Contessa 39 Cruising
Robust Classic Cruiser
- Boat REF# · 346502
- LOA · 11.89m
- Year · 1981
- Construction · GRP
- Underwater profile · Fin
- Berths · 6
- Engine · 1 x Diesel 40hp, Yanmar (2016)
- Lying · Port Townsend, WA USA -- Shown by Appt!
Extra Details
| Designer | Doug Peterson |
|---|---|
| Builder | Jeremy Rogers Limited |
| Lying | Port Townsend, WA USA -- Shown by Appt! |
| Fuel capacity | 90.9 ltr (20.0 G) Total - 1 Tanks |
| Water capacity | 136.4 ltr (30.0 G) Total - 2 Tanks |
| Holding tank capacity | 90.9 ltr (20.0 G) Total - 1 Tanks |
| Last survey | 01/12/2025 |
Mechanical
| Engine | 1 x Diesel 40hp |
|---|---|
| Engine make and model | Yanmar (2016) |
| Engine Hours |
engine1= ~455 |
| Engine Cooled | Direct |
| Steering | Tiller |
| Drive | Shaft |
| Prop(s) | Max Prop 3 Blade (Feathering) (+ Rope Cutter) |
| Fuel consumption (approx) | 3.0 ltr (0.7 G) /hour At Cruising Speed |
| Cruising speed (approx) | 7 knots |
| Max speed (approx) | 8 knots |
The modern Yanmar 3JH4 is powerful and economical. The shift in and out of gear is smooth. At 40hp the boat idles ahead easily and can reach nearly 8 knots at higher RPMs.
A Victron Multiplus Compact Inverter Charger w/Cerbo GX mk.2
Victron Mppt charge controller is wired to the 300ah LiFePO4 house battery and a Xantrex MPPT charger for the stand alone AGM engine start battery.
2X100 Watt Rich Solar rigid solar panels mounted to Bimini.
LED lighting has been upgraded throughout the interior as well as the bow navigation. Options for Red/White and dimming features run through the main saloon into the head as well as the V-berth.
AC/GFI outlets are located at the nav station, salon, head and V-berth.
Dimensions
| LOA | 11.89m |
|---|---|
| LOD | 11.95m |
| LWL | 10.11m |
| Beam | 3.81m |
| Draft Min | 7.25m |
| Draft Max | 2.21m |
| Airdraft | 16.15m |
| Displacement | 6,464kg (14,252.4lbs) |
| Headroom | 1.83m |
| Storage | On marina |
Rig
Sloop rigged Seldon Aluminium spars (1981) with stainless steel standing rigging ()
Sails
| Mainsail | North Sail - Slab (2012) Stack Pack, Fully Battened, Lazy Jacks, 1 Reefs |
|---|---|
| Headsail | North Sail - Furling (2002) |
| Other sails | Genoa (2012) |
The forestay rigging was refit in October 2026. The headstay has modern Seldon Furlex 208S furling rig. Staysail is rigged with adjustable turnbuckle at plate.
Staysail will accept hank on or other sail.
Current mainsail is stiff as cardboard and in very good condition overall.
There is a spare mainsail that is in good and serviceable condition.
A single, low clew Yankee staysail, in very good condition, is included. This will need to be hanked.
Backstay tensioner is a Colligo cascading dyneema system installed in 2026.
There are 2 laminate North Sail, ~150% Genoas. The luff is too long for the current furling system. One is a light wind that will need repairs and the intermediate is in good condition.
Running rigging appear to be in good condition. The original hydraulic tensioning systems have been removed. The backstay is a cascading Colligo Dyneema system. All running rigging is Seldon, Harken, and Lewmar.
Blocks and organizers are well bedded an function very well.
Lines are showing age, though appear to be lightly used
Electrical Systems
12 volt battery, 110 shore power voltage, 2 batteries charged by: engine, solar panels, shore power 300Ah Renogy LifePo4 House Battery
Construction
| Construction | GRP |
|---|---|
| Underwater profile | Fin |
| Finish | Paint finish |
LOA is 39' moorage purposes. This includes overhanging features, ie. bow sprit, anchors.
Constructed of heavily layed GRP, Contessas are highly regarded for stout and rugged construction.
The fuel tank is 20 gallons and is easily accessible from the lazzerette.
A pair of 2x14.5 gallon Vetus water bladders have been installed for freshwater storage. There is a new aluminum 25 gallon fuel tank. The holding tank is polypropylene and is brand new.
Waterline Boats / Boatshed does not independently verify capacities and measures, which are reported from seller-provided information and/or literature.
Accommodation
| Total # of berths | 6 |
|---|---|
| No. of double berths | 2 |
| No. of single berths | 2 |
| Cabin(s) | 1 |
| Handbasin | 2 |
| Shower | 1 |
| Heads | 1 heads (Manual) |
A wet head with new updated plumbing including Jabsco head and new holding tank is just forward of the Salon. The head door can be swung 45 degrees to close off the salon from the passageway into the v- berth.
Aft of the Nav station, a new Isotemp 6 gallon hot water heater is installed below the berth.
The L shaped galley has foot pump salt water rinse. The Adler Barber top loading fridge runs very well.
Fresh water is supplied by 2 recently installed VETUS 14.5 gallon bladders below the port and starboard settees.
There are opening ports on port and starboard footwells in cockpit that can be opened from below decks.
2 burner gas cooker/stove
Accommodation
| Cooker/stove | |
|---|---|
| Grill | |
| Sink | |
| Refrigerator | |
| Manual water system | |
| Pressurised water system | |
| Hot water system | |
| Non-Smokers |
A wet head with new updated plumbing including Jabsco head and new holding tank is just forward of the Salon. The head door can be swung 45 degrees to close off the salon from the passageway into the v- berth.
Aft of the Nav station, a new Isotemp 6 gallon hot water heater is installed below the berth.
The L shaped galley has foot pump salt water rinse. The Adler Barber top loading fridge runs very well.
Fresh water is supplied by 2 recently installed VETUS 14.5 gallon bladders below the port and starboard settees.
There are opening ports on port and starboard footwells in cockpit that can be opened from below decks.
2 burner gas cooker/stove
Deck Gear
| Sail cover | |
|---|---|
| Sprayhood | |
| Spray dodgers | |
| Sun awning | |
| Fenders | |
| Boathook | |
| Bimini |
2 halyard winches
4 sheet winches
2 anchors
(Rocna / Danforth)
22.86m of chain
45.72m of warp
Anchors are manually deployed and retrieved.
Fishing
There is no dinghy
Nav Equipment
| Compass | |
|---|---|
| Speed | |
| Wind | |
| VHF | |
| VHF DSC radio | |
| GPS | |
| Chart plotter | |
| Barometer | |
| Navigation lights | |
| AIS Receiver | |
| Echo sounder | |
| Radar Reflector |
*Airmar depth transducer installed 4 yeas ago.
*New Garmin GPSMAP 943 is installed and functions through NMEA 2000.
*New Garmin gWind wireless transducer.
*New Garmin windpack including airmar transducer for SOG/Depth/TWD.
*VHF and Chartplotter are AIS compatible If sailing offshore or extended cruising new owner will need to acquire Epirb and MMSI number.
Safety Equipment
| Life jackets | |
|---|---|
| Life buoys | |
| Danbuoy | |
| MOB System |
2 bilge pumps (1 manual / 1 Electric)
There are 2 fire extinguishers mounted under the companionway and forward.
Broker's Comments
1981 Contessa 39
Built by Jeremy Rogers LLC in Lymington, England, this Contessa 39 (Hull #7 of 12) offers legendary North Atlantic-proven structural integrity. Well-maintained with complete ownership records, she is in above-average condition for her age and is fully capable as a liveaboard, extended daysailer, or a fast coastal cruiser.
There is a marine survey available from October 2026!
Deck & Cockpit
*Helming: Tiller-steered with solid, responsive rudder feedback; classic dinghy-style cockpit layout.
*Canvas & Comfort: Bimini over the aft deck and cockpit; large spray dodger over clutch groups.
*Storage: Immense lazarette accessed via a large Lewmar hatch; mounted Magma LPG grill (port).
*Ground Tackle & Rigging: Heavy-duty running rigging and deck gear. Features 4 self-tailing Lewmar winches, two 3-speed primaries, Seldon/Harken deck organizers, and ample genoa tracks.
Recent Upgrades include New headstay, new Collego custom Dyneema Dux backstay tensioner, and an updated Garmin Wind pack including bluetooth anemometer.
Electronics & Navigation
*Helm/Companionway: Garmin 943 GPSMap MFD with GNX 20 Wireless Windpack (2026); port and starboard deck-mounted Ritchie compasses.
*Nav Station: Forward-facing station with red/white LED lighting and a Garmin 215 VHF/AIS receiver.
Electrical & Power
*Solar: 2 x 100W Rich Solar panels mounted on the bimini frame.
*Batteries: 300Ah Renogy LiFePO4 house bank (managed via a Victron Compact Inverter/Charger, Cerbo GX, and dedicated Victron MPPT controller); 12V AGM Duralast deep-cycle starter battery charged via motor alternator and Xantrex MPPT controller.
*Shore Power: New Marinco 30A shore power receptacle with a Yanmar engine control panel in the aft cockpit.
Interior & Accommodations
*Salon: Warm teak and mahogany joinery with ~6’0” headroom. Dual facing settees double as berths.
*Galley: Top-loading Adler-Barbour fridge, dry storage, deep stainless sink with raw-water foot pump, electric freshwater faucet, and a new gimbaled Jetboil Flash 1.0 cooking system.
*Berths & Storage: Forward V-berth with 110V GFCI outlet and LED fixtures; large aft pilot berth; open sail-storage locker aft (formerly pipe berths).
*Head: Clean and well-maintained with new plumbing, new Jabsco toilet, and a new Marinco solar vent. Updated LED lighting throughout. A single door isolates the head/V-berth from the main cabin.
*Water Systems: 2 x 14.5-gal VETUS removable freshwater tanks with deck fills; new 6-gallon IsoTemp hot water heater.
Mechanical
*Engine: Repowered 40hp Yanmar with very low hours (473 hrs). The engine compartment is clean, dry, and easily accessible via three panels.
*Controls: Separate throttle and transmission levers located in the aft cockpit.
Additional Broker Comments:
*Condition: Very good overall mechanical and structural shape for a 45-year-old vessel.
*Cosmetics: Painted and non-skid deck surfaces will require minor cosmetic attention in the near future.
These boat details are subject to contract.
Note: Any offers on the asking price may be considered.