Thoughts on Alberg 35

[Amgine]

That's an outrageously cute lap anchor you have there, mkeChris.

The A35 website appears to be a cobweb, with no updates since 2006 including their for sale section. The boat has been reviewed by everyone, including Cruising World and Practical Sailor. Yachtworld has asking prices from 15k-39k USD, although I'm intrigued by the Alberg 37 yawl which has noticeably higher asking prices (what's so much better about that design? There's a pretty one here in BC that's for sale, reputedly turn-key condition and a South Pacific veteran.)

Keep in mind if you're going to keep the boat on Lake Michigan you will probably want to get a cradle as well. You'd better plan on that as an element of your purchase price (or find a boat which already has one.)

[Frank]

According to reports...The A37 was designed as an "offshore" boat, while the A35 was a coastal cruiser in carl's mind. I feel that all of his designs were seaworthy...I guess the 37 more so

[Christopher]

Haha "lap anchor" -- Thanks Amgine :)

I saw that A37 - what a gorgeous boat.  Good Old Boat actually did a review of the A35 in the July-August issue which the wife just subscribed me to for my first Father's Day.  Their conclusions are in line with what has been said here.  Sturdy design, though some modifications are needed for offshore sailing.  The age is of course a problem.  The wife is not a fan of that "vintage smell" that I've become so accustomed to looking at these 60's era boats.  I don't have the skills, time, or space for an involved refit.  I could manage some interior work, but recoring decks and major fiberglass work is beyond my desires.  There's a decent CD28 in the local yard that has been up for sale for awhile.  Owner is asking a bit much for it IMHO, but she looks sound.  Does anyone know if bowsprits are attached on top of the fiberglass or below it?  I'm concerned about this area on the deck


Not that it's a huge deal, but this is for sale for over 20K and I would want something that doesn't have any deck repairs or concerns.  There appears to be some separation in the caulking where the sprit is attached.  There's also a small patch of "blackened" teak in the port settee hull section.

[Oldrig]

mkeChris:

The Cape Dory 28 is a rugged boat, and one that's pretty big for its size, if you know what I mean.

If you want, I can post your question about the bowsprit (actually more of an anchor platform) on the Cape Dory board (www.capedory.org) or ask my friend who owns one. Either way, you can hardly go wrong with a sound Cape Dory.

Yeah, I'm prejudiced. But the 28 is a Carl Alberg design and should be able to take you where you want to go.

--Joe

[s/v necessity]

I have a CD28, so I may just be qualified to answer this question!  The Bowsprit is attached to the deck of the boat via 6 (If memory serves) large Flathead machine screws that go clear through the deck and pass through a mild steel assembly in the bow of the boat  (it's glassed into the inside front/bow and set into a putty of sorts at the top of the anchor locker).  The screws are set into the sprit and covered with large tight fitting flush plugs, there are nuts on the inside of the locker.  In my experience, removal will most likely involve using an angle grinder from the inside of the anchor locker.  And then a punch, and a short hammer.  Much swearing and crying.  I think I used a die grinder also.... I doubt removal of the sprit would be as simple as removing some plugs and grabbing a large screwdriver.  The Stainless steel bolts passing through the mild steel seized very tightly on mine.

   The chain plates and this assembly in the bow are made of mild steel and all is well UNLESS water gets to them... (hence the PO's attempt to seal out water) However they are fairly massive.  While the bowsprit is a concern, I would be more worried about the chain plates (or chain plate reinforcements) located in either side of the head.  That being said it's critical that water is kept from getting to any of these areas of mild steel.

   The massive steel fitting in the bow actually seems like total overkill to me, and I wouldn't really worry about it's condition too much  (i.e. worry, and check, but don't obsess).  The bowsprit is relatively short and has a bob stay that should transfer the load down near the waterline.  I think the first few CD28's might not have had a bowsprit (or had a shorter sprit with no bob stay) and when they added the sprit the kept the massive fitting up front.  If this was the case the fitting was originally designed to distribute the load of the fore stay directly to the hull, and that would explain why it's so big and ugly.

http://www.sbastro.com/FeNIX/Projects/GeneralInteriorPics.htm

Fred has a picture of the fitting I speak of. It's the third picture from the bottom.

  One last thing.  Some cape dory owners say their stuff is not made of mild steel, so it seems there is some variance.

   Note: in retrospect I am not totally sure my description of the bowsprit removal is accurate  (It being a miserable process is accurate though) .  I removed the pulpit at the same time and the jib boom pedestal.  I know in several instances I had to grind the top of the bolt/screw holding the pulpit in place off.  I probably did a little bit of everything.

[Oldrig]

Thanks, Necessity.
You're better qualified to respond to my favorable comments on the CD28.
Are you happy with her? (I presume you are.)
--Joe

[s/v necessity]

Well I am happy with her, but I would be a whole lot happier if I could get her into the water!  She's undergoing a restoration, I've never sailed her.  We have a friend with a Pearson Triton and picked the CD28 based on her similarities, but alas we have never sailed her.

[Christopher]

Thanks necessity!  Great information.  This CD 28 has been on the hard for 5 years so I'm not even sure a moisture meter would tell me anything as it's had so long to dry out.  Perhaps a look under the decking in the chain locker would tell me if water has ever gotten through.

Thanks again!

[AdriftAtSea]

MKE—

I'd recommend you read the boat inspection trip tips thread I wrote. 

[Bubba the Pirate]

I too have a CD28 that I've never sailed.  I'm in the midst of refit and restoration.  Just moved her to within a half hour of home.  The last month has already been more productive than most of last summer.  I concur on the bowsprit answer.  If it counts from a guy who hasn't sailed her yet, I love that boat!   

Have Fun,

TrT

[s/v necessity]

Mke,
   From what I have seen so far water gets in on it's own, but it don't get out!  Just keep in mind that the mild steel is bound to have some surface rust.

    After we finished fixing our decks a friend mailed me his moisture meter.  I ended up having to go back and repair 5 more sections of deck.  It was a struggle to tell him thanks when I returned the meter.  Also there were portions of our boat that were ROCK solid to the touch, and sounded perfectly normal when listening and tapping with hard plastic hammer.  However the meter said they were wet.  We drilled into them and they were sopping wet, the meter did not lie.  The only portions of our boat that you could tell needed fixing were the portions where the balsa had turned to a rotting black soup.  The moisture meter is a worth while thing to have.

[Auspicious]

Someone had mentioned the difficulty of hoisting sails on a 35 footer and that had not occurred to me.

There are lots of great benefits to smaller boats, but the relative difficulty of raising the main on larger boats is a red herring. A good batt car system on a 40 or 45 can lead to an easier host than a conventional slide system on a 30.

Even with some personal physical limitations I can raise the main (full battons, lots of roach) on Auspicious to within a couple feet of the masthead and winch it the rest of the way up on the fast gear of my halyard winch.

The biggest issue is pulling the sail aft on the boom and flaking it to tie it down and cover it. If I'm single-handing I often get the bit overhead at the wheel back and tied down (so it isn't hitting me in the head) and leave the rest until after the anchor is down or I'm back in the slip.

In my opinion, the best thing you can add to any boat that is sailed single- or short-handed is an autopilot. Everything else can be managed with time, practice, and experience. Oh -- and winches.

sail fast and eat well, dave
S/V Auspicious

[nowell]

Hey Chris-

 Just wanted to throw my opinion into the mix to go with the boat soup you have created here. I personally, like most, like the looks of the Alberg designs, but thats about as far as it went for me. I respect the opinions and the tenacity alot of Alberg owners have to their boats however. I have the same outlook when it comes to my Brohall design.

 That being said, the boat I used to lust after was an SC. I think double enders are works of beauty, and wouldn't care how slow it took me to get anywhere, or what the motion would do to me. I would just want a double ender.

 On my short list was also my current boat. I find the more I interact with my boat the more I "love" it and it continues to move to the top of my list. At the end of the day, I'm happy with my decision. I don't have to worry about much externally (ie solid glass decks not needing re-coring, etc). I did have to make sacrifices on the small interior, and at times, she can be a bit to bring in to port after a long weekend sailing.

 I guess to sum up what I'm trying to say, is don't discount some of your other "maybe" boats because of looks, or its not the "popular" flavor. Love in a boat, is like love with another person. It comes in all shapes, sizes and styles. Sometimes you never know you have that "true" love until you stop to really think about it.

[Auspicious]

I agree with Nowell (at least with what I think he's saying). There is an emotional attachment with a boat that is a keeper that transcends specifications.

There are limits of course -- I do still think about the pure joy I had in a Catalina 22 one summer, but I wouldn't head for Bermuda in it. *grin*

I love my boat. There are a very few things that are irritating and one that makes me nuts (there are an amazing number of things that have required completely emptying the HUGE cockpit locker to access, maintain, fix, or install) but I love her none the less.

[Amgine]

See, now I disagree with this.

I am absolutely, totally, and utterly in love with the Wenda, by Albert Strange and drawn by Phil Bolger. It's a stunner - gorgeous, extremely well thought-out rig, and completely and utterly useless. Like a zillionaire's mistress, I suppose. A $150k daysailer. Probably wet as heck.

You must select a boat you can love, but just like a lover everything is a compromise. Maybe the person who has the right smile, catches your jokes, doesn't have legs up to *here* like you fantasize about. But that's okay, because xe has other things that trip your triggers and you love xyr. The same is true of boats - you don't pick a boat because of one feature you love, but rather a collection of features you need and a few you can live with, and that je ne sais quois that makes it beautiful and desirable.

[Christopher]

I like the discussion :)  I wish I would have just bought a darn boat when I started to sail.  I was scared into taking years of lessons before the thought of buying one should cross my mind.  When I started sailing, I was 23 years old without a care in the world.  Sailing off into the blue was a completely plausible thing to do.  Now, funds limited and anchors to land in abundance, I'm left to wander local boatyards and harass my wife to death about finally buying one.

My biggest problem is that I fall in love with every boat I set foot on.  I sailed a ratty old Catalina 30 last year that leaked through every portlight, had sails that looked like badly-used underwear, and had the noisiest Atomic 4 I've ever heard.  I pulled the main halyard to find it was coated with some nasty grease that made my hands as black as tar, but I loved sailing it.  The cabin was spacious though as was the cockpit and definitely made me think a C30 would be great!  And maybe it would...

I started sailing on Pearson Ensigns and they are fantastic.  I love the way the boat handles, the tiller just feels easy and responsive and I love just the way it feels in the water compared to any other boat I've sailed.  My idea of an A35 is that it's something like the Ensign only a whole lot longer.  This gives me three things I'm after: some comfort for the family in the cockpit and below decks, some stability in heavy seas as I'm susceptible to motion sickness, and a little extra speed.  The A35 could be nothing at all like the Ensign though - hence this thread.

[nowell]

Exactly my counter point! Great reply! I just think that all too often, (in the case of boats) people look for that one boat that can do EVERYTHING they THINK they want/need, that they sacrifice on the compromises. I guess that was the round about point I was trying to make! Like Auspicious said, sometimes the love affair you have IS because of the compromises you made even tho it didn't meet the list of what you thought you NEEDED.  ;D

Might be too early in the morning for these deep thoughts, but hey, my mind tend to works overtime!

See, now I disagree with this.

I am absolutely, totally, and utterly in love with the Wenda, by Albert Strange and drawn by Phil Bolger. It's a stunner - gorgeous, extremely well thought-out rig, and a completely and utterly useless. Like a zillionaire's mistress, I suppose. A $150k daysailer. Probably wet as heck.

You must select a boat you can love, but just like a lover everything is a compromise. Maybe the person who has the right smile, catches your jokes, doesn't have legs up to *here* like your fantasize about. But that's okay, because xe has other things that trip your triggers and you love xyr. The same is true of boats - you don't pick a boat because of one feature you love, but rather a collection of features you need and a few you can live with, and that je ne sais quois that makes it beautiful and desirable.