Ep 2, 5 Characteristics that make a Contessa 26 a great Small Ocean Passage Maker for Solo Sailing
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- Episode 2: Top 5 characteristics of a small ocean passage maker. What kind of Keel, Rudder, and general information concerning rigging and self steering for small boats planning single handed ocean voyages.
Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=27...
Make a one time or monthly donation with paypal:
(Canada) www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
(USA) www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
If you are wondering what I've been up to when not sailing Wave Rover check out my other channel: Rover's Rest / @roversrest - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
![บุษบา - วงชานเมือง [LiveCoverVertion] Original : เมนทอล](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dm81sKcd9rs/mqdefault.jpg)
This is a very smart fellow . I like that he has thought through the finances and doesn’t kid himself with the illusion of throwing money at a project will solve problem that come up at sea. He has gone through the critical thinking of “what if” scenarios and there is a lot of tacit knowledge he possesses about basic seamanship that you will see in his other videos. His structural reinforcement is impressive and understanding of wind on the open ocean is vast. I’ve watched a number of sailing videos on youtube but these are the most impressive because he lays it out for you to see his thought process all the way, and it makes toal sense. Amazing!
Thank you very much for a very thoughtful comment.
I'm convinced. A Contessa 26 is gonna be my boat, for sailing in Polynesia. Where I live.
Good for you mate!
Simple to understand information without digressing into unnecessary information . A refreshing watch for a change and everything I needed to know about what to look for in a ocean going boat .
My additional consideration would be insulation. Cold (and sometimes heat) needs to be kept out and not allowed to conduct in. That's a vast heatsink that you're floating beneath the surface in. So consider a deck stepped mast instead mast connected negative heat exchanger in your sleeping quarters. Same goes for external handrails fitting through the headlining to maybe conjoin with the internal handrails. Then of course there is the Hull itself. On the other side of that is the icy seas. Insulation needs a bit of thought.
So Wave Rover was bought for just $2,700? Blimey......thats only £400 more than what i paid for my 17 year old car which i doubt it would circumnavigate UK let alone the world!!
What an inspiring video!! I never would have guessed it could be accomplished on such a limited budget. Your thoughts on outboard engines makes total sense, no drag, easy to service or replace, a couple less through hulls etc. Your colour scheme looks superb!
Glad you liked it!
Well done. I looked at a Contessa like yours many years back, and was very impressed. I was fond of Tanya Aebi's book and adventure. In the end I did a circumnavigation on a bigger boat, an Ericson 39...but there were two of us. Along with all the advantages you list for a small boat, there are some disadvantages. We were able to carry much more in the ways of tools and spares and charts...of course, no matter how many spares you have, the ones you need won't be aboard :) You've obviously put an admirable amount of thought into this and also a lot of great work. All that, for me, was part of the adventure. Best of luck on your voyage; I'll be following your posts.
Thanks for sharing, Sir! I just discovered your channel today. I used to sail a bit with my dad a long time ago, but since last summer I've been bitten hard by the seafaring bug after discovering and reading the works of the great sailors of the past like Bernard Moitessier, Sir Robin Knox Johnston etc.
I'm now in the process of purchasing a 1980 Tamarisk 29, a gaff cutter design based on the ultra tested Falmouth workboats and Bristol channel pilot cutters...full keel, stern mounted rudder, 15,000 lbs of light ship displacement and built like a tank. I'm greatly looking forward to getting her ready for some serious sailing and putting many many miles under her keel.
Meanwhile, I will be watching your videos to see how your adventures unfold and surely learn a lot in the process as well. Fair winds and following seas! :)
Great comment and it sounds like you have a great boat. Welcome aboard and I wish you fair winds
For none sailor like myself, this episode was very very informative thank you.
This is a very informative and honest commentary. I like the simplicity of the boat. We can all learn from this idea of accomplishing what you want less all the unnecessary complications. Enjoy the journey. Good luck.
I love your philosophy...keep it simple. I'm looking to get a boat and will have to do it on a budget, out of both necessity and inclination. Less stuff, fewer things to go wrong.
Love this video Alan! very informative and great delivery as well. I'll be over soon for a chat.
Sound advice on so many levels. I just love long keels.
Alan, I have to commend you on a very informative and concise video commentary. Knowing that you were a naval officer validates your commitment to the open seas
and your love of sailing. I can only extend my very best wishes to you for a dream that yet has to be fulfilled. You deserve that.
Kind regards,
Darryl
That's the best looking cradle (great design) I've ever seen!
all very good points that i used when i bought my albin ballad!
Best of luck and pleasant weather as you cross to Panama. I shall follow your journey as I sit at the dock doing long postponed maintenance on my small but capable boat.
This is very interesting and useful stuff thank you. Fair winds.
Hello, great video and I agree 150% what you said. I am seeking in that criteries that you talked about a ocean small sailing boat. Thanks so much for sharing, Paul
Just found your channel. Lovely boat, I love the long keel and especially the rudder. Fair winds
Thank you so much, very informative indeed! greetings from France
Hello Alen. Thanks for you chanal. Many interesting information about solo sailing.
Thanks for the reply!!! I really like the Contessa 26, very beautiful vessel!!
My Falmouth had been laid up on the hard for years, so she was in not the best of shape! But I am doing my best to bring her back to life, she's coming along nicely after a year of restoration! One day at a time!!
Fair winds!!
Thanks for sharing!
l`m thinking to buy a bilgekeel boat, mostly for the mediteran sea as l´m now 65 and a beginner
Having sailed race boats north atlantic, north sea, adriatic, biscay and so on, this man makes sense. All the boats I have ever sailed are fast, but getting there quick to avoid weather is not everything it is exhausting. A long keel with good sail plan should nearly keep up and do better for the long week passages. 100 percent endorse this man in what he says. Shame all boats at shows are not built to include safety first instead of a fancy galley, kitchen arrangement.
I've heared that long keel boats tend to broach more easily. What are your thoughts on that?
Your boat looks great, I like the long/full keel and rudder you have,
Like the Falmouth 22’ Cutter .. I see you have a Jeep 🚙 1:53. I am on my
Third (3rd) Wrangler now with my 97 TJ, though I mostly redid old MGs
In the 60, 70,s & 80s.
Thanks for the knowledge, extremely well explained boat issues and the sailing issues 👍⛵
Glad you enjoyed it
Great Wisdom in here.
It was like lecture for me. Great content! Thanks alot. I wish I can convert my keel to long keel :)
I found this video vary informative. Thank you.
Great video. Really helpful. Thanks.
Thank you very much. It is very very informative ❣
I'm back I enjoy your vision and mind set. Have a good holiday
Thanks, you too!
Excellent. May change my fin keel for a long keel in a year or so. Your boat is a beauty.
dont take everything he says as a bible. i had all kinds of boats and as in everything there are pros and cons.
A member of a yacht club that I belonged to, sailed a Contessa from England to New Zealand several years ago. It was unmodified, with the original companionway hatch but sealed to the hight of the cockpit seat. A very capable boat, as are most Folkboat derivatives. I wish you every success in your venture.....Kindest Regards Noel in OZ
So this is why there's been no contessa 26's for sale as of late... lol great video! 👍👍
Now I want a Contessa 26. That's a sweet looking boat!
Thanks for saying so
Looks like fun. Good luck.
I like your style Alan! So many people on yachts these days are less sailors and more systems managers. The time and expertise needed to maintain complex navigation equipment, heating and AC, watermakers, alarms and monitors, generators and power banks is immense - and it really takes away from the direct experience of sailing. Great trip. I'm looking at Contessa 35s with a little more room and creature comforts however.
Often times the best boat is the boat that you can truly afford. The goal is to get out and voyage! I wish you fair winds my friend.
I’m currently looking for a boat 26-30 foot long and for reasons I don’t know I never considered this type of keel. I will be using the boat mainly in the Baltic sea and your video made me rethink my choices, thank you!
Lots of great old boats in the Baltic. I chartered a Shipman 28 in Stockholm and liked it a lot. Depends what kind of sailing you want to do.
Marieholm 26 would be another great Boat for the Baltic sea. Also long keel, same rudder configuration. Elegant and simple, based on the lines of the immortal Folkeboot. A bit bigger, same traditional lines with the 'Blue Dane 28. The Shipman 28 of Olle Enderlein gives even a bit more volume. If you don't travel alone. But: fin keel and skeg hung rudder. But also very seaworthy.
Enjoyed the great video and agree with everything. I think a gaff rig may be desirable as it less stressed and has lower CP. It can be dropped quickly single handed, no sail slides etc, well suited to downwind sailing, can carry a topsail in light weather, easily repaired (just wood and string), de-powered in a moment. But more string involved!
Hi. Really enjoyed your video on reason to own a proven design!! I look forward to further videos! I bought a 1981 Falmouth Cutter in 2019 and have been restoring her ever since. Looking forward to the day I start sailing HONU!!
Like you, I've been dreaming of owning and sailing!!
Good luck. Fair winds!!
That's a great boat you have, can't go wrong with a Falmouth Cutter.
I agree 100% with everything you say.
Wow, what a deal on that fantastic boat. P.S. Subscribed and watching from the start! Happy Holidays and wishing you a great 2021!
I don't think that I have made money on anything that I have ever sold, bit it gave me some much needed scratch to start my next project
Great episode, thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
Alan, I enjoyed your video. Thank you for sharing. I also have a strong little sailboat called a Precision Danforth 24. I plan to take it to the Florida Keys and Bahamas this spring. Best wishes.
Big adventures come in small boats. I wish you fair winds my friend. Where are you starting from?
Wonderful advice
Came across your channel and I have enjoyed watching your adventures! My dad has talked about the Contessa...
Thanks for watching!
great boat you seem very competent . you are making sailing across the Atlantic look too easy for the yahoos watching youtube... great video Captain
Thanks for the kind words.
Wow! Awesome!
The Contessa was the best boat ever. It was based on the Folkboat. All the best in your journey!
Outstanding!
Not forgetting the most important aspect to any boat ....style! Beautiful boat, just not so sure about the ugly addition to the coach roof. Surely amputations below the knee would have been preferable. Great videos. All the best.
Excellent video, very informative 👍👍
Glad you liked it
Hi, I have a Top Hat 25, agree with you and enjoy the trip
Is top hat similar?
@@peterk7377 Yes chief, they're 25 footers, solid beyond belief, at least two of them have circumnavigated (read the book "Two in a Top Hat"), and one of them was safety out in seventy knot winds during a race near Lord Howe Island some years ago. Full standing room inside, I'll be crossing the Pacific in mine shortly... Here's to a life of wild seas and even wilder women. Cheerio! 😆
Very interesting. Thank you
Great video thanks! I am thinking of doing a circumnavigation, and I thought back to Tania Aebi sailing around the world, her boat was a Contessa 26.
Go for it! The smaller the boat the bigger the adventure.
Two things not mentioned about the keel 1. The ballast is laid generally horizontally so its center of mass is as low as possible, equivalent to a bulbed keel. 2. The ballast is lead which concentrates the weight also as low as possible. Having sailed a Northern 25 across the north Atlantic I can appreciate a low gravity boat with lead ballast. More than once breaking waves would sweep right across the cabin while the boat remained upright. For a small boat it doesn't matter how sturdy the construction is if the center of gravity is not low.
great video and advise
I've had my Coronado 25 for 8 years now and use it on the Great Lakes out of Michigan. First off I want to say I wouldn't make a shadow on a good sailor, I just wanted to try out a new adventure and take advantage of my location near big fresh water. I chose the Coronado swing keel to allow passage over shallows and to give myself an opportunity to ungrounded myself. The dagger rudder is balanced but busy as I find it doesn't track very well. The hull is strong and one of the first designs to have the internal molded fiberglass bulk heads, cabinets and shelves as structural members. In 1974 they laid up the fiberglass much thicker than today which I find comforting. I need to install a roller fureling jib to make everything controllable from the cock pit. Going forward in a gale is a bit unsettling without a harness and a first mate. Polynesian has weathered a few storms with me and came back up after being blown down. She isn't perfect but a great deal of fun and most importantly affordable now TV hat I'm retired. I enjoy following your adventures and fair winds to you.
I don't think that's a function of the 'dagger rudder' so much as a function of the 'rudder balance'. I've sailed a bunch of different dagger rudders, and the one I like best is on the MacGregor 26: since it's a swinging dinghy style rudder, it's 100% adjustable 😁. The more forward the rudder is from its axis, the lighter it is, but the twitchier it is; the more aft it is, the more stable, but also, the heavier it is. You can't have both a light and stable rudder, so often the designer gives you his preference but it's often not my preference.
Nice boat. Brand new trailer-sailor for now as I learn. Maybe some day. Until then I will build skill and confidence on local lakes. I'm in a land locked state, but I can trailer back to Florida (lived there for 10 years) and maybe do some coastal sailing to the keys or something eventually to get a bit of blue water experience. Subbed and liked. :)
Neptune 16. Specs show a 200 lb swing keel, but there is actually another another 150 lb of bilge ballast, which does make her heavier than her rated specs, but also more sea worthy, beachable, no yard fees, and I don't have to sail the entire Mississippi to hit some blue water... Also, easy to trim out as I figure out where to add some tankage, refrig, or other improvements just move the bilge ballast a bit . A good starter boat. IMO. :)
Great informative video. I agree with you, but would add masthead rigging to the list features.
Beautiful boat.
Thank you very much!
Nice! Thanks!!!
You bet!
Great advice. Much appreciated. One day, perhaps it will my turn to sail.
All these voyages start with the first step.
I had a Cornish Yawl for 10 years. This 25' plus bowsprit gaffer sailed really well with Genoa and Mizzen alone which would be ideal for ocean passages.
Absolutely.
Great info sir.
Glad it was helpful!
Keep safe Alan
Will do
Interesting video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks mate. Very informative... Cheers for now... ;-}
Nice
Than you, helpfull
Well im 3 years behind you hope to learn if you dont mind thx & good sailing..😎
Excellent. What kind of boat are you working on?
Hi Alan,
I'm in the UK & recently bought a Bowman 26 with a view to doing some voyaging, my requirements were pretty much as you describe & I've started a refit of sorts that, whilst it won't be as comprehensive as yours, will I hope make her ocean ready (I've also started a TH-cam channel so you can have a look if you like). What a wonderful job you've made of your boat, she looks fabulous & you must be very proud of her. All the best & fair winds from a kindred spirit in the UK!
Thank you for the nice comment and all the best to you.
The rear corners of Wave Rovers cockpit looks squarer than usual, perhaps this was a modification to the original design, i read that after 1983 when they were later manufactured in Canada ?
Thanks for such great videos, love watching them.
The idea of using an outboard motor makes a lot of sense, could you please make a video of how the boat steers under an outboard motor and how you determined the optimal fixing position and height for the support brackets .
Great request!!
As a longtime Contessa owner operator l'm loving you videos. But you really ought to get a diesel engine. Expensive yes, but they get you out of trouble in a way that the outboard just can't.
Smaller sailboats can be fun! And challenging. But for solo sailors, or even a couple, they can save a boatload (ha) of money over a couple of years while allowing the couple to really learn the ropes. Along the way, take a lot of notes of on larger boats, so you wind up buying a highly sail-worthy bargain instead of a contentious, cantankerous money pit.
Sir, you have me thoroughly convinced, now, perhaps a video for my wife .
I didn't have the best luck convincing my wife to go with me.
@@RoversAdventureAlan did you give it your all persuading her ? or did acquiring "Rover" consume your leverage? Whatever the case "Rover" and the other "woman", have certainly been kind to you! I saw those provisions ! I have been enjoying your videos greatly and would like to both thank and congratulate you on sharing this experience in such a well presented manner ! You sir have no doubt inspired many to reach a bit higher and reap the reward, hat tip. Regards, Joseph
Bravo
You'll be surprised how easy it is to get a line caught between the keel and the rudder on that boat My girlfriend has a Contessa 26(built by JJ Taylor) that she singlehanded from Miami to Puerto Rico (one side of the Bermuda Triangle). We bought a Virgo Voyager (7m bilge keeler) in England and live on it in Paris.
Sehr schöner Bericht! Gruß von der Solveig
bilge keels so you can take it on a beach? Steel construction so if you hit something, it doesnt matter so much, also easy to repair if you can weld. completely agree with small boats, and outboards. makes life a lot easier.
Outboard in a rough sea is a nightmare it comes out the water then back in better with a inboard prop is in the water all the time
i´m from brasil, and here sailboats are expensive. but we have nice old boats here too, i pick the "samoa 29" as my goal, i wiil buy some how, sometime
Great video and very good info. I am drawn towards a Contessa but heard they are not well sheltered in the cockpit, is this your experience? They certainly have a good pedigree and cut through the waves well. I loved your point about simplicity, I have a 50 year old Westerly Centaur and love the simple set up, fantastic for doing work myself and sailing solo. One point that i very important and something I overlooked was the fatigue of the sailors, is so important. Easy to do a long tiring passage one day but not so motivated for two or three days in a row. Great video, thanks for posting.
I found the Contessa to be a far wetter boat that WR. Also a bit more tender.
I'm guessing Jester was a bit of an inspiration for your modifications? (Minus the junk rig)
I use to own one of the 1st 50 Folkbåts, such a sweet,safe vessel if a bit cramped for extended cruising.
The contessa is her luxury offspring :-)
Great video and great choice of boat. Are you familiar with Atomvoyages? He removes inboard engines from similar small cruisers and uses the bilge for a larger watertank.
One characteristic you missed head room you need to stand up without tilting your head very important
so happy with my HR monsun 31
Very good information. Does the design have a reputation for ocean crossing. Yes.
I like the Corsair F27 setup. One day I’ll have a boat.
A couple of them have circumnavigated. BTW, Wave Rover is still for sale: th-cam.com/video/yfzYMwGRIfs/w-d-xo.html
My boat is a Coronado 25 with swing keel. I like the fact it can be retracted when you run aground here on the Great Lakes and give you a second chance before you call towboatus. It cannot be trailer launched but I trailer it home over the Michigan winter. You have raised my concern about rusty swing keel hinge pins. Also would this boat I think of as a coastal cruiser be considered a blue water sailor?
Many thanks, I really enjoyed this, your boat tour and arrival and stories from the Azores. I'm a big fan of these small to medium sized vessels too, mines a 9.2m :-) I once had the pleasure of meeting David Sadler too on the South Coast of England. Great boats the Contessa. I wonder where exactly you are now? Cheers Rick
Wave Rover is on Lanzarote in the Canaries, will be leaving Dec 20 to sail to Panama
Sailing Wave Rover , I use to go into Las Palma’s quite often
Crossing from Racfi Braz... ✈️👨✈️
I have an outboard rudder too. Would love details on your self steering system.
Have you read Andrew Evans book 'thoughts tips tricks and tactics for solo sailors'? If has a great section on this.
I have owned 2 long keeled, Bianca 27 and a GD28, and 1 fin keeled Granada 31...slow and steady or fast and not steady...I want neither of those keel designs any more....medium displacement fin keeled boats is where it's at for me ...I was pleasantly surprised when I got my latest boat.. I have more accomodation, a boat that doesn't slam, but it goes faster and is more rewarding to sail.
Like the keel but I bought a prospect 900 so I could pull up on beaches without lieing over like my previous boat.
Wonderful video. Extraordinary. Isn’t a Contessa the boat the 19 year old girl solo circum-navigated?
Yep! Tania Aebi in Varuna, also a Contessa 26. Sadly, the boat itself appears to have been lost at sea as of 2018.
@@sce2aux464 a shame. What a story. Crew saved?
This was a stellar video, and rhe information in it is invaluable. Considering your experience, knowledge, and expertise, I'm dying to ask .... if you had a choice between an older boat and a newer boat, of similar design, would you lean toward one age more than the other? I'm asking because I know sailboat people who believe that no boat more than 15-20 years old should ever be sailed across oceans, on open water, or any long passages. No exceptions. And yet there are, obviously, huge financial advantages to buying a seemingly high quality, well maintained older cruising sailboat. I have aspirations of expanding my sailing world and experiences, but am realistic enough to understand that I would struggle to spend $100k or $200k on a boat. I would dearly love to hear your thoughts on a boats age as a critical or absolute selection criteria.
Thanks for uploading this it really got to the nitty-gritty practical points, especially for anyone buying a cheap used boat. For this size boat will the keel stop it from capsizing or overturning?
Small boats on the open ocean will capsize/roll over but they should right themselves quickly if there's no damage.
started on a Pearson 26, have had 22Catalina and Oday25. Now have a '83 Laguna 26 w trailer I am making blue water worthy. Your opinions of the Laguna26?
I am in love...
If caught in a 70 knot gale as happened to sailboats during a race from Sydney to Hobart in 1998, do you think the Contessa 26 could have fared better than the larger yachts?