not so sure that I would want it as a liveaboard. Lot more space in a victoria 34 and very nearly as good a sea boat. dont know anything about the rival.

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[Koeketiene]

No experience of the Rival, but sailed a Contessa 32 several times.

Pro: good seakeepers - will take you anywhere.

Against: NOT a liveaboard boat (IMHO) - far too cramped. Also gets very 'wet' in F6 plus

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[pragmatist]

Both fantastic boats - although as has been pointed out short on space. To liveaboard on one that size you will have to be very tidy and ruthless !

Haven't been on board a C32 but we had a Sadler 29 for many years which is pretty similar I believe. The only reason we don't currently have an R34 (since HWMBO fell in love with them) is that I bullied him into an R41 so that we wouldn't have to juggle our computers for work with somewhere to eat and somewhere to sleep.

But the R34 would be a great boat for one or 2 people - a very practical interior if in some instances slightly spartan (pvc upholstery on quite a lot) - and all the Rivals (less so the 32 & 38) sail like dreams. Bullet proof as their history shows you - try <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.rivalowners.org.uk>http://www.rivalowners.org.uk</A>. We were originally worried that ours would be a slug in light airs but she's happy from the bottom of a F3 upwards and her weight means she cuts through the waves when lighter boats stop.

Factory fitted Rivals are superb quality - although mostly they're quite old now. There are a few awful home fitted Rivals about too.

Be fascinated to hear what you buy and how you get on.

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is a sailor who now believes it will _always_ rain

 

[charles_reed]

Both would be far down any list of "desirable liveaboard boats".

Having said that they are both fantastic sea-keeping boats - the Contessa probably faster to windward but wetter.

There is slightly more storage space in the Rival and, most important of all, more headroom.

The great advantage of a slender boat with little stowage space is that you won't be able to overload it to the same extent as a more modern boat.

You certainly found more Rivals out there being trogged round the world than Contessas and I suspect some aspects of the Rival layup to be more substantial than the Contessa.

On the whole the Peter Brett design would win by a short head over David's (after all it was a slightly later conception).

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[Erico]

Both are impressive boats but for your purposes, I would go for a Rival 34. I have owned both a yard finished Contessa (26) and a yard finished Rival 34. Both were excellent but the Rival is definitely a better build quality.

As a family of 2 adults and two reasonable sized children we lived for 5 months aboard our Rival 34 and could have done double that without difficulty. However, living aboard in winter stop-over conditions would be more of a challenge than cruising in warm conditions. A Rival 34 is a sustainable long term livaboard for two adults with the occasional guest.

We have now traded up to a yard finished Rival 41 only because we wanted three compartments one for the children, one for the adults and a saloon. This isn't offered by the 36' so we settled on either a 38' or 41'.

Most Rival 34's have a draft of 4'8'' compared to more than 5' for the Contessa 32 yet the Rival has a more seakindly motion and is a dryer boat. The relatively modest draft enables us to tuck into anchorages further than most (a significant advantage!) and to sneak further into narrow creeks and into East Coast rivers when we are late on the tide.

Have a look at www.audience.co.uk/rival.htm where you will find plenty of details about our Rival 34. If you are seriously interested give me a call and I'll take you for a sail. Aliz Motte is in commission throughout the winter sailing out of Levington on the River Orwell but interest is building so don't hang around!

Eric




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[pragmatist]

Geoff Pack's wonderful book - Bluewater Countdown - is based, among others, on an Atlantic circuit in R34 Euge - well worth reading.

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is a sailor who now believes it will _always_ rain

 

[djstefan]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

Dear all,

Thankyou for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me, your comments are hugely appreciated. As much as I love the Contessa, I think the Rival is the more sensible alternative, it may not be the perfect liveaboard boat, but will it take me everywhere I want to go.

In an ideal world I'd be sailing something bigger, but back in the land of reality, and operating on a limited budget (assuming no lottery wins!), I believe it's better to grab the opportunity, even if it means comprimising a little... After all, it's better to live the dream on a R34, than to dream about living on an Oyster 53!

Thankyou again for your replies. Oh and if anyone has an Oyster (or similar) and needs an enthusiatic crew member... I'm your man!

Stefan

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[AndrewB]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

Agree, I think the Rival is the better of the two for your purposes, all else being equal. But don't be too inflexible, both designs have a reputation that makes them relatively expensive compared with other perfectly good long-range cruisers of this size.

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[djstefan]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

Good point, thanks for the comment, can you suggest any alternatives? I'm looking at spending £35k max.

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[Robin]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

Westerly 33 centre cockpit Ketch or sloop (Laurent Giles design) or the aft cockpit version called the Discus, or Westerly Conway 36 centre cockpit (has walkthrough) also sloop or ketch. Both of these designs have many circumnavigations and Atlantic circuits in their CVs and have much more space than either the C032 or Rival 34, much more suited to long term liveaboard ocean sailing IMO.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[charles_reed]

I\'d agree

even if they do sail like the proverbial brick-built *********.

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[Robin]

Re: I\'d agree

Sorry Charles that is not really correct. We went to a W33 from an Elizabethan 30 which is a David Thomas design very similar to a Contessa 32 in performance and much quicker than a Rival 34. The W33 has a much longer waterline length (28'10") which gives it a much better hull speed than a C032/Rival with long overhangs and short LWL. We found the W33 would not point as well as the Liz (we had a ketch version of the W33) but went faster, overall we got to windward about the same time but ease the sheets a tad and we would leave any of them behind (waterline length working well). Later on we went for a fully battened mainsail and mizzen and a biradial genoa and the performance improved enormously especially in light winds. As an ocean crosser in that size range either the W33/Discus or the Conway would be ideal, one W33 is documented as having survived a hurricane and one (Dodo's Delight I think is the name) did several high latitude transats with disadvantaged kids as crew, then did a full circumnavigation including I believe via Cape Horn.

Our W33 was written up (several pages) by David Harding for the PBO Secondhand test series that they ran and he spent several hours on board in lightish winds, it gives the lie to the idea that they need a blow to sail well. What you cannot expect is to get performasnce from one with 20year old or even original sails, we had high quality cruiser racer sails, rigid kicker proper sail controls and so on - we even won one club race which was all upwind in F2/3. Another W33 from our club, but the sloop rigged version, won it's classs in the Round The Island Race a few years back.



<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[pragmatist]

Re: I\'d agree

Don't forget that the overhangs are there for a purpose - as well as to look wonderful - as soon as you get some heel the w/line length increases dramatically.

I agree that Westerlys are nice boats with much more storage than Sadlers. Contessas or Rivals - but I know which we prefer - it's personal choice, isnt it ? After all there are several aficionados of these fora who think that having 2 hulls and lots more storage is better /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is a sailor who now believes it will _always_ rain

 

[Robin]

Re: I\'d agree

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course and I think the Contessa especially is one of the prettiest boats afloat, but the poster was asking for suggestions for designs for long term liveaboard for which IMO there are better options. Pretty is nice but it might wear off after a month or two of living with small cramped accomodation and low headroom, and over long distances the W33 (and others with a bit more LWL) will show them a clean pair of heels. Unfortunately the Co32 is really no more than a 29/30 footer with a pretty bum stuck on and the Rival 34 was once I believe a 32 or even a a 30 with a bit stuck on the back. If their budget ran to a Rival 41 it might be different but at the size/price range they are looking at that isn't an option. Geof Pack in his excellent book 'Ocean Cruising Countdown is very specific about waterline length and how this left his R34 short on space and sensitive to any weight in the very fine ends. He even mentions the W33 as 'very nearly an ideal mainstream ocean cruiser fot two people with a good turn of speed, exceptionally spacious accomodation, easily handled rig and production built by a reputable builder' (Page 53).

You are right about multis too but they are outside of my experience completely, nothing against them just never had one or even sailed one, no doubt Talbot will pop up and comment though /forums/images/icons/smile.gif soon.


<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[mike_bryon]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

you might consider an oyster 37, which seem within your budget and one is for sale /to view on the south coast (i tried to buy one years ago it looked very good) also worth a look maybe a dufour 35 from the 1970's again within your budget.

you should have no problem buying something with more accomodation and greater water line (same thing really) for the figure you give.

best of luck

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[djstefan]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

Dear all,

Thanks again for your comments, which I have read with great interest! I think that there are advantages and disadvantages with all of these designs. I guess that ultimately (and within reason) it comes down to personal preference, what's right for one, is wrong for another!

Thanks again - and watch this space!

Stefan

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[pragmatist]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

Don't keep us in suspense - what _are_ you going to buy ?

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is a sailor who now believes it will _always_ rain

 

[djstefan]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

You'll have to wait till Christmas! Hahaha!

Ok I'm looking for a Rival, but I'm keeping my eyes and options open. I love the Contessa, and I could probably survive in a small space, but being practical there are better options.

Stef

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[pragmatist]

Re: Contessa 32 v Rival 34 - THANKYOU!

Well good luck whatever you buy. Boats are a bit like cars - you could do with at least 3 dependent on circumstances. Now thinking back to when the kids were little weren't there those toys which could be a man, a monster, a car ... ?! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif Thought for the boatbuilders !

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is a sailor who now believes it will _always_ rain