Contessa 32 woe's

[Seajet]

Amuges,

forget the ' sensible buy a modern production line boat ' stuff;

-----------------

A sailor takes his accountant chum for a sail

The accountant looks around, " I see, so you pay X £thousands for a boat you can only use at weekends at best "

" No, I use her 7 days a week "

" How so ? "

" At weekends I sail her, the rest of the time I dream of her "


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You'd be hard pressed to find a better boat to dream about than a Contessa 32 or She 31 / 36.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[SeaSprayTOKI]

thanks! I'll go down to Vannes and have a look. Cheers!

 

[awol]

First of Seajet's posts I've ever agreed with ..... and I'm sober!

 

[roblpm]

First of Seajet's posts I've ever agreed with ..... and I'm sober!

Dont be mean. He is a stalwart of the forum. Nearing national treasure status...

 

[awol]

Sort of like Nigel Farage?

 

[Mad Pad]

20+ years ago I had a similar dilemma when I was looking for a boat around the 32ft mark.

I looked at a number of CO32s, but they were all well used. A wardrobe of 10 sails - all shot. Miscellaneous stress cracking or bulkheads that needed re-glassing. There was also a problem with the hull 'pumping' at the roundness of the bilge (this can be cured by glassing in a new stringer). All fixable, but at a price. There is also the question as to how well new fibre glass will bond to old, well cured and possibly slightly damp, fibreglass.

For a cruising boat the CO32 has a small area main, and a large jib. Maybe not ideal. Even for an old design the internal accomodation is cramped; the heads less than perfect.

I ended up getting a Nicholson 32 and had her for 20 years, cruising her from the north coast of Spain and up to the Faeroe Islands, and most places in between.

Maybe not as fast as the CO32 on the wind, but overall a good cruising boat. Check the results of this years RTI race, where the CO32s and Nic32s have the same start. The first Nic32 will not be far behind the first CO32 over the finishing line.

I think the CO32s sell on their reputation and are overpriced. For a cruising boat you can get more 'bangs for your buck' elsewhere. Perhaps look outside the 'names' - a one off?, a foreign manufacturer?

As matter of interest did your Nic 32 have a lead or iron keel?

I delivered a lot in the '70 s for Campers and took an iron keel one to Arklow and a lead one back.

The iron was,as you'd expect, a lot more tender.

Best,

Mad Pad