Why are Contessa 32's so loved

jimi

jimi

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despite being named after a small breasted woman's bra, wet, cramped, only decent point of sail upwind in a gale, major selling point is being able to reright after capsize after being too slow to get to refuge and getting caught out in massive breaking waves.

Surely better off spending the same money ona bigger, drier ,faster, more comfortable boat?
 
Ooh no, I particularly like the bathing platform, the wide open cockpit and the great heads/shower arrangement.
 
Naw, the bra wiz named after the boat 'cos they pack a lot of fun intae a tight package. Aye, they're wet, cramped, slow, and hold their price - the boats that is. Naebody in their right mind would buy one for parking in a marina, day sailing, or for poser points. But if you actually want to go sailing then they are a hell of a lot of fun and you hae to admit - they are awfy pretty .... an' you get to sneer at AWBs!
 
jimi said:
despite being named after a small breasted woman's bra, wet, cramped, only decent point of sail upwind in a gale, major selling point is being able to reright after capsize after being too slow to get to refuge and getting caught out in massive breaking waves.

Surely better off spending the same money ona bigger, drier ,faster, more comfortable boat?
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Ahh, but would another "bigger, drier, faster" boat be as pretty and would it offer the same mix of easy single/short handed sailing, a very supportive owners association and a mixture of well organised cruises + excellent and very competitive one-design racing all in one package.

All boats have their shortcomings, I suspect even yours. Like buying a house or a car it's always a compromise and I, like many owners, are happy to accept less internal volume for the rest of the package. Horses for courses.
 
They are certainly very very pretty but silly prices because of cult status.

The Sadler 32 designed later by the same David Sadler of Co32 fame was altogether more roomy and also a good sea boat, but then was nowhere near as pretty.

However we used to have an Elizabethan 30 designed by David Thomas later of Sigma fame and like the Co32 also built in Lymington. We used to call her the poor man's Contessa but in reality she was as good and in most respects better than the Co32. The Liz was designed as a Half Ton Cupper to win the World Champs in what was expected to be heavy upwind weather competition, it wasn't and she was wooped by the lightweight Peter Norlin designed Scampis. We beat Contessas upwind in our Liz no problems at all though and she had the same accomodation space, just without the two feet of empty overhang at the stern. The Loo was much better organised with sliding doors closing off both main and forecabin and with a nice wash basin set up too.

So, IMHO very nice but very much a cult like a Morgan sports car is, I love to see them but wouldn't want to own one myself.
 
Bav34 said:
I particularly like the ability to be able to pee and poo just feet away from your partners/guests head.
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I get confused by the scatological priorities of some posters. If, as I understand, few of them venture far from the safety of marinas, then surely the onshore facilities will be more than sufficient. If they do venture into anchorages I presume they are not so antisocial as to evacuate solids. And if a sea toilet is what is required, I can assure you that the CO32 variety is safe and easy to occupy in all sea conditions. A holding tank, I suppose, allows en-suite evacuation wherever the boat is but I have never felt the need to add this facility, although I know CO32s that have.

As has been said, it's horses for courses and CO32 owners haven't bought them because they are bigger, cheaper, more voluminous, have more toys, impress the Joneses, are faster, or for any other venial reason not associated with actually enjoying sailing. I reckon all boat choices require compromise and for me toilet/f'c'sle proximity is not one of my biggest concerns.
 
awol said:
I get confused by the scatological priorities of some posters. If, as I understand, few of them venture far from the safety of marinas, then surely the onshore facilities will be more than sufficient. If they do venture into anchorages I presume they are not so antisocial as to evacuate solids. And if a sea toilet is what is required, I can assure you that the CO32 variety is safe and easy to occupy in all sea conditions. A holding tank, I suppose, allows en-suite evacuation wherever the boat is but I have never felt the need to add this facility, although I know CO32s that have.

As has been said, it's horses for courses and CO32 owners haven't bought them because they are bigger, cheaper, more voluminous, have more toys, impress the Joneses, are faster, or for any other venial reason not associated with actually enjoying sailing. I reckon all boat choices require compromise and for me toilet/f'c'sle proximity is not one of my biggest concerns.
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My Fulmar has the same arrangement,as have most boats of the same era,and I never thought of it as a problem.A problem would be an inability to sail properly and having a large secluded heads as a compensation.
 
Georgio said:
Ahh, but would another "bigger, drier, faster" boat be as pretty and would it offer the same mix of easy single/short handed sailing, a very supportive owners association and a mixture of well organised cruises + excellent and very competitive one-design racing all in one package.

All boats have their shortcomings, I suspect even yours. Like buying a house or a car it's always a compromise and I, like many owners, are happy to accept less internal volume for the rest of the package. Horses for courses.
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I would never be happy on a boat where you can't work the sheet and tiller at the same time. Unfrotunately this excludes most AWBs, as far as I'm aware.

Anyway buying a boat isn't always a decision of the head, it's a bit of a gut instinct thing. We have no rational justificable reason to need a boat, we do it because it gives us pleasure. So why question what makes one person choose a different type of boat to the other.
 
Robwhelton said:
I would never be happy on a boat where you can't work the sheet and tiller at the same time. Unfrotunately this excludes most AWBs, as far as I'm aware.

Anyway buying a boat isn't always a decision of the head, it's a bit of a gut instinct thing. We have no rational justificable reason to need a boat, we do it because it gives us pleasure. So why question what makes one person choose a different type of boat to the other.
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Excellent post


Regards

Rab
 
Robwhelton said:
I would never be happy on a boat where you can't work the sheet and tiller at the same time. Unfrotunately this excludes most AWBs, as far as I'm aware.
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There's ways and means. I sail my 34ft AWB singlehanded quite a bit, and I've never had an issue with that.... even when goosewinging or gybing ...not necessarily at the same time ;-)
 
Robwhelton said:
I would never be happy on a boat where you can't work the sheet and tiller at the same time. Unfrotunately this excludes most AWBs, as far as I'm aware.
.
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You should try a Bavaria!

I can manage my Main and Genoa sheets, and wheel with no problem...

:D
 
awol said:
I get confused by the scatological priorities of some posters. If, as I understand, few of them venture far from the safety of marinas, then surely the onshore facilities will be more than sufficient.
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What a lovely word.

scatology /sca·tol·o·gy/ (skah-tol´ah-je)
1. study and analysis of feces, as for diagnosis.
2. a preoccupation with feces, filth, and obscenities.scatolog´icalscatolog´ic

or did you mean the urban version:

Used to describe an idea or way of thinking that is neither sensible or logical. A combination of scat and logical. ?

Please, DON'T be confused ... you clearly are ... the word 'priority' was never mentioned.

It was merely an OBSERVATION.

When six of us go away on our boat it is comforting to know that regardless of time of day or night, the well ventilated heads can be used in privacy. And yes, we do have a holding tank.

Curious why you 'understand' few venture far from the safety of marinas.

By 'understand' do you mean you've heard it or seen it?

Last year whilst we were in Isle Chausey for four days the majority of boats were AWB's. Similarly,anchored off Isle de Brehat the mix seemed AWB biased.

Hmmm. I'm confused now.
 
Bav34 said:
I particularly like the ability to be able to pee and poo just feet away from your partners/guests head.
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I must confess to finding that a bit inhibiting on my son's CO32 with just a roll down curtain. At night a bucket is in the cockpit for use by those sleeping in the saloon.

As I do not intend to do a rerun of the '79 Fastnet then I chose something a bit easier to live with/in. That race was a great marketing boon.
 
MoodySabre said:
As I do not intend to do a rerun of the '79 Fastnet then I chose something a bit easier to live with/in. That race was a great marketing boon.
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Shame that South Hants Marine didnt take as much advantage... We would all be driving She 36's........Now THAT is a boat!
 
The heads are in the standard location, so far as I'm concerned. I can't see the problem. I used to teach on them at joint services. We normaly had four soldiers plus a coxswain/instructor on board for a week with no problems. Come to that, 4 plus coxswain/instructor on a Halcyon 27 for a week was no problem.

As to why are they so loved, well, they're just so damned pretty. They just look right. They were designed when the needs of the boat came first.
 
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