Contessa 26 or Cape Dory 28 - Need Advice

[Sailormann]

I would choose the Cape Dory over the Contessa unless I was specifically planning to cirumnavigate, in which case I might consider the Contessa for the trip, but I would trade it for a Cape Dory when the trip was completed.

The Cape Dory has more space, but more importantly, it has a real companionway. This means that you can rig a dodger, or purchase a boom supported temporary hatch tent, and have a space in your boat that you can stand up in easily when the weather is wet or dry outside.

The Contessa does not have a sliding hatch over the companionway ladder, so you are going to be crawling in and out on yor hands and knees. This can get old really fast.

Good Luck

[speedoo]

"crawling in and out on yor hands and knees"... well I think this is a bit of an exaggeration. There is no sliding hatch over the companionway, but there is a "bubble" that looks to be maybe a foot high above the cabin top and the opening into the cabin is large enough so that it appears one only needs to stoop over a bit to get in or out.

I was failrly impressed with this video... love the motion in a good breeze and chop:

YouTube - Contessa 26 acoss channel single handed

That mainsail reefing arrangement needs some work, however.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Hello,

I am new to this forum and rather new to sailing. For the past year I've been looking for a small, sturdy boat in my price range and have settled on either a Contessa 26 or a Cape Dory 28. Assuming these were the only two boats in the world, which would you choose and why?

Thanks in advance. I'm very grateful for any advice or opinions!

What do you intend to do with the boat? Why only those two?

[ad_astra]

Just a suggestion from someone who is in a similar market for a sailboat, you might also want to consider the Albin Vega, which I believe is also a folkboat derivative and in a similar size and weight class.

[Troy Scott]

Having sailed both, I'll say that the CD28 is more comfortable at anchor, and it has a better engine installation. The cutter rig is more versatile. The Contessa sails VERY well, faster than seems reasonable. It's a great single handing boat, but much more cramped than the CD28.
-Troy Scott, Laurel, MS
s/v IMAGINE, Cape Dory 36

[rmlarson1098]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

The Cape Dory 28 is also a very seaworthy boat but it's a bit of a clunker. I don't know if it was the one we sailed on or what, but I feel like I spent so much energy fighting weather helm that I didn't really get to enjoy it. Granted the folks whose boat it was didn't rig it with a vang, traveler or out haul. The accommodations on a CD are also sort of spartan, they really aren't the most homey boats. I have no experience with a Contessa aside from eyeballing them on yachtworld

I know the Contessa's are trim, sweet sailors, but in addition to the fact that the headroom below is minimal, the unusual companionway eliminates the ONLY place in the boat where I could stand up!

[thomm225]

The Contessa 26's are beautiful boats but they are tiny.......all over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3pcXWUZ5Pk

[john61ct]

Amazing, instance of a 9-yo zombie thread getting resurrected, and no problem, better than starting a new one.

Contessa is **much** lighter, almost half the CD28.

Means less suitable as a secure platform for bluewater upfitting, right?

very wet ?

**tiny** inside, maybe only 5'4" headroom, or less?

Sure are lots out there, going cheap too!

[Cheechako]

Had a Contessa 26 and it was a beauty to behold. But it's tiny inside and narrow, very wet ride due to it's narrow beam. It heels immediately with rail down, gets in the groove and sails decent for that style of boat. I'd pick a CD28 any day, which has 2.5 more feet of waterline too = more speed.

[CarlF]

The Cape Dory is a safe choice for a pocket cruiser. Good speed and load carrying capacity for her size. Will turn heads entering a harbor - but not like a Contessa.

The Contessa is a sweet sailer - but boy do those low decks make her wet if the wind is forward of the beam. At times, you might want a scuba face mask.

There is something to be said for those who like her for single handing (if you want to cruise with two, it would be best if both of you were young, flexible and in love.)

[lars]

Had a late model contessa 26 sweet sailing boat but almost useless as a cruiser. cape dory if i had to choose between the two, and I am not a cape dory fan

[Talbot]

Contessa 26 is a very good sea boat, with good performance against the wind. They are narrow hulled which adds to that performance, but this means that there is not a lot of room below, It also means they are wet! So you need a good dodger and really good foul weather clothing. Despite this they have a very good reputation in bad weather.


They have been sailed across the Atlantic - I know if one that was singlehanded.

A lot of them have been raced at one time or another, and it is advisable to check for compression under the mast. A good fix for this problem was engineered, but this reduces space inside even more.

Its bigger brother, the 32 is well worth a look.

[thomm225]

https://www.boatus.com/magazine/2016...mnavigator.asp

Btw, her boat was a Contessa 26