First Look At an Alberg 30

[Captain Smollett]

Cool!!!  No point in messing around with three-foot-itis when you can jump 12 feet in one shot!!!  Congrats on moving to the "maxi-boat" class!!!

LOL, I was wondering if anyone would give such a comment.  It's a big jump, but I really think 30 ft will be our biggest.  When the grandkids come along, their parents should have their own boat(s) by then...   

[AdriftAtSea]

Capn Smollett... if you did a similar size jump now, you'd be up to a near 50' boat...

[Captain Smollett]

Capn Smollett... if you did a similar size jump now, you'd be up to a near 50' boat...

Yep, and I'd lose my SailFar membership.   

[David_Old_Jersey]

That's a small air conditioning unit - it is not 'shipped' in the pic, just lying in the V-Berth.

I wondered if that might be it.........I am guessing it is a retro fit and possibly set up only as and when required? Aircon in my world is very much a luxury and not something I have ever become familiar with. But sometimes, just sometimes, I would kill for it!

What sort of unit is it? 

[s/v Faith]

That's a small air conditioning unit - it is not 'shipped' in the pic, just lying in the V-Berth.

I wondered if that might be it.........I am guessing it is a retro fit and possibly set up only as and when required? Aircon in my world is very much a luxury and not something I have ever become familiar with. But sometimes, just sometimes, I would kill for it!

What sort of unit is it? 

  I can answer that.     it is a small 'Halier' window unit that is placed in the companionway.  I sold it to the boat's prior owner after I replaced it with a used 'carry on' AC unit aboard 'Faith'. 

It is a decadent think to have aboard a small boat, but when you happen to have the power available to run it can greatly improve your odds of keeping the first mate happy aboard. 

  The window units work well, and are quite a bit cheaper then the marine units.  The disadvantage is that a boat with a proper bridge deck (like an Alberg, Ariel, Triton etc) make it harder to get below with the unit in the companionway.

[David_Old_Jersey]

  I can answer that.     it is a small 'Halier' window unit that is placed in the companionway.  I sold it to the boat's prior owner after I replaced it with a used 'carry on' AC unit aboard 'Faith'. 

It is a decadent think to have aboard a small boat, but when you happen to have the power available to run it can greatly improve your odds of keeping the first mate happy aboard. 

  The window units work well, and are quite a bit cheaper then the marine units.  The disadvantage is that a boat with a proper bridge deck (like an Alberg, Ariel, Triton etc) make it harder to get below with the unit in the companionway.

I am not one who needs Luxury........but I do have a weakness for "Decadence" 

I had never thought of using a domestic unit, I just thought that they would be wayyyyyy too big. I will do some Googling. Cheers.

[s/v Faith]

The Smollet 30 is underway!

 Capt. Smollet, Capt. K, and I had a nice motor sail down the river this am.  We met in the parking lot in Shallotte.... and just to make something clear that I fear might be made less clear in the future.... I was doing boat maintenance in the parking lot while I was waiting for them to show up... 

  After a refreshing 3 hour nap, we got up and got underway leaving the slip in the dark.

  The smile on John's face barely faded as we went down the river, he was going on like someone does on the maiden voyage on the great boat they have just bought.   

  I was only along for the first 15 miles to help out with a little 'local knowledge'  of the river and was dropped off at a marina at the mouth of the river where they bought fuel and other important supplies....  the cold frosty kind that had misterioulsy disappeared over the course of the evening before  

  Kurt bought ice, and while John was upset at first he came around to the newfound amenity, and mentioned that he might even reconsider other luxuries like electrical lighting and pre-sliced bread.   

  Hoping all is well aboard the Smollet 30, and looking forward to hearing about the rest of the trip.

[AdriftAtSea]

Sounds good to me... I hope the boat isn't going to be named the Smollett 30...   Does Capn Smollett know what he is going to name the boat yet???   Also, do we have any photos of this intrepid outing???

[s/v Faith]

Couple of pictures;

  The trip down the river was beautiful, sunrise, and a nice morning... of course I did not think to get out the camera until we were in down at the New River Marina (just south of the river, on the ICW).

Tied up at the fuel dock;



Her beautiful stern..... Alberg did not know how to draw an ugly boat.





Watching them get underway for the rest of the adventure without me, I thought about asking to go along... then remembered the only place left to sleep would be in the hanging locker... with the extra outboard.... 


The Smollet 30, with Capt' K and Capt John Smollet was last seen departing New RIver marina heading south in the ICW.... all SailFar Sailors should keep a sharp lookout.

[CapnK]

Borrowing the marina office 'puter for a quick update. The passage took much longer than expected, food ran out, and I am sad to have to report that John/Smollett didn't make it...

He was a little stringy, but, with enough sauce and a pressure cooker, didn't taste too bad.










 

Actually, things went well, the weather cooperated, even if the owner of the boat was surly and drunken the whole time.  John sure does like his rum! I wish he would have shared, but he is one of those mean drunks, you know the kind...

I'm lucky that he also has bad aim, although I would have felt better if the winch handles hadn't all gone overboard when he threw them at me because I got too near his "likker locker" by accident that one time. That man sure can curse, too - I don't know if some of the words were made up, or if it was just the slurring, but there were some new ones to me, and I'd thought I was pretty good at it myself. Anyway, as long as I stayed on deck, stayed busy at my paint scraping in between steering/boat handling, and was quick about fetching John more ice for his grog cup, he didn't yell too much. Not quite as much as Connie had, at least.

A couple of sleeping pills slipped into his drink when he wasn't looking eventually allowed me to singlehand in peace for a while, and although he complained that it was "itchy" under the duct tape when he woke up, I couldn't hear him whining when I was abovedeck in the wind, so that worked out OK. I feel bad that he got pretty badly bruised up when I changed tacks and he wound up on the sole, but I was singlehanding, and the boat does come first, right?

We were 38 hrs underway total from the time we left the dock with Craig, including the above mentioned fuel stop. Went offshore @ Cape Fear 11PM Sat, made the sea off Gtown at 4:15PM, were docked here at the marina around 7:30 last night. John is out looking for some larger ground tackle for his mooring setup.

The Smollett30 is a fine handling boat, very nimble even in light air. Yesterday afternoon she was loving the 15+ kts and 2-3' seas, we were ticking off 6+ kts close-hauled, no problems... Our only difficulty came just as we entered the jetties, as the days sea breeze died out, and the NWesterlies kicked back in, heading us. Third try was the charm, and we managed to sail most of the way in before resorting to the iron genny. 

Congrats John!!!!!

----------------------------------------------------

PS - Despite Craigs claims and cries of innocence, his "boat maintenance" almost resulted in jailtime and the subsequent delay of the start of our trip. It is not considered proper to, ah, erm, how should I say it - "polish ones jackstaff" in public, at least not in North Carolina.

Luckily, a trip to the bank to max out the cash limit on my Platinum Card (thanks for the ride, Officers...) served to keep Craig from doing time.

[Zen]

C aptn K. to rescue yet again 

[Frank]

POOooor capt K....seems to have "abuse abuse abuse" stamped on his forehead.      At least he is always game to help and participate ....(providing rum is involved)

[AdriftAtSea]

POOooor capt K....seems to have "abuse abuse abuse" stamped on his forehead.      At least he is always game to help and participate ....(providing rum is involved)

"Abuse abuse abuse" and yet he's not the one duct-taped in the v-berth...

[skylark]

He was a little stringy, but, with enough sauce and a pressure cooker, didn't taste too bad.

 

[Captain Smollett]

That man sure can curse, too - I don't know if some of the words were made up, or if it was just the slurring,

It's Irish, man.  You don't REALLY curse until you do it in another language.   

Obviously, reports of my demise and subsequent digestion are the artifact of a very beer soaked mind.  That or I'm just a ghost...


In all seriousness, I would like to extent a very BIG thank-you to both Craig and Kurt.

Both are excellent "pilots."  I'd probably STILL be sitting in the New River, on one of the many shoals, if Craig had not run that first 15 miles with us.  Well, if it were just me, anyway.   

As for Kurt, well, it was with his guidance that we made it through the Cape Fear in the dark.  What a place!  As I described this to my wife, about the best analogy I could adopt was:

"Imagine one of those football games where the people in the stands are taking flash photos.  All those flashing light going constantly, and you've got to pick out the ONE you need to head for."

Craig mentioned that his favorite time sailing is when the engine is first turned off.  Around 10:30 Saturday night, after 17 hours of motoring and motorsailing, we got there.  Just outside the Cape Fear Inlet, sails up and outboard off, the boat came to life.  This boat loves to sail.

Early Sunday morning was beautiful.  We had a 7/8 moon and not a cloud in the sky.  Winds were about 15 kt from a little north of west (later NW, which helped our course), temp I think about low 60's or so.  This was truly an incredible experience.     

I guess I don't smile a whole lot.  I can't say I sit around just smiling.  But Sunday, while still about 5 hours out from Georgetown, I was laying down taking a break (which I am sure will be re-worked into "passed out on Rum"), just smiling.  I was thinking, "I Love This Boat."  And knowing that she wants to take us places.

I did take a couple of pictures (not many, unfortunately). I will post them later.

There's another chapter in the saga in which Kurt did not participate.  The Mooring.

Touched the mud, dropped an anchor, outboard died.  Pull.  Pull.  Pull.  Pulled one time too many.  Pull cord broke.

Took the blamed thing apart and started rethreading a new cord.  About the time I got it wound (but not installed), she floated again.  Went ahead and laid the mooring Where I Was to get it sorted out later.

Got everything stowed and was ready to dingy ashore.  Pumped up chamber 1.  No prob.  #2.  Alls well.  No. 3, the MAIN tube of the boat, pumped up nicely.  But...the stopper plug was GONE.  Odd that it was there when I started to pump, gone when I was done pumping.  Looked and looked and looked for it.  No dice.

Ah, #1 leaks anyway, so I took the plug from #1, pumped up #4 and went on my way.

The whole process from arriving in the anchorage to back to the car took about 3 hours.  Maybe a little less.

The drive back inland was uneventful.  Except for a lot of thinking about "boat ideas."  And so the process begins again.

Small Boats.  Long Distances.

[maxiSwede]

Congratulations, Cap'n Smollett. You seem to have had a nice 'running in' sail in your new boat.

[Captain Smollett]

  At least he is always game to help and participate .

Boy, Frank, you got that right.  If anyone even thinks about passing through Georgetown without stopping to chat with KR, they are nuts.  One need only approach with a Cold Beer to offer, but plan for a few hours of lies sailing stories and great local knowledge.

[CharlieJ]

John- you gonna be on the chat tonight? I have some info for you on masthead sheaves

[Captain Smollett]

Hi Charlie,

I plan to be, at least for a little while. If I miss you tonight, could you send it via PM or email?

[Bill NH]

Congrats on a fine choice from a fellow A-30 sailor!  It's a great design that you'll be happy with.  I'm sure you've found the A-30 association by now, but if there's anything I can help with please ask! 
Bill

My 1965 A-30 OSPREY...