Not to be confused with the English Contessa 26 based on the Folkboat.
Very pretty little yacht built by Bruce Fairley designed by Peter Cole the little sister to the Cole 43.
Is their any information on their build quality?
are they solid glass or like the Cole 43 and the same builder are they foam composite.?
i have noticed the fitouts are quite different some along the lines of the Clansman 30 and others on the basic side , did Bruce sell them as a hull to be finished by the owner.?
i know they sail very well they look very similar to the Maurader 24 under the water , are they built stronger than the Maurader ?
would love to see the knowledge of the Forum here thanks.

It is the Contessa 25 I assume you are talking about. As far as I am aware they are typical Bruce Fairlie build quality which was single skin grp and solid glass not foam core. Not totally sure if Bruce sold them as hull and deck for owner internal fit out but since other yachts built by East Coast yachts were sold this way it could well be. Similar solid build quality as the Marauders - I had a Marauder 24 a long while back if you are looking at them don't get the initial model with keel trim tab - it was too small a boat for that and was quickly changed to normal keel.

Not so sure on his build quality the entrance bulkhead on the Clansman was ply seen a few with Rot and the Cole 43 had issues with laminate

Some Contessas were sold as bare hulls; one of my families was the stock Fairlite one and the other home finished. Neither had problems apart from one having a rudder bearing issue, as must be expected at their age.

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Chris 249 said..
Some Contessas were sold as bare hulls; one of my families was the stock Fairlite one and the other home finished. Neither had problems apart from one having a rudder bearing issue, as must be expected at their age.

Thanks Chris I really like the factory fitout

Hi there. I am in the process of purchasing a lovely 1974 Contessa 25. Peter Cole design. I am seeking advice on outboards for it. How big, a reccomemded brand? and how to mount it given the shape of the transom.
I also read a Contessa Owners association was being formed ? I'd love to join
Thanks
Jim

Welcome Jim, just from experience with other displacement 25ft'ers (Top Hats), 5 or even 4hp will move the boat around in a calm lake, 6 or 8 is ample for the rest, my preference is for. 8hp 2st that will motor the boat nicely all day if needed on a coastal passage. The four bladed hi-thrust prop is nice to have, I'd also suggest an ultra long shaft, if mounting on transom.
cheers

Haven't ever had one but Contessa 25s displace 2155kg so are not light for a 25 footer. Would agree with the 8hp 2st with 4 blade hi-thrust prop. 4 strokes are typically heavier but a lot quieter if you can stretch the $s to get an 8hp one - more expensive to service. The Yamaha 8hp 4st is >40kg - the 6hp ~27kg. The C25 usually have the well at the rear of the cockpit which locates the outboard just aft of the rudder - does yours have this still or has it been closed off? If it has this and it is in serviceable condition and will be used then measure up to see if an 8hp fits geometry wise and whether you need long or ulong shaft - the cavitation plate needs to be located at the correct level - normally around 1" under the water surface.

If you are going to transom mount then the slope of the transom needs to be managed as you allude to - on a Farr727 I dealt with this as below by using a hard plastic wedge between the bracket and the grey mounting board so that the outboard leg was nearly vertical. Plastic was one of the Dotmar polystone grades - if recall right was termed "marine" back then but it is not on their website now - maybe it has changed to "Fender" - they will advise.

www.dotmar.com.au/products.php?search=polystone+

Thankyou so much for the replies. Yes it has a well so that's good . The dealer says a 5hp would be ample. The Yamaha 6 hp is same weight as the 5 hp for an extra $100. But I even thought about a 9.9. We will be just family cruising though build up to longer passages over time . Would the 9.9 be overkill ? Would depend on if it fits also .

Don't muck around. .. Get a Toey 9.8 .. .. That will really push her around .. .. Reliable as, bro...

Believe the dealer is being way more than a tad optimistic with "5hp would be ample".
I have a Y9.9 4st elect start on a Columbia22 just bought and it is a big hunk of machinery see below - am going to change it out for a smaller one. A Y9.9 may not fit in your well. But the quietness of the thing is amazing - at idle I thought it had stalled - first 4st oboard I have had. Maybe I am a bit deaf or worse. Do you want to buy it?
The T9.8 looks good at 37kg - weight depending on shaft length.
Check the geometry of the well etc and the shaft length needed, also do you want elec start or just rope pull manual start - believe the Y9.9 is the smallest in their range with elec start. Most oboards 6hp and more have chargers but if you have a solar panel this is not needed.
Also be aware that raising and lowering too heavy oboards in yacht wells or on transoms can be a real pain, can do your back in. Tackle systems can be rigged up to lead to winches but securing systems - which hold the oboard down or up - need to be activated also.

A Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke is the lightest option at 27 or 28kg depending on leg length. 4-strokes for similar HP are around 40kg, or you might go for an 8HP. I wouldn't go any less, because there will be times when you need all that power to battle chop or get upwind.
I installed a Tohy9.8 2-stroke in a well I made, for a 3500 kg yacht, and find it a good size, good power, and I can lift it out for an annual service. If you can afford it and it fits, a 9.9 would be better than 6 HP. You will more likely regret economising, and then having to buy another motor with an extra 2HP. Better to go for 9.8/ 9.9 HP in the first instance, if it fits the well and your budget.

PS. you can't buy a brand new 2-stroke any more due to legislation/environment concerns. So it's 2nd hand or a 4-stroke.

Hi Jim, congratulations on the Contessa, how about some pictures for those of us stuck within 5km of home.

Having lifted outboards over to the transom since the old Seagull in the mid 60's to more recently a 6hp. Think before you leap as to how to carry from the cabin to the bracket. Yes it can be a two person to pass out from below, but weight and awkwardness count too.

We had a couple of Contessas in our family. My brother still has one (my mums old boat). It had an 8hp two stroke that pushed it fine in the well. My mum couldn't pull start it and didn't like getting it into and out of the cabin so she put a bracket on the transom and had a purchase off the backstay to get it up. She liked it but I thought it marred the look of the contessa's lovely bum. The 9.8 is a great motor and if you can get one it would be great, but the Yammie 8 two stroke is also a fine engine. Our first contessa had a Mariner 4 hp which was fine for us, she sailed so well we only used it rarely. A 4 stroke Yammie 9.9 would be way overkill. If it was my boat I would look at using the well behind the rudder. I would make a sliding mount that pulls up and forward when up, so the motor sits over the back half of the tiller when up. Like the systems on the back of open transom sports boats. But I like somewhat quirky motor systems.

I had one for a number of years and loved it. We repowered it with a 5hp 2st tohatsu and never found we needed more power. Usually ran at half to 3/4 throttle. We did have a high thrust prop and would not have wanted any heavier when lifting it in and out of the well.