When my heart ruled my head!
Practical Boat Owner|December 2020
Richard Carvell learned valuable lessons when he bought an iconic offshore cruiser
Richard Carvell
When my heart ruled my head!

The main lesson I learnt from renovating my Contessa 26 was that if you want a hobby, try bird-watching or home brewing! But if you want something all-consuming that will take up almost all your spare time and spare cash, take on a project boat.

Buying a suitable project boat has never been easier. Internet sites are full of potential candidates that were once their owner’s pride and joy but have now fallen into various states of decay. Often they are at very tempting starting prices: some may even turn out to be good value. So supply is not the problem, it’s choosing the right boat that can be tricky.

I chose Simona, a 1973 Contessa 26, not by carefully considering my requirements, but largely because of the iconic status of the design and tales of daring long distance voyages undertaken by the likes of Tania Aebi, Nick Gaffe and Sebastian Olle. This was a heart-over-head decision, with little rationale and certainly no science involved.

I saw Simona on an auction site and, because she was located close to my sailing club on the Medway, I arranged to take a look. Having not owned a boat for some 20 years I was a bit overexcited by the prospect. I was captivated by her beautiful lines as she gracefully bobbed at her mooring that sunny September evening. My enthusiasm was only slightly dented when I saw inside the cabin. Simona, it seemed, had been mainly used for racing. While no expense had been spared on running rigging, high-tech sails and all the go-faster stuff, the interior was a bit unloved, to put it kindly, and definitely showing its age: clearly this was where the bulk of the work would be needed.

Bu hikaye Practical Boat Owner dergisinin December 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Practical Boat Owner dergisinin December 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

PRACTICAL BOAT OWNER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
Practical Boat Owner

Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

Spain's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has reported that a 15m (49ft) yacht sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar following interaction with a pod of orca.

time-read
1 min  |
Summer 2024
No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash
Practical Boat Owner

No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash

A kill cord and lifejacket are useless unless worn-that's the warning from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), following its investigation into a powerboat crash that killed a 32-year-old woman and five-year-old girl on 2 October 2022.

time-read
2 dak  |
Summer 2024
Multihull sail work
Practical Boat Owner

Multihull sail work

Brush up on multihull sailing skills before heading off on charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to spinnaker handling, tacking and gybing

time-read
4 dak  |
Summer 2024
Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them
Practical Boat Owner

Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them

Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea

time-read
10+ dak  |
Summer 2024
Sail the Atlantic with strangers
Practical Boat Owner

Sail the Atlantic with strangers

Would you sail across the Atlantic with someone you've just met? Ali Wood meets the cruising crews who've done just that

time-read
10 dak  |
Summer 2024
IZIBoat: simple sailing
Practical Boat Owner

IZIBoat: simple sailing

Rupert Holmes sails an innovative catamaran design intended to widen participation in sailing among those with little time to get on the water in more conventional craft

time-read
7 dak  |
Summer 2024
30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT
Practical Boat Owner

30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT

From tall ships to small dinghies, you needn't own a boat to sail. Ali Wood looks at the options, and how skippers can also find crew

time-read
10+ dak  |
Summer 2024
Boats for restoring under £20,000
Practical Boat Owner

Boats for restoring under £20,000

Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget

time-read
10+ dak  |
Summer 2024
Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500
Practical Boat Owner

Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500

For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices

time-read
5 dak  |
Summer 2024
Playing with coloured sails
Practical Boat Owner

Playing with coloured sails

Maintaining an hourglass-shaped balloon and ratcheting up the log numbers

time-read
3 dak  |
Summer 2024