I wish there was a series on the refitting of your boat. You are quite the jack of all trades.

Extremely professional fit just sitting back to enjoy. Hell of a lot of thought has gone into this project congratulations Sir.

An inspirational conversion of a Contessa 26. well done! I am inspired to get busy on my International Folkboat. Lots of great ideas gained from your boat. Cheers.

Alan, it is fascinating to see your journey develop! Thank you for these videos! We wish you the best and hope the journey is going well!

This is a great build, reminds me of Roger Taylor and his adventures aboard Mingming 2, can't wait to see more, fair winds!

Never ever thought it was possible to do this kind of adventure on that budget. Eye opener! New sub.

Good job, well thought out.

Amazing!!! Looks so functional! I like all your custom woodwork, outboard holder, battery area, electrical and radio area. Looks really strong, ready for a storm.

Love it, simple, strong and functional. Reminds me of Taylor’s Ming-Ming boats..

Well done Alan, see you bright and early tmr.

U did a nice job customizing "Wave Rover". Stoked for you and your adventure ahead. I will be joiniing the same group of afventurers this summer if world events become stable. A fellow Canadian with an "Alberg 30". 👍👍👍

Very nicely done. Lovely boat.

Thank you for the video, contessa nice boat , many storage place . I am very interesting to get contessa 26 foot to continue sailing around the world

Every detail has been meticulously thought out, Alan. Well done. Great use of the maple leaf! Safe passage and bon voyage. Darryl

I like your set up. Reminds me of what James Baldwin would do.

Nice boat!! Very well put together buddy. must have been a lot of fun. Thanks for the video.

Man that thing is so compact! I have a Spencer 42, it gets a bit tight for me at times, I am amazed how compact that boat is.

Looking forward to your journey

Love the details!!!

Love your dingy , bud the spud , from the big red mud . safe travels from a once born islander .

Nice clean & simple setup. Well done.

Nice boat.Your a inspiration.Stay safe my brother.

Well done review..nicely paced & in your typical fashion....clear & well said Waveroaver rocks ! She looks racy in white & grey, every sq in purposefully built..reminicient if numerous pre 70's race cars. She's orderly & bristol !- canyon

Wow, you've certainly got yourself a very seaworthy boat, well suited for long distance sailing!

You have made a great series of videos.

Very neat and ship shape, well done. she feels confident..

Awesome build. You can see a similar build on my blog for a Cal 2-27. I love the top extension you built on that boat.

I just came across this video aftet few years. I coudn't help myself and smiled when you went " this is the hatch, completelly watertight". You should have added " when is propetly closed" Saludos desde algún lugar entre Mexico y Argentina.

Lovely shippy vessel.

Just ran across your channel. I have never sailed a boat in my life, but I love learning about how you are preparing for your journey! Liked and subbed.

That's an awesome boat.

Priceless info! Gives great perspective. Just the little idea of rubber bands around the glass jars. Tested seaman!

Diggin’ the videos!

I know you’re a real sea captain, but man.. you need a better mattress my guy.. Other than that, what a well sorted and supplied vessel! Congrats! Be safe (I know you will be) and enjoy!

Looks Like Its Combat Ready.! ..chuckle

Well done sir! That’s what ya gotta do if you want a small safe offshore boat. Much like Roger Taylor’s Mingming II very well outfitted for small boat adventures! Take heed other small boat sailors with offshore aspirations!

Looks like a lot of canned sardines, planned for your ocean going venture. My favourite canned Thai Chili sauce... All the best!!!

Well equipped for the journey. This small boat is better equipped then my Hunter 33. About 8 or 9 years ago there was this young guy who sailed a Contessa 26 named the Constellation all over the Atlantic and Caribbean. He put many videos on KZfaq and eventually made a short movie about it all. Lookup "Between Home Movie".

Lovely boat and well thought out modifications. Do need to secure floor boards and storage lids. Would strap dinghy down more securely. Do you have a GPS other than the one on vhf? Do you have a held vhf for use in dinghy? If budget can be squeezed a bit more a Spot for emergency contact and for family to follow your route would be additional safety. Best of weather for you voyage. You “got this”.

Very nice tour of the sailboat before taking off on what will be an incredible journey!

really looks great!

Just found you, went back to the beginning, bucket list stuff, following 👍🏻👍🏻

Brasilian were...Nice boat , god winds.

Nice job

Very good preparation. Congrats! I' d like to know about medices, I mean which kind have you collected for your journey? No one can avoid to have a tooth pain, o broked arm, ...

Nice setup! I love the chainplates and stern plates... I'm pretty sure that my Bianca 27 doesn't need it but I'll definitely consider this extra next summer when I'm planning to rig up with an aluminium mast instead of the old wooden one. Regarding the stove: I've tried with the Origo but outside western countries it is hard to find good ethanol alcohol that doesn't sting the eyes when burning... and cheap grog isn't warming enough. In French colonies is easy to find the ubiquitous Gazprom bottles if you like it simple but after much though I opted for the Primus... can be fuelled easily with white spirit/paraffin/kerosene (airports are great suppliers of free kerosene) and can be primed with basically any strong booze. Primus would works everywhere in the world. I have the same anchor roller as you have but I'll mount it on a longer steel base so the chain will not be scratching the hull when reversed and a plaw or a grapnel can be left in place during coastal legs... now is too short for it and the anchor hit the hull at every wave forcing me to pull it on deck every time. After 5k nm on an outboard... I've fallen in love for my Yanmar 15hp... but you know... engines are like women and everyone like it's own. My constant problem with the outboard was that it becomes useless when you are forced to push against strong wind and choppy sea... got in trouble outside of Morocco 20 years ago and it resulted in another 50 miles until the next manageable entrance to shelter against a strong gale. Great channel... I'll definitely follow your trip! Cheers! 😊

Love your dinghy

looks solid as a rock! curious though that you were a chippy but the joinery is akin to something I would knock up after a few beers. the ol' Ryobi router would soften up those sharp lines and cuts through marine ply like butter

Good advice

nice job! Maple leaf.

Hi buddy. Very good job with securing the main hatch!

Well done mate. Great video... ;-} [EDIT] Just curious, I gather you are going to sleep on your bunks. Where do you store the bedding etc for them and do you intend to make some sort of harness setup to stop you from rolling out in heavy weather??

Very impressive, some great ideas, I will be thinking about borrowing some of them during the refit of my Bowman 26. Have you seen Atom Voyager's channel, some great ideas there too. Can I ask how you mounted the solar panels at the stern & is your windvane steering home made?

Jesus this sail boat looks like it is designed purposefully to take on the worst weather possible! You could go anywhere anytime of year with this boat!

Great build, new subscriber! I see some comments are annoyingly critical but.....one little suggestion? I believe the dinghy obstructs your running lights looking from in front of your boat. I would hate to see any issues maneuvering at night, as visibility of both port and starboard lights bow-on is crucial for safety. Other than that, awesome job and fair winds!

I like it much more then the MingMing !

I like the way that you fit a dinghy, but I wondered if it is covering an escape hatch. Overall, this whole setup seems to be really well thought out. I'll watch more of your videos before asking about the things you would have changed with the benefit of hindsight.

I just found your channel by happenstance. I enjoyed this video and have subscribed to your channel. I'm looking forward to viewing more of them. I'm in Downeast Maine, near the US/Canadian border, and my family (both sides) are from Canada (Nova Scotia & PEI). I'm presently building a new sailboat of my own design (retired naval architect & marine engineer) specifically for the "Downeast Circle Route." That's Maine to Nova Scotia (through the Canso Lock), around PEI and up the St. Lawrence into Lake Ontario, through the Oswego and Erie canals to the Hudson River, around Manhattan and up the East River into Long Island Sound, through Buzzards Bay and the Cape Cod Canal, and up the coast back to Maine. The Northeast circumnavigation is just under 2500 nautical miles. I've posted several videos of the build on my KZfaq channel but have suspended the series due to winter (building the hull outside). Watching your videos and others like it provides me with continued inspiration and motivation to continue onward. Thanks for taking the time to make and post your videos!

I would tape up the split rings on the chain plates. If they catch on clothing they can get pulled clean away with a possible dismasting as a result. Just some electrical tape gives you peace of mind.

I sail a Albin Vega27. After years of research, my list was down to vega and contessa26. I like the transom hung rudder on Conts. better. The interior layout of vega is superb in my eyes. I wish both were keel stepped though. Would be less practical but more reliable IMHO.

Do you have a life raft?. Harnesses? Do you intend installing roller furling ? Do have chain anchor rode...will of course. necessitate a winch? I had an Alberg 29 built by Nye yachts..Married with new twins and a big dog needed the space..😣 Used to own a Vagabond 42 here in Thailand...on the beach now on 30acres.

I really enjoy your videos :) Currently refitting my 24 foot Achilles 24 (same type as Mingming 2). I really like what you did with your interior. What paint did you used inside? What type of varnish for plywood? I will copy your idea with plywood fronts, this looks great!

Adventure

I Like yachts , but I Live in Russia . I heve aluminim boat 18 feet , with a engine Honda-90 , I use self boat for unlegal fishing sea cucumber and halibut near VLadivostok , Russia .

Very cool, love what you have done ... approximately what did boat cost and what did refit cost ? ... as i am very interested in doing something similar on a budget, so curious to what's possible

Your Contessa is a well kept boat, some of them have circumnavigated. In my opinion a little diesel engine would have made it more practical, to get the outborder in working position in high seas will take some time and stored diesel is much safer than gas.

Love sailing but very bland and the most unique part of the vessel (raised style ceiling when you walk in )

What a great setup.... some well thought out ideas. You mentioned on the previous video your budget was $10k, did you get all of this done for that? Everything appears to be new... well except the upholstery :)

How do you like your external chainplates? I have a 76 Contessa and I'm thinking about doing the same!

Another clear and simple video. So to get it straight, you only plan to use the engine leaving port and arriving in port but mid ocean you 100% rely on sails? How easy is it to instal and carry up companionway? How much HP?

Love the toilet, ok when sailing alone, but right out in the open when there are two or more. Guess you go when others are out on deck! 😂🤣😂

What brand of self steering are you using?

I note the companionway and hatch have been drastically modified from the original design. Was this done as a preparation for your ocean passages?

Well I'm binge watching your channel today. I do have a question. I spent my life commercial fishing, we would beach our boats out on a sandy beach to clean the bottom. Obviously, we could only do one side at a time. My knowledge of sailboats is limited. Do you do that with your vessel?

Life raft? Where would you fit one, under dinghy?

I've looked at alot of photos online of Contessa sail boats. The largest models I see with the long keel like yours is the 26. Anything bigger has the much smaller keel with the rudders hanging out there in the open. I think I would like a 32 footer at least with the full keel. Any suggestions on what boats have that?

What is your communication strategy for out of VHF range? Find room in your budget for a satellite phone or at least get an amateur radio license and Marine grade SSB radio. Can communicate easily, email, phone and digital modes around the world. Eprib is great yet reliable, effective communication is paramount.

Just a few critiques... Storing your outboard with a gas tank inside the boat is a bad idea. The battery should be outside with overboard venting as well (batteries create hydrogen gas when charging). Your dingy needs to be secured with straps across it to hold it securely. Your dingy is blocking your navigation lights. LED lights are so cheap that it is bad economy to use incandescent lighting, and that car tail light is probably going to be too bright anyway. I would be leery of home canned food, but if done right it should be OK... if done wrong you could get food poisoning at sea - not a good prospect when single handing a boat in the middle of the ocean. A water maker would be nice... they are somewhat expensive, but running out of fresh water is not a good option.

Great series of videos, really helpful & inspiring for my own restoration of a 69 English CO26. I’ve got a couple quick questions: 1. I’m agonising over replacing my buggered inboard Yanmar with an outboard similar to yours, but a previous boat I had with that set up annoyed me when trying to manoeuvre in tight situations. Are you able to pivot yours at all to alleviate this problem, or did you just adapt your technique? 2. I hate inflatables and would prefer a hard dingy that I can row, but there’s so little room on deck up forward. Yours looks like a sweet set up, very secure on deck. What design is she, and how does she perform? Do you reckon something like a Portland Pudgy would fit ok?

Joshua Slocum would have been happy to bring everyone he knew if he had a boat this big to sail around the world with zero engine, zero electronics, and hand drawn charts.

I'm curious of the total solar panel power and battery capacity. Looking at the radio specs, says it pulls 6W in standby mode.

The Contessa is a remarkably sea-worthy yacht. My one concern would be the mod to the entrance archway. That box-like structure looks very vulnerable should the boat be lifted and thrown down on its beam, the weight of the boat impacting the sea could break that structure apart leaving the yacht vulnerable to the next breaking sea.

You should have one extra regular size jib sail. You should have one x 1/3 size storm jib. You should have one x 1/3 size storm main. I think you should put more water out side in plastic containers. The dingy is not secure. You need two bilge pumps. One on each side for each hand. One will not cut it in real emergency. Three or four would be better but you only have two hands. Fiberglass and painting and rebuild looks very good. You missed fairing the edge of the radio mount. Work on it

It looks like you are living the dream! What is your windvane please?

Hi Alan. Love your chanel and your quest with Wave Rover. I’m restoring my ALO 28, similar to your Contessa, but fin keel. Have come to the chain plates, and was thinking 350mm x 40mm x 5mm would be strong enough. Plan to use 316L steel, outside the hull. What dimetions did you choose? Best regards. Runar Andersen.

Doesn't the fumes from the petrol in the outboard bother you and the danger from the fumes when you light the stove.

I don't like the oars and motor in the bow. I'd want it accessible. But where else? Deck?

Hi, Wave Rover owner! Could you please explain what was the reason to mount the horizontal chainplate at the stern of the Contessa on portside. I didn't understand the function!

Got sextant, charts, chronometer and better compass? Hope so. If you havent taken a celestial navigation course at least get a book and work it on your trip. Do you have an interior fan and also more batteries? I didnt see a liferaft with sextant and food and epirb inside.

Did you make it?

Where do you go to the bathroom on the boat?

What about a dry suit? You're going to cross an oncean !! And I'd like to see your liferaft (if any) Thx! Fair winds!

What's your height Allan? Do you fit comfortably in the Bunks?..... I'm watching the amazing series again.... But this time on a 📺TV. It feels so realistic 👍🏼

Dingy is not going to cut it on the foredeck. the outboard will stink up the cabin,far too violent forward for camera gear,fire extinguisher may become a missle there,get the water down onto the sole,trim tab could be faired in better,tiller needs a more secure way of locking,"red" lights do not actually work for charts,as red things cannot be seen,consider switching to optimus kerosene rather than alcohol.

Alan: Did you run into any issues cutting scupper openings in the gunwales of your Contessa? I’m planning on the same modifications to mine. Also, I noted 3 on each side. How did you locate them?

amazing how clean that boat is after 40 plus yrs ?? thumbs up !!!

How long is it?

A man with chain plates on his rear end! Cool.

What kind of sea food was in the cans that look like sardines?

Can you share where you got the dinghy plans or did you design yourself?