Contessa

Contessa

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Contessa is a gaff topsail schooner desiged by Geo. Stadel Jr, and built in 1977 by G.I."Sonny" Hodgdon in East Boothbay Maine.  The design was inspired by the pilot schooners built on the east coast of the US in the 19th and 20th centuries.  The keel and frames are of white oak, while the planking is bronze-fastened Honduras Mahagony.  Ballast is external with some internal lead.  The decks are teak, while the spars are built of Sitka spruce.  Sails are dacron, and include main sail, foresail, forestaysail, roller furling jib, main gaff topsail, and fisherman staysail.  Additionally, there are two storm sails and a spare (larger) jib.
Contessa is powered by a 4-108 Westerbeke diesel that produces 37hp, and drives a 3 bladed bronze prop.  Electicity is provided by a 95 Amp alternator, and stored in 4 75 amp hour Optima spiral cell batteries, with a 5th Optima battery that is a dedicated start battery.  AC power is provided by either shore power through a Smart Plug, or a Victron inverter/charger.
Forward, the anchor is a Delta type, with 300ft of 5/16" chain, raised by an Ideal windlass.  A seawater anchor chain washdown is located outboard of the windlass.   The cabin has a V berth forward, with a mattress to starboard, sail storage etc, to port, and a skylight with opening portlight overhead.  The dinette table is a knock-down type that mounts to the forward bulkhead, and has a single leg when in use, but stores away beside the base of the foremast otherwise.  Amidships there are settee berths, with storage underneath.  A diesel Sig cabin heater helps keep the boat cozy in cold weather.  It has a day tank, and a chimney heat recovery device.  Aft on the port side is a chest of drawers, and aft of that is a large pantry with LED lighting inside and a caned door to facilitate air movement.  Opposite is the head.
   The head is equipped with a ceramic corner sink, scavenged from a tug boat, a manual Raritan PHII toilet (with a hydronic heater behind it), and a fresh water shower with both hot and cold water.
  The galley is equipped with a fold away work surface over a 2 burner Origo alcohol stove, and an AC powered Cuisinart toaster oven.  The galley and quarterberth are heated by a hydronic heating loop using engine heat.  Knives, forks, etc, plus kitchen utensils store above the stove/below the deck. while pots, pans, food processor, etc are stored in a large drawer below the stove.  There is a built-in fridge and freezer with horizontal door access.  Outboad of them is dish and glassware storage, behind caned doors.   A Caframo fan gets cooking smells out of the boat.  The sink has a pull-down faucett for hot and cold water, and also has a sprayer for the pressurized seawater system.  Opposite the galley is a quarter berth for two, with the ship's electrical distribution panel as well.
  In the cockpit, there is room to accomodate 6 adults (although 8 will fit pierside).  The central pedestal houses the Garmin chartplotter and the binnacle, while the engine instruments are set into the cockpit bulkhead beside the pedestal.   To suppliment the chartplotter there is a Garmin GNX20 instrument on the aft cabin bulkhead which displays either wind info, or depth.  Steering is via an Edson worm gear mechanism, with an aft-mounted mahagony wheel.
  Fresh water is in a vertical tank outboard of the chest of drawers and pantry to port, while fuel is stored outboard of the head, also in a vertical tank.  Capacity is about 70 gallons each.
  A dodger and bimini help keep the cockpit crew dry, and can be connected if desired.
Will post more photos as I go along.

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