Contessa 26 Refit ep.3 - Sanitation, Stem Head and Chain Locker

[@elliowb2]

I don't know if you've already made the hole, but I'd be very leary of having a drain up on the bow. I think it'd be much better to drain it to the bilge. I recently rebuilt the pump on my holding tank too (it was a Gusher as well). You can get a rebuild kit from Defender. My diaphragm was completely saturated with rather odiferous material. I think I got the neoprene rebuild kit, which is supposed to be a bit more impervious to the effluent.

[@hellohellohello6847]

What a great channel! I too own a contessa 26. I hope it all goes well, I will watch your videos. Phil, south coast of the UK

[@EpoxyAndButylTape]

Thank Phil! Comments like this make it all worth it!

[@georgebetar923]

Good work. Attention to detail is appreciated.

[@Tinkerlog]

Great job. Cheers, Alex

[@kevinschyf3795]

Looks great, thanks for sharing!

[@solarsail56]

Thanks for sharing - I’m enjoying watching your refit. I do have one request - can you normalize your audio - the music at the beginning is so much louder than your voice that when I go from one of your videos the nest I get blasted. Please keep sharing, very informative.

[@EpoxyAndButylTape]

Ha ha, yes I know what you mean. I'm shooting these videos with my iphone, so the sound is terrible to say the least. I'll try to get it more even with the upcoming vids until I get a proper camera.

[@solarsail56]

@@EpoxyAndButylTape Thanks for the response. Your video is just fine - I use my I-phone as well with satisfactory results. There are two places you can fix the sound situation. When you are working in I-Movie at some point when you save it, the programs asks if you want to "normalize" the audio. You can also adjust the separate audio track and music track by clicking on the track, then clicking on the speaker at the bottom of the screen. Another option On KZbin you can go into the edit mode when you are uploading the video and normalize it there. I don't remember the exact steps, but I have found it makes a big differnce on the audio quality.

[@EpoxyAndButylTape]

Thanks, will look into it.

[@jonascabrera8230]

Do you think there are any downsides to installing the chain locker holes/clam vents? I saw Erik Anderea do the save thing on his Contessa 35 and it seems like a good idea, but I wonder if water could ever get in if the bow dug into a wave or something.

[@EpoxyAndButylTape]

If the boat heeled over enough for the drain hole to be underwater while moving, the clam shell cover on the outside creates a vacuum while the boat is moving. The only disadvantage would be if you run aground and then lean over so that the drain hole is underwater while still. In that situation, you could take on water. I actually closed the hole back up in part 13 of these videos.

[@klausjensen9150]

The contessa 26 is a very wet boat , i would not of put that cam vent there . If i remember JJ Taylor had an opening to get as much chain low along the inside and keep the weight low . I think i would of kept a drain to the bilge and added extra bilge pump instead .

[@EpoxyAndButylTape]

You are commenting on a video that was made in 2017 and uploaded in 2019. I've since closed the hole and gone back to a bilge drain, but even so a clam cover over the drain keeps water out if the boat is moving otherwise, you would need to make sure the chain locker is water tight.

[@adamcue6529]

I'm doing something similar on an Alberg 30. Curious what motivated you to change the new plywood backers you installed to G10, and replace the bronze through-hulls you originally intended to keep?

[@EpoxyAndButylTape]

Just a couple of those jobs that I finished, then decided to do them again because I know that I’ll keep wondering if I should have used better backing blocks and replaced the thru hulls when I’m 1000 miles offshore.

[@adamcue6529]

@@EpoxyAndButylTape Thanks pal! I'll be following your progress 👍