We are LaDonna Bubak and Rob Tryon. We are lifelong West Coast sailors who met in 1997 at a used marine chandlery in Portland, OR. We’ve sailed up and down the coast from Portland to San Francisco to Sitka, AK and back to SF. LaDonna was offered an editorial position at the (in)famous Latitude 38 magazine so we’ll be staying here for a few years before we continue cruising. Along for the ride and the free seafood is Fred the Cruising Kitty.
Rob has dreamed of sailing in the Singlehanded TransPac — a race from SF to Kauai, HI — for years and now that we’re here for awhile, he decided to go for it. We bought this little 1974 JJ Taylor Contessa 26 on December 4, 2006, and will work hard to make her fit for the next race in 2008. There’s much to do and we’ll chronicle all of it here for family, friends and anyone interested in what it takes to refit a good old boat.
December 11, 2006 at 11:00 pm
LaDonna & Rob ?
(Kitty Litter !!!)
Hi, like your website. Looks like you got yourself a nice project
Like yourself I have a bit of mad dream …. to sail in the 2010 Jester Challenge (Plymouth England to Newport RI) which I’m preparing for. I’m thinking of having sponsored by Ebay written on the side ! (bought the boat off ebay…long story) I keep on telling myself that half the fun is getting the boat back to her former glory and ready to take whatever Neptune wants to throw at her, but it also gives you confidence to know exactly where every bolt, screw and nut is. Last winter I kept on telling mself that taking the boat apart REALLY was the best way of putting it all back together again !
All the best with the project.
Andrew
August 7, 2007 at 1:00 am
What size outboard do you have on your Contessa 26? Is the size adequate? Do you like the way the motor is mounted? Did you reinforce the inside of the transom? Would you do anything differently with it? I’m about to ditch the inboard and switch to an outboard on my J. Rogers Contessa 26 #244 built in ‘74. Let me know. Thanks. Your boat is looking great, by the way.