Is a Contessa 32 basically a man cave for Boomers longing for the halcyon days of the 70s?

[Chiara’s slave]

Is that time now??

The latest DFs are only a couple of % quicker. So no, we are still the fastest boat you are likely to meet. Bearing in mind it’s a production cruiser/racer with a 9 year run. There are nearly 300 DF 920s, and more DFs in total than Contessa 32s. You might see a Dazcat, or Gunboat, I suppose. But really, they are 1 offs.

 

[potentillaCO32]

The latest DFs are only a couple of % quicker. So no, we are still the fastest boat you are likely to meet. Bearing in mind it’s a production cruiser/racer with a 9 year run. There are nearly 300 DF 920s, and more DFs in total than Contessa 32s. You might see a Dazcat, or Gunboat, I suppose. But really, they are 1 offs.

I meant the old git bit

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I meant the old git bit

Git, sure. Old, for this forum, under average

 

[potentillaCO32]

Git, sure. Old, for this forum, under average

Given that this is the geriatric rump and remnants of a group who mainly joined just after the turn of the century when they were middle aged, i guess under average for this forum would be any of us under 60

 

[Mark-1]

Given that this is the geriatric rump and remnants of a group who mainly joined just after the turn of the century when they were middle aged

Sadly true.

 

[steveeasy]

Well that was interesting. Bobbed up the Dart to see a potential new boat and before I got to it a brace of these took my eye. The only boats that got my attention.
On to the potential new boat. Beamier. 1/4 berth and a seperate heads. Nothing wrong with it but just felt wrong. Another stunning contessa as I passed Darthaven was the icing on the cake. Some do and some don’t. I’ll will take something extra special for me to jump ship.
Oh only boat to sail down the Dart was one of those old westerly centaurs. How ironic!!

Happy days
Steveeasy

 

[Birdseye]

First post was spot on Baggy. But some sailors will prefer long keel - a design only ever invented because there was no real alternative with wooden hull. Others will prefer wooden boats but then they also prefer working on the boat to sailing it. Still more of us will be infected by romanticism and gear up for the southern ocean whilst never venturing further than the IoW. Truth is that we are all romantics, often more romantic than our wives who often lose their romanticism within a month of marriage !.

But what else would we think of in boring board meetings but pottering about with our floating toys. There really is nothing like messing about on the water

 

[Chiara’s slave]

ut what else would we think of in boring board meetings but pottering about with our floating toys.

Thats my second line of thought.

 

[Blueboatman]

Well that was interesting. Bobbed up the Dart to see a potential new boat and before I got to it a brace of these took my eye. The only boats that got my attention.
On to the potential new boat. Beamier. 1/4 berth and a seperate heads. Nothing wrong with it but just felt wrong. Another stunning contessa as I passed Darthaven was the icing on the cake. Some do and some don’t. I’ll will take something extra special for me to jump ship.
Oh only boat to sail down the Dart was one of those old westerly centaurs. How ironic!!

Happy days
Steveeasy

Those Contessa 38 look pretty good!

I’ve been out off Dartmouth with 2 reef and inner staysail and a fair old wind going one way and that one or a sister ship came past going the other way and clipping along beautifully , looked really planted in the wind and sea. Training vessels I think

 

[flaming]

Back in 1971 my parents bought a Nicholson 30, which we raced on the East Coast. That year we raced from Harwich to Ostende. Course due SE. Wind at the start was NW 15 knots true. We started 15 minutes after the large class under full main and full spinnaker. The biggest yacht was a Nicholson 43. Half way there we passed the Nicholson 43. The wind had increased and due to all the B&G instruments being analogue, we do not know exactly what our boat speed or the wind speed was. The log was stuck on 10 knots and the wind speed was stuck on 48 knots from astern, so adding those together makes 58 knots +++. We constantly planned her for over 4 hours. This was an early model with a skeg, so to keep her on track took 3 out of the crew of 5 on the helm. The following 2 years we again planned her, but using a star cut spinnaker, with only one on the helm after we removed the skeg. We would set the spinnaker in gale force winds, which difficult to do as the kite always opened about halfway up the mast, but as soon as we started planing it could be winched to the masthead.

So, yes I have very shrewd idea of the wind strength in that video, but I doubt it was anything like I have experienced racing. The wider flatter stern section of the J90 is more suited to planing compared to our Nicholson 30. It was almost unheard of in the early 1970's to plane any racing yacht.

Even on my Fulmar I use the spinnaker whilst single handed, as per in the avatar. Once I was holding it with 18 knots on the beam and going like a train. In a decade of sailing Concerto, I can also say I have never had her broach or get the spinnaker wet when I drop it. My only proviso is I need open water, so not busy with other boats or in a river.

Just to clarify, that's a J99 in the video, which is very similar in LOA (ex bowsprit) to the Contessa, and is definitely a cruiser racer with at least as much cruiser comfort as the contessa. The all carbon J90 sportsboat was a very, very different beast.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Just to clarify, that's a J99 in the video, which is very similar in LOA (ex bowsprit) to the Contessa, and is definitely a cruiser racer with at least as much cruiser comfort as the contessa. The all carbon J90 sportsboat was a very, very different beast.

That is why I put it there. There’s less varnished wood on a J, but about twice the enclosed volume I’d go cruising on it.

 

[Tranona]

On to the potential new boat. Beamier. 1/4 berth and a seperate heads. Nothing wrong with it but just felt wrong.

Happy days
Steveeasy

So all your fuss about being able to view (or not) this boat was a waste of time? Care to share what type of boat it was and why it did not feel "right" ?

 

[steveeasy]

So all your fuss about being able to view (or not) this boat was a waste of time? Care to share what type of boat it was and why it did not feel "right" ?

Nope not with your tone. Letting yourself down.

Enjoy your sailing.

Steveeasy

 

[fredrussell]

Handbags at dawn!!!

 

[Poignard]

My choice of boat had nothing to do with man-caves, sheds, nostalgia, or baby-booming. It was simply a case of finding what I wanted, at a price I could afford.

In 1997 I wanted to buy a boat that ticked all the following boxes:

• 26 to 30 ft l.o.a. – ideal size for a couple, or singlehander, to be able to handle easily and live in comfortably (albeit simply)
• Masthead sloop rig – for strength and simplicity
• Long, encapsulated lead keel – no keelbolts to give trouble, no iron keel to rust
• Transom - for ease of mounting a Monitor windvane
• Transom mounted rudder – for strength and accessibility
• Tiller steering – for simplicity
• Strongly constructed hull – to better withstand grounding and generally being knocked about
• Proven design – one that proved popular and that owners tended to keep for a long time
• Heaves-to well
• Good class association – advice, support, social events
• Good looks!
• Price less than £20,000 (in 1997)

I found what I wanted: a 1967 Twister designed by Kim Holman.

I owned her for 27 years and never regretted my choice.

Would I buy the same again if were miraculously restored to full health?

More than likely! But if it wasn’t to be a Twister, it would be a Rustler 31.

 

[Blueboatman]

My choice of boat had nothing to do with man-caves, sheds, nostalgia, or baby-booming. It was simply a case of finding what I wanted, at a price I could afford.

In 1997 I wanted to buy a boat that ticked all the following boxes:

• 26 to 30 ft l.o.a. – ideal size for a couple, or singlehander, to be able to handle easily and live in comfortably (albeit simply)
• Masthead sloop rig – for strength and simplicity
• Long, encapsulated lead keel – no keelbolts to give trouble, no iron keel to rust
• Transom - for ease of mounting a Monitor windvane
• Transom mounted rudder – for strength and accessibility
• Tiller steering – for simplicity
• Strongly constructed hull – to better withstand grounding and generally being knocked about
• Proven design – one that proved popular and that owners tended to keep for a long time
• Heaves-to well
• Good class association – advice, support, social events
• Good looks!
• Price less than £20,000 (in 1997)

I found what I wanted: a 1967 Twister designed by Kim Holman.

I owned her for 27 years and never regretted my choice.

Would I buy the same again if were miraculously restored to full health?

More than likely! But if it wasn’t to be a Twister, it would be a Rustler 31.

Funny that
When I were a lad a Rustler 31 seemed a highly desirable good bench mark . A mate moored against one on the trots on the IOW. So it was always there to look at..
One was rolled in Biscay iirc by beam swell, it was written up in one of the mags. Inertia and beam to swell height came into it..

When I came back to cold wet windy unpredictable uk sailing some 15 odd years ago I thought if nowt else, a Co 32 will take anything that is chucked at it and be a delight to day sail and easily big enough to cruise for months at a time. And it will keep going and save its tide. With decent exterior teak trim that doesn’t require slavish varnish ..

In the end I bought a Rustler36 which seemed to offer all the Co could do plus I could add value to it by little more than my own labour and of course it had a lovely traditional simple but spacious interior. I reckoned 36 as about the limit for singlehanding in and out of European ports and rivers in marginal parking conditions without being a ruin of someone else’s day ..
turned out just fine and turned a wee modest profit too after lots of years and use.

Would I have a co32 now? You betcha . Absolutely .But only with a stripped out non gadget laden interior/electronics/fridge/hw/heat/electric windlass. All stuff to maintain the pain.
Oh- and a free swinging mooring!

And heck, why not a 10hp outboard too for less drag and weight and interior useage, ditch the inboard.

 

[steveeasy]

Funny that
When I were a lad a Rustler 31 seemed a highly desirable good bench mark . A mate moored against one on the trots on the IOW. So it was always there to look at..
One was rolled in Biscay iirc by beam swell, it was written up in one of the mags. Inertia and beam to swell height came into it..

When I came back to cold wet windy unpredictable uk sailing some 15 odd years ago I thought if nowt else, a Co 32 will take anything that is chucked at it and be a delight to day sail and easily big enough to cruise for months at a time. And it will keep going and save its tide. With decent exterior teak trim that doesn’t require slavish varnish ..

In the end I bought a Rustler36 which seemed to offer all the Co could do plus I could add value to it by little more than my own labour and of course it had a lovely traditional simple but spacious interior. I reckoned 36 as about the limit for singlehanding in and out of European ports and rivers in marginal parking conditions without being a ruin of someone else’s day ..
turned out just fine and turned a wee modest profit too after lots of years and use.

Would I have a co32 now? You betcha . Absolutely .But only with a stripped out non gadget laden interior/electronics/fridge/hw/heat/electric windlass. All stuff to maintain the pain.
Oh- and a free swinging mooring!

And heck, why not a 10hp outboard too for less drag and weight and interior useage, ditch the inboard.

Funny. I’ve stripped mine out internally to save fighting with gin palace cushions to get to storage areas. I also removed the standard table.
My trip was not a waste of time but not the outcome I expected. It made me appreciate more the positives of an older boat. The quality of materials. The finish of joinery. Brightwork and the lines you can take for granted.
Came away feeling like I already had a new boat.

Quite like the look of the 38 for sale but that rig looks a tad to much for a singlehander.

Steveeasy

 

[Concerto]

For those liking the long keel style of boats then I can suggest a Northney 34. My parents had one. A Holman design, a bit like a stretched Twister with a counter transom. Later I will try and find some photos to load.

 

[awol]

For those liking the long keel style of boats then I can suggest a Northney 34. My parents had one. A Holman design, a bit like a stretched Twister with a counter transom. Later I will try and find some photos to load.

There you go - the N34 is to the right

 

[Buck Turgidson]

For those liking the long keel style of boats then I can suggest a Northney 34. My parents had one. A Holman design, a bit like a stretched Twister with a counter transom. Later I will try and find some photos to load.

North Sea 24 with a counter.
Original was called Shaker