theselkie said..
As a concept, for singlehanded coastal cruising, which would you choose?

with a low budget Id probably look at the Tophats they come with inboard motors and also cheaper out board wells
They have great head room in the cabin and for a 25 ft boat lots of room
http://www.boatsales.com.au/boats/top-hat?gclid=CjwKEAjw876oBRCYr86w6KGfpkgSJAACIidwM3hZhVpONcE-fQZ-1q2U1ne0QPQeIACa1HpXiAVFXRoCCITw_wcB

Google 'Nick Jaffe'... he sailed from Europe to Australia in a Contessa. He'd probably respond to an email if you had questions about a Contessa.

www.tophatyachts.com/ local web site

yes your spot on Cisco never really looked at the Contessa
How are you SirJman
I can recall some one once said the Mark 3 Top hat had a better designed rudder than the earlier top hats

"I can recall some one once said the Mark 3 Top hat had a better designed rudder than the earlier top hats"

Not true HG02,
All Top Hats, including the timber Mark 0, have the same underwater profile except the rare shoal draft version which had 30cm chopped off the bottom of the keel.

The only differences are the decks and cabin layouts ie Marks 0, 1, 2 & 3

Top Hats are selling for ridiculous prices of late, the same as any 20 plus year old fiberglass yacht.

I'm in Coffs Harbour waiting for non NE winds, should sail for Iluka on Wednesday.
New blog tomorrow.

nswsailor said..
"I can recall some one once said the Mark 3 Top hat had a better designed rudder than the earlier top hats"

Not true HG02,
All Top Hats, including the timber Mark 0, have the same underwater profile except the rare shoal draft version which had 30cm chopped off the bottom of the keel.

The only differences are the decks and cabin layouts ie Marks 0, 1, 2 & 3

Top Hats are selling for ridiculous prices of late, the same as any 20 plus year old fiberglass yacht.

I'm in Coffs Harbour waiting for non NE winds, should sail for Iluka on Wednesday.
New blog tomorrow.

Thanks for clearing that up NSW hope your winds get favorable

It may have been a owner made rudder on a mark one not up to specs

Which Contessa are you referring to? The Peter Cole Contessa 25 of the Jeremy Rogers Contessa 26? They're quite different boats.

I think both the Contessa and the Top Hat would make ideal pocket cruisers.

I I had the option of choosing just one I would base my choice on

1. The condition of the vessel

2. Bang for buck, ie what comes with it.

In that order.

We need to keep in mind that due to the age of the vessels it is quite possible that only the hull and probably the spars would likely be original and most other parts of the boat and equipment would have been upgraded through it's life. With that in mind the quality of the fittings of the upgrade and how well it has been done would need to be a consideration.

A óne owner boat' does not necessarily mean it's a good boat.

The Top Hat is a well known and proven design. I have come across many up and down the coast and known a few owners who swear by them.

The Contessa is not as well known as the Top Hat but in my opinion is better laid out and has a more roomy interior. They are also very capable coastal cruisers.

There were a lot more Top Hats produced than the Contessa so I would assume you would have more to look at.

claverton said..
The early Contessa 26's, including Nick's boat didn't have self draining cockpits. I'm not sure I'd contemplate crossing the Pacific in a small boat without a self draining cockpit as Nick did.

Problem is that the cockpit floor is below the waterline. This was corrected in later Contessa 26's. Solution is to install a new floor a few inches above the original floor...do-able but a hassle.

The bloke who bought Nick's boat set off from Melbourne I think for NZ and had to get rescued a day or two out of Port Phillip. From memory the boat got towed back but suffered considerable damage during the tow. Not sure what happened to it after that.

The big difference between a Contessa 26 and a Folkboat is that the former is masthead rig and latter fractional.

Hhhmmmm.....interesting. The Contessa I am looking at in Sydney apparently was sailed to NZ. Perhaps this is the same one???? Here's the link to the ad:

http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/contessa-24/164545


I must say, aesthetically, I do prefer the look of the Contessa and the Folkboat over the Top Hat. Finer, not so 'chunky'. However, to get me on the water and stop me being like a bear with a sore head from not sailing, perhaps a Top Hat will fill the void for the time being.

I'm thinking the Folkboat may be slightly better to windward considering a fractional rig?

Nevertheless, I lived with an old masthead multihull for some years who, like a lady, did not go anywhere NEAR the wind. Sometimes, to get out of the poo poo, one needs to have some windward direction. Thus, and for a myriad other reasons, I am returning to a monohull. You can get the girl out of the mono, but you can't get the mono out of the girl it would appear.

Yes, I agree about having a few ton of water arrive in the cockpit. Not a good look at all.

Seems to me that, just as it took a year to sell my cat, as mentioned on another thread, prices have started to go up a little. Always the way ggrrrr.

Now looking at a Contessa (Cole) in Tsv and a Folkboat in Cns. The search continues. :)

theselkie said..



http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/contessa-24/164545


I must say, aesthetically, I do prefer the look of the Contessa and the Folkboat over the Top Hat. Finer, not so 'chunky'. However, to get me on the water and stop me being like a bear with a sore head from not sailing, perhaps a Top Hat will fill the void for the time being.

I'm thinking the Folkboat may be slightly better to windward considering a fractional rig?

I think this yacht is a Contessa 25 and the reason it looks so good is because it was designed by Doug Peterson which also means it will probably rip off any other yacht of similar size and displacement. The ad does not have any hardstand pics but I am betting this is a fin keel yacht with a spade rudder. Check this link.


sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=8326

The Contessa 26 on the other hand is very similar to a Folkboat but designed by David Sadler, a very well respected English yacht designer. The Sadler 34, a production yacht, actually came with custom "Sadler Yachts" melomine crockery. The Sadler 34 is a fin keel yacht. Check this link for Contessa 26.

sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=601

This one for Sadler 34.

sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=3313

I, having owned a Doug Peterson 42 (IOR 2 tonner) would go for the 25 rather than the 26. A Peterson designed yacht will turn on a dime and power away on the next tack.

However if I particularly wanted a Contessa yacht, the 27 would be my pick for a less than 30 foot yacht. A beamier and more modern design and very similar to my Alan Wright designed Lotus 9.2. The beam is carried aft to a transom hung rudder giving powerful steering capabilities and the wide beam with shallow U shaped hull gives very good stability. Check this link.

sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5695

Check the designer's bio as well.

sailboatdata.com/view_designer.asp?designer_id=58

The nearest I can come to one of these for sale in Australia is Cavalier 28 designed by Laurie Davidson, another very well respected Kiwi designer.

www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/dealer/used/OAG-AD-801843/1981-CAVALIER-28?

sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5589

You might have to go to the UK to get a Contessa 27.

You seem to be angling towards a long keel yacht and I am wondering why. I hope you are not under the false belief that a long keel yacht is more "comfortable" than a fin keel yacht.

Please understand that anything less than 1,000 foot long afloat on the ocean is by nature "UNcomfortable".

What IS comfortable is getting into the anchorage on your fast fin keeler before nightfall and sipping sundowners while your steak is sizzling on the BBQ, then having a good night's rest while the long keelers are still out there at 10 pm after a hurried meal of 2 minute noodles trying to bash their way into the anchorage.

No offence meant to owners of long keel yachts. Just stating fact.

HG02 said..
You can take a long walk on a short pier to Cisco

I knew you wouldn't let me get away with that one.

Thank you so much...Cisco especially

I still don't think the Contessa I'm looking at is a British Contessa. No transom hung rudder; transom is a different shape. Entry is similar...but still Cole Contessa look. Would love to just get the owner to answer some questions. He's had the boat for 8 years but, even so and self-confessedly, he's not a sailor at heart so is not passionate about the provenance of the boat.

At the price it is, with the Bukh - which is running - I think it's okay. I suspect the sail wardrobe is very average but, oh to be buying small sails again....such a huge relief.

I agree, Cisco, about spinning on a dime with a fin. I'm not the best parker in the world and manoeuvring into and out of marinas gives me a nervous breakdown so the fin does appeal in some ways, yes. Also, to windward, to windward ;)

There's this Contessa in Tsv

yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/cole-26-custom/81712

Goodness knows, we're still getting northerlies so I could hop on one and bring her home sooner than later. More bucks though....less bucks left for the Misses university/Conservatorium kitty....happy mama, happy life though haha

Where is it exactly you want to base the yacht??

Based on the northern end of Moreton Bay...Scarborough. Probably on a swing mooring.

theselkie said..
Based on the northern end of Moreton Bay...Scarborough. Probably on a swing mooring.

Good location with a fairly wide open sailing area for day sailing or club racing. A little bit further down is Cabbage Tree Creek of course. If you can get a mooring in there it is very protected yet not far from open water. I think a few of the moorings in there are pirate moorings anyway.

Getting a boat like that from T/ville to Bris by truck could be quite economical but sailing it down, if it is ready to go won't be too hard either if you have the time. Most of it will be 50 mile day hops.