First Look At an Alberg 30

[CharlieJ]

And I would add that our Meridian 25 has external iron ballast. Seems to do just fine for us.

[Bill NH]

ready to sail?

How about this one!

This boat's interior is not the stock A-30 interior; it's been significantly modified.  That big galley was added at the expense of the starboard settee/berth which is now still a settee but too short for a berth. For a boat that only has two real sea berths (I never considered the V-berths as sea berths on my old A-30), giving up one is a huge tradeoff for a big galley.  I suspect this is a major reason behind the low price.

[TJim]

Everything you said makes sense and is reasonable to me, however I've never heard of it happening...
and the Rawson that I mentioned has a capsize ration of about 1.55....TJ

[Christopher]

MKe-

What part of the country are you in???  I'm sure that you can find someone to sail with whereever you are.  

I'm in Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan.
I find people to sail with and get out at least twice a week, plus I've got a membership at the local sailing club.  They've got a nice fleet of about 15 Pearson Ensigns, 5 J/24's, Solings, a C&C 27, and a bunch of International 470's.  This allows me to get out pretty much whenever, but ultimately I really want my own boat.  Most of the sailors I know aren't really into long passages.  The only way I've found to take long passages is to crew on boats in races.  This is not much for relaxation though, and doesn't quell my desire to get out and explore the Great Lakes.
The wife has recognized my frustration and is going to try and work with me to get a boat next season, but we have a baby girl due in March, so I doubt I'll be able to swing it next year.  It'll be a good exercise in patience if nothing else.  I'll still get out plenty, I just long for the freedom to go wherever I want.

[Captain Smollett]

we have a baby girl due in March, so I doubt I'll be able to swing it next year.

Congrats!!

Bringing a child up sailing can be a blast.  My daughter took her first sail at 7 weeks of age.  Both my children have done an overnight offshore passage.

Hardly a day goes by that my daughter, now six, doesn't look to the sky and say "today would be a good day to go sailing." 

As for swinging your own boat next year, have you considered a small-ish trailerable?  Might be more affordable and there sure are plenty of cruising opportunities on The Lakes.  In case you are not familiar with the site, check out TSBB.  There are quite a few Great Lakes trailer sailors active on there - OPB opportunities as well as they know of boats for sale.

[Christopher]

Congrats!!

Bringing a child up sailing can be a blast.  My daughter took her first sail at 7 weeks of age.  Both my children have done an overnight offshore passage.

Hardly a day goes by that my daughter, now six, doesn't look to the sky and say "today would be a good day to go sailing." 

thank you!

I'm looking forward to raising kids with sailing in their lives.  I wish I would have been exposed to it when I was younger.  My wife, despite not being as enthused about sailing as I am, is incredibly supportive of my love for sailing and is not opposed to us getting the kids out there...  My little girl will be able to tie a bowline before she can tie her shoes ;)

[thistlecap]

It looks like we've moved from the Alberg 30 project to sailing with kids.  This is a fantastic subject, and with everyone's indulgence, I've started a new thread on cruising/sailing with kids under SB/LD Cruising.  I think many would love to hear other's experiences.

[jdsackett]

hi fellas. i've been looking for a nice coastal cruiser for the west coast for about a year now. so far i havnt seen anything that really took me by the neck and said "I'm her, buy me now". Came pretty close on a cal 2-27, but he thought it was worth more than i did. oh well, nice boat though.

i dont think i really need i need something that would survive a nuclear 1st strike, but i do want a solid boat. anyway, i stumbled on an alberg 30 thats in napa california. havnt seen the boat, but talked to the broker who wasn't at his office so didnt have all tha facts in front of him. need to call him back next week.

Anyway, i would sure appreciate any input from people that own, or have sailed one. how do they sail. how do they singlehand, are they a boat you would sail down the coast of california and down to the sea of cortez? its a bit bigger than i have been looking for. i've been looking at 27-28 feet if for no other reason than any bigger and you run into a lot of "systems" that i dont feel the need or want for.

this particular boat is a simple old gal. not a lot of systems, but a lot of new good stuff like a yanmar, new standing rigging, new paint, cushions. good ground tackle, charts and a whole bunch of little extras that  are nice to have. no hot/pressure water, im ok with that. tons of storage. could use some varnish on the outside brightwork. asking 17900.

thanks for any input you guys care to share. best regards, j.d.

[s/v Faith]

JD,

  I went ahead and merged your thread into the couple others on the A-30.  I think you will find your answers here,
just remember... our beloved captain (K)... the truth is not found in his stories...  ;)

[jdsackett]

lol, ok and thanks

[Captain Smollett]

Hi JD,

Couple of comments to address specific points in your post that might not be addressed earlier in the thread.

how do they sail.

Like a full keeler that is fairly heavy (by modern standards) for her LOA.  She has a very seakindly motion at least in the conditions that I have had her.  I used to marvel at the difference in the motion of the two boats when I had a Santana 28 slipped next to me.  Now, there is a Morgan 38 next to me, and again, I am amazed at the visible difference that I can see, even in the chop in the marina.

I don't know what you are used to, but she is a bit tender at first by some measures, but stiffens up in a major way, oh at about 15 or so degrees.  I've only had the lee rail in the water once (offshore) and in that instance did not for one single instance feel like she was on the verge of letting go.

As is typical of boats of her era (and designed by Alberg at that time), with her smallish foretriangle and large mainsail, she likes an early reef in the main but keeps a large headsail to stay balanced, but so long as you give her want she wants (rather than trying to apply some book-rule to when to reef), she does just fine.

Some might look at her PHRF Rating of 228 and scoff.  But then "the real world" and actual experience sets in and we confess "fast" is perhaps a loose term when talking sailboats.

She does okay in light air, too.  Her design does not favor the general modern notion of 'easily pushed through the water,' but her inertia DOES favor keeping her going once you get her moving.  The one time I've had her in really light air, I was actually kind of surprised at how well she moved to or just above steerage way in such little wind I had that day (with cruising main and genoa).  I'll be adding a nylon drifter to my sail inventory to improve this.  We only dropped below steerage way when the air truly was calm.

Hope this addresses your specific question to at least some degree.

how do they singlehand

At least as well as any other.  There have been two that I know of that have been single handed around the world.  One rather famous example has a movie about the trip and is well worth a look if you want to see an A-30 in action in all types of weather...being single handed.  It's worth a look even if you have no intention of ever owning an Alberg 30.

I would guess beyond any overt design flaws that make it hard to do (which the A-30 does not have that I can tell), single handing success owes more to the mental and physical preparation of the sailor than the boat's specific design.

are they a boat you would sail down the coast of california and down to the sea of cortez?

Can't think of a reason why not.  If they can round the Horn and cross ocean, I thinks that makes 'em a good candidate for these cruising grounds.

asking 17900.

That's about a median price.  They range from around $10,000 to right at $30,000 (or a touch over), so if in reasonable condition that's probably fair, especially if you can find some wiggle room with the seller.

[evantica]

Yve's on Jean du sud is one of the more important insperation!
Like he sead" Only way to stop thinking about it ..is to do it"
I Agree...

[jdsackett]

thanks capt smollet, just what i was looking for and apreciate your input. i had no idea one had been around the horn!! i think in the next few weeks im going to fly into s.f. and go check it out. theres also a vanguard in richmond i will probably look at.

have you had it out in any wind?? i read somewhere where they dont handle worth a darn over about 20knots. i was looking at several reviews at the time though and it could well have been a different boat.

anyway, thanks again. although it doesnt really mean much, to my eye they are a pretty boat. they just look right, wide decks you can actually walk on. cockpit thats just right, lots of storage, i like em. besides, life is way to short to sail on an ugly boat. best regards, j.d.

[Captain Smollett]

have you had it out in any wind?? i read somewhere where they dont handle worth a darn over about 20knots. i was looking at several reviews at the time though and it could well have been a different boat.

HAD to be a different boat...or a comment by someone who does not know how to sail.   ;D

Biggest wind I've had my A-30 in is 18 knots, so knocking on the door of 20.  Sailed like a DREAM in 18, so I cannot imagine for the life of me that anyone would see a marked difference at just two-ish more knots.

Anyway, I know of A-30's that have been actively sailed (not 'survival tactics') in 40 knots and more.  Really, get your hands on the movie "With Jean-De-Sud Around the World" - small boat, long distance solo sailing at its finest.

The boat can handle what you throw at her.

[Tim]

have you had it out in any wind?? i read somewhere where they dont handle worth a darn over about 20knots. i was looking at several reviews at the time though and it could well have been a different boat.

Had to be a different boat, I haven't seen an Alberg design that didn't love being sailed in a 20knot breeze.

[jdsackett]

you guys are correct, it was a vanguard, my bad. dont know how the heck i got em crossed up, but backtracked and found the errors of my ways. anyway, i'm going to go check it out. will let ya'll know what happens. thanks again guys. best regards, j.d.

[jdsackett]

well, got off my overfed butt and went to look at it sooner than i had planned. without question, a fine boat. on deck, very roomy and enough room to walk around without tripping over anything. inside was very nice, new cushions, very clean. stepping aboard was like stepping on concrete, didnt move an ounce. but.....this boat is freaking HUGE!!! biggest boat i have owned is a 25 footer and i think i could park it in this one and use it for a dink. i know lots of people dont consider 30 feet big, but it was a little intimidating, and when it comes down to it, i think i'll pass. this is not a knock on the boat, it was relly nice and a guy could throw a party on this gal and invite the neighborhood. just too damned big for me


also looked at a vanguard. another nice boat, but even bigger than the alberg!! looked at a flicka that was in very nice shape. really liked that boat. well built little gal and was obviously loved by the previous owner. could use a few things, but the price was right and looked dry. outboard powered, but i can live with that. checked out a pacific seacraft 25. also a nice boat, but couldnt stand up in it. for me, thats a deal breaker. all in all, not a wasted trip, and had a good time looking at boats.

so, the search continues. i want to thank all of you that gave me some excellent input. much appreciated. regards, j.d.

[Oldrig]

J.D,

You've got good taste--all the boats you've checked out were on my list when I started looking.

In fact, I started out trying to track down either a Flicka or a Pacific Seacraft 25 (both pretty rare here in the Northeast), and ended up with a Cape Dory 25D--referred to in at least one online posting as the "East Coast Flicka."

Good luck with your search. Keep us posted.

--Joe

[jdsackett]

thanks joe...flickas arent hard to find out here, there are several for sale. but they are small. the one i looked at had an outboard, so quite a bit of storage is open for that. no matter how seaworthy a boat is, you still need room for a dink, water, stores, sails, repair parts. however, when you get aboard one it doesnt take a genius to see the build quality.

out here, tritons, cape dorys, ariels, etc are very rare. if i could find a 25d in good shape for a decent price out here, i would be the new owner. in my opinion, perfect size for a single or couple that still like each other. unfortunatly, they are just not around. so, will keep looking and keep you posted. regards, j.d.

[maxiSwede]

Don't be afraid of the Alberg just because your first impression is it's BIG. That's  a natural reaction but you'll get used to it in 2 weeks of cruising and just move round the boat.

I don't know the price differences between a Flicka and the Alberg, for instance, but the Flicka is small. It means it's SLOW. It also means you will always have problems with storage and all that, and in the long run - if your considering long-term crusing and liveaboard - you'll be SO much happier with an Alberg 30. Proven GOOD sailing boat. No disrespect to the Flicka, a nice little boat....


but:

'There's no substitute for waterline lenght'

...or was it cubic inches... ;D ;D ;D