Contessa 32 Owners ...

[Prairie Virgin Sailor]

I have narrowed my list of "what will be my next boat" down to (most likely) a Contessa 32. Are there any Contessa 32 owners out there" If so, do you have any constructive comments (for or against) purchasing/owning a Contessa 32. I am a VERY inexperienced sailor with only two years sailing experience on a West Wight Potter 19. My intent is to move on to my next boat full time (for maybe one or two years). Coastal cruise, Island hop, and eventually hit the open sea for at least one significant pass. I am late in my years (62), but its something I just need to do. I have endlessly searched the internet and worn out my shoes walking the docks of Canada's west coast marinas and have decided the Contessa 32 is the best fit for me regarding acceptable comfort combined with sailability and trustworthiness. Feedback from Contessa 32 owners would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[dlochner]

The Class Association will be your best source.

Home | Contessa 32 Class Association

www.co32.org

 

[jssailem]

These are interesting traits.

A Contessa 32 was the only yacht in the small boat class to finish the disastrous 1979 Fastnet race, in which 15 people died.... The qualities and long production span of the Contessa have given the yacht a dedicated 'cult' following.​

With well over 800 of them built in the UK you may need to cross the pond to find your boat. All but one on a Yacht World query were in the UK. There was one in Ontario CA.

I like the lines of the boat. The interior looks compact yet has room for 6 friendly folk to sleep. Storage may be a concern. I'd take a careful look at that when you get on a boat. Water/Food/gear all conspire to make a passage or liveaboard possible. There have been sailors that sailed thousands of miles in a 15ft boat. Doesn't mean it was fun.

The hull design while positive for open water, might be less so when lounging in the Caribbean. Having no water level access means climbing a ladder or putting an appendage off the side/stern to get into the water or back out. Appendages compromise sailing in big seas.

But that is the nature of boats. All are a compromise. It is all most a thing that you buy a boat for the specific sailing you plan and then sell and buy a new boat for your next phase.

 

[Tally Ho]

Here is a real beauty..

Contessa 32 boats for sale | YachtWorld

Find Contessa 32 for sale on YachtWorld Europe's largest marketplace for boats & yachts. We connect over 10 million boat buyers and sellers each year!

www.yachtworld.com

I don’t see too many boats for sail other than across the pond…just the one I linked to above. Have you seen some in your dock walking? I assume you are in Canada.

CONTESSA 32 - sailboatdata

The CONTESSA 32 was first built at the Jeremy Rogers Ltd.. When introduced at the London boat show of 1973, it was awarded “Boat of the Show”. Since then the yard built over 700. In 1973, J.J. Taylor president, Alan Nye Scott, had a Rogers-built hull and deck shipped from Britain so that a set […]

sailboatdata.com

• The beam seems a bit tight (my O’Day 322 is about a foot wider).
• Displacement is a bit light, depending on where and how you are going to sail her.
• Well-protected rudder, sea-worthy hull design I would say.

all-in all, she seems like a solid design, great for a solo sailor, living aboard.

Greg

 

[Prairie Virgin Sailor]

These are interesting traits.

A Contessa 32 was the only yacht in the small boat class to finish the disastrous 1979 Fastnet race, in which 15 people died.... The qualities and long production span of the Contessa have given the yacht a dedicated 'cult' following.​

With well over 800 of them built in the UK you may need to cross the pond to find your boat. All but one on a Yacht World query were in the UK. There was one in Ontario CA.

I like the lines of the boat. The interior looks compact yet has room for 6 friendly folk to sleep. Storage may be a concern. I'd take a careful look at that when you get on a boat. Water/Food/gear all conspire to make a passage or liveaboard possible. There have been sailors that sailed thousands of miles in a 15ft boat. Doesn't mean it was fun.

The hull design while positive for open water, might be less so when lounging in the Caribbean. Having no water level access means climbing a ladder or putting an appendage off the side/stern to get into the water or back out. Appendages compromise sailing in big seas.

But that is the nature of boats. All are a compromise. It is all most a thing that you buy a boat for the specific sailing you plan and then sell and buy a new boat for your next phase.

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, your comments are noted and considered. As you state, not the ideal boat for lounging but appears to be one of a top 10 list for open waters. I am ok with sacrificing the "lounging" aspect. Understanding that your comments are very helpful in confirming my decision. Next problem, as you have already noted, is finding one in western Canada/USA. I saw the one in Ontario but is a bit out of my price range. I am looking more in the $50,000 to $75,000 range. Lots in the UK. I see one in New York currently but I am non-vaxer so not welcome in the states yet. May well have to go to the UK. I won't be serious until spring (May-June) so hopefully something comes up before then. Again, thanks for your comments.

 

[jssailem]

I have identified the issue of water access on my boat and considering several ideas. I enjoy paddling in my kayak, convenient exploring. It is a marginal tender to access shore. It fails when needing to transport crew or provisions.

I have an inflatable dinghy. It is compact. It is marginal to access from my high freeboard boat, yet significantly easier than the kayak. It can be used to enter and exit the water. As a tender it is perfect.

So, how to address the challenge. One is to build a portable step that cna be attached to the boat or removed. I also have considered using the dinghy as a crutch to get from kayak to the boat. It is relatively easy to lift the kayak and the dinghy on and off the boat with the the halyards and the mast winches. This concept may be serviceable as a substitute for a sugar scoop or bathing stern deck.

Fortunately my boat has the extra room to accommodate these additional toys.

None of this was considered when I was selecting my boat.

 

[Prairie Virgin Sailor]

Here is a real beauty..

Contessa 32 boats for sale | YachtWorld

Find Contessa 32 for sale on YachtWorld Europe's largest marketplace for boats & yachts. We connect over 10 million boat buyers and sellers each year!

www.yachtworld.com

I don’t see too many boats for sail other than across the pond…just the one I linked to above. Have you seen some in your dock walking? I assume you are in Canada.

CONTESSA 32 - sailboatdata

The CONTESSA 32 was first built at the Jeremy Rogers Ltd.. When introduced at the London boat show of 1973, it was awarded “Boat of the Show”. Since then the yard built over 700. In 1973, J.J. Taylor president, Alan Nye Scott, had a Rogers-built hull and deck shipped from Britain so that a set […]

sailboatdata.com

• The beam seems a bit tight (my O’Day 322 is about a foot wider).
• Displacement is a bit light, depending on where and how you are going to sail her.
• Well-protected rudder, sea-worthy hull design I would say.

all-in all, she seems like a solid design, great for a solo sailor, living aboard.

Greg

I am indeed from Canada, and No I have not seen any on my dock walking , and the one in Ontario (that you have linked) is a bit too much money for me. I have conceded I will probably have to buy in the UK ??? I will not be serious until spring as I am selling property etc here so maybe with a little luck one will come up in the next few months. Fingers crossed

 

[jssailem]

I am selling property

Selling Property in Saskatchewan during the winter, must be like selling snow in the Arctic....
What color is the house?
WHITE.
And how is the heat?
Warm when it works..
Ok... but I think we will need to paint the house another color. It is just does not stand out on the lot...
That is because it is beneath the snow.
Oh...
Your not from around here are you...
No. Ontario.. Had a boat there.

 

[Kings Gambit]

The Contessa 32 & 33 have high reputations for seaworthiness, as folks above have noted. We have a 33 in SoCal that races with the Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association. I recall one year it leading in the Guadalupe Island Race in absolutely brutal winter weather that year; it wins often. So, good boat design. I think the woman sailor of Maiden Voyage circumnavigated in a Contessa 26. Brian Fagan of California Channel Islands Cruising guide fame sailed about in a Contessa 26 as well.

 

[dlochner]

I think the woman sailor in Maiden Voyage circumnavigated in a Contessa 26.

Way back when, Tania Aebi sailed a Contessa 26 around the world. I may be glossing over the details, however the story goes something like this: Dad: "What are you going to do with your life?" Daughter: "I dunno." Dad: "Here's a 26' sailboat, go sail around the world if you're not going to college."

She recently (9 years ago) published a book about her story, Maiden Voyage (Amazon Link).

 

[mermike]

Here's an odd story involving a Contessa...
A 70-something ‘Moby Dick’ fan sailed from Italy to Nantucket..

A good friend on Cape Cod ended up with the boat. He and his son rebuilt it. It lives on. They're tough boats.

 

[Mifeo]

I think this guy is sailing a Contessa 32:

https://youtube.com/@ErikAanderaa

He is adventuring out of Norway.

 

[Davidasailor26]

I think this guy is sailing a Contessa 32:

https://youtube.com/@ErikAanderaa

He is adventuring out of Norway.

That’s a Contessa 35, but yeah it definitely speaks to the quality of the brand. Also, this guy has done many offshore miles in a 26 - Sailing Wave Rover - YouTube https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC7m3fuU8ASlIKz9LnV-vvJg

 

[Kings Gambit]

Way back when, Tania Aebi sailed a Contessa 26 around the world. I may be glossing over the details, however the story goes something like this: Dad: "What are you going to do with your life?" Daughter: "I dunno." Dad: "Here's a 26' sailboat, go sail around the world if you're not going to college."

She recently (9 years ago) published a book about her story, Maiden Voyage (Amazon Link).

Giving her that boat means that he was actually expecting to see her again! If I recall, it was a New England-based sailing family that she grew up in. So I doubt that she was a rank novice; although, she did have some trouble initially. As you, I remember a line she reported from her thoughts while experiencing bad weather (storm): “How much pounding can a hunk of fiberglass take?”

 

[FastOlson]

In general, there is a short list of boats with important features for such a task. You want boats from the top of the list. Designer, Builder, Reputation for use in open waters. After that, it gets down to maintenance record and that's a biggie.
In NA, why not look for (in no particular order) a C&C, Ericson, Sabre, Yamaha, Hinterhoeller, Cascade?

 

[Kings Gambit]

In general, there is a short list of boats with important features for such a task. You want boats from the top of the list. Designer, Builder, Reputation for use in open waters. After that, it gets down to maintenance record and that's a biggie.
In NA, why not look for (in no particular order) a C&C, Ericson, Sabre, Yamaha, Hinterhoeller, Cascade?

The OP has said that he has “walked the docks of Canada’s west coat marinas” as well as searched the internet endlessly, etc., and decided to focus on the Contessa 32. “Keep searching” might not be helpful advice. It’s a perfectly good choice, IMHO. The next step is to locate one for sale!

 

[Apex]

Boats for sale | YachtWorld

Find 72226 boats for sale on YachtWorld Europe's largest marketplace for boats & yachts. We connect over 10 million boat buyers and sellers each year!

www.yachtworld.com

only 1 in N.A.
@Prairie Virgin Sailor unless you plan on being across the pond anyway: transport is expensive. I don't have input on the brand, other than good on you for getting a boat identified. Be patient, and you will find one, that is (from what I hear) a great boat.

 

[Morgan donor]

Reminds me of an old school Olin designed SS boat from the 60-70's. Narrow beam'd lead bomb. With some modern accoutrements compared to the antique I sailed. Narrow boats can have great manors. But underway the lean angle can be tiring, storage limited, and the tankage seems inadequate to me for cruising. I went from 10' beam to 12' on 38 footer. Never longed for the old boat.

 

[AlastairLC]

I think it’s a mistake to set your mind on one particular make and model, especially if you haven’t actually sailed one.
You'd be paying a premium for a Contessa 32 because of the name and reputation. There are thousands of other boats out there, just as nice if not nicer, for which you’d get a lot more for your money.

 

[Joe]

Way back whehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tania_Aebin, Tania Aebi sailed a Contessa 26 around the world. I may be glossing over the details, however the story goes something like this: Dad: "What are you going to do with your life?" Daughter: "I dunno." Dad: "Here's a 26' sailboat, go sail around the world if you're not going to college."

She recently (9 years ago) published a book about her story, Maiden Voyage (Amazon Link).

A really interesting person, to say the least. Here's her Wiki Tania Aebi

Maiden Voyage, the best selling biobraphy about her 3 yeaar circumnavigation, was published in1989, A second book, "I've Been Around" was published in 2005. She has written monthly columns for a number of sailing and cruising oriented mags. Over the years she has sponsored many "safe" cruising rallies