Menai Piper
Menai Piper is a 26 foot, long keeled sailing boat. Piper is a bermudan sloop, meanng that she has one mast with conventional triangular sails. She has a small inboard motor to use when there is no wind as well as for entering and leaving harbour. She is equiped with a Navik wind vane self steering designed to automatically steer the boat at a set angle to the wind as well as electric auto-helm which will steer a constant compass course.
There are four berths , although it will be very crowded with four people on board. Two of the bunks are pilot berths in the saloon and the other two are a V-berth in the bow. The two saloon berths are a good length and these are the bunks which we will use most of the time. Inside we also have a chart table, a 2 burner gas cooker and grill, a sea toilet and storage space.
Some of Piper's vital statistics are:
- Type: Contessa 26
- LOA: 25'6" (7.8m)
- LWL: 21'0" (6.4m)
- Beam: 7'6" (2.3m)
- Draft: 4'0" (1.2m)
- Sail Area: 304ft2 (28m2)
- Displacement: 3300kg
- Build Date: 1969
- Official Number: 363744
- Sail Number: 38
- VHF Call Sign: MDDX
- Engine: Yanmar 1GM10
- Engine Power 10hp
On board we are carrying a small inflatable dinghy with oars and a tiny (2.5hp) 2 stroke petrol outboard motor to use for getting ashore when anchored. Other equipment we are carrying includes charts, emergency flares and a spinnaker for use downwind in light winds. We also have all our clothes and personal kit as well as our climbing kit, tent and sleeping bags. We are carrying enough food and water to last for a week but could fit more on board when required.
We have a GPS, echo sounder and log on board to help us navigate as well as a VHF radio for communication and saftey. As well as navigation instruments we have a newly installed sound system so we can enjoy a few tunes. We also have some less conventional electronics which we are testing. All the on board electronics and lights are powered from two 12v batteries charged by an on board wind generator and the engine.
We purchased Piper from David Rainsbury in October 2007. He has sailed her singlehanded all over Europe and his travels are well documented in Practical Boat Owner and other magazines. Davids website contains photos and descriptions of some of the voyages he did in Piper.
A good web page about the history of the Contessa 26 is located in the Contessa 26 Association Website.
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