[alberg30] Re: Compadres

[Thomas Parks]

From: "Thomas Parks" <parks24 at hotmail.com>

Greetings Lee,
   So glad to hear other folks have boats where the previous owners 
thought they had a better ida that the designer! How could our's have 
questioned Carl Alberg? My owner read some article in Practical Sailor 
about how it would be a better boat if it had a galley down the port 
side(at least that's what the salesman told me that he was told). Ours 
had sat for sale in Milwaukee for two years with no takers until we came 
along. I fell in love the first time I saw her and my wife wasn't too 
far behind! We had never heard of an Alberg but we sure loved those 
classic lines and some research on the net revealed the owners were 
almost like a cult!! Really devoted!!!!!Anyway, let me tell you about 
ours. 
   Ours is #48, a little younger than yours! On ours the port side 
settee is gone and sort of replaced with a galley, if you can call it 
that! The bulkhead at the aft end of the head was cut out all the way 
across the cabin and the WC was remounted in the middle of the v-berth. 
On the starboard side where I guess there was a wet locker is a closet 
with shelves and a lovered door. The bulkhead has been put back in on 
this side after being moved about two inches aft. This closet I like , 
with it's three shelves it makes a perfect place to throw soft side 
(duffel or sports)bags full of clothes into for storage.We plan to put 
the other half of the bulkhead back in when the weather starts to break 
in the spring. We're in the planing and designing stage now.
   After we get the bulkhead back in we will tackle moving the WC and 
try to figure out where to put the holding tank. I think it will 
probably end up being some type of inflateable model. Location most 
likely will be under the V-berth unless we can come up with a better 
idea. I have never seen an original Alberg, so we are guessing at places 
to put things. The doors for the head came with the boat(even though not 
as a part of the boat) and we will try to use them.
   We have another project in our engine cover and the ladder to get in 
and out of the cabin with. Ours has been repowered with a 18HP 
Westerbake diesel. It was a professionally done job and don't seem to 
have some of the problems you have. I can get to the stuffing box 
through that access hole in cockpit floor and do not seem to have any 
leak problems there. My diesel tank is in the starboard lazarette and is 
in good shape(15 gallon), can be checked with a straight stick as the 
neck is straight down. The problem in this area is that the engine cover 
is not good. Needs to be reconstructed with some type of steps.Think we 
will probably sound proof it as much as possiblewhen we redo this.
   On each side of the engine the galley has been removed. We think we 
will install a one burner stove for cooking and a microwave, since most 
of the time it probably only be my wife and I. Also will put a sink in 
on that side. On the other side I think we will semi build un a 12volt 
cooler. And close up that dumb cooler access.
   Wiring on ours was a semi-disaster. Most of the wiring had been 
replaced but not properly hooked up. Someone had no concept of how much 
could be connected to one breaker and only four 15amp breakers. I found 
a nice panel at a salvage yard with both 110 and 12 volt breakersand 
have the 12volt part done and will do 110 in spring or summer next year. 
Our batteries are located under the sole in the cabin, a good place to 
keep the weight low.
   The storage cabinets above the settee on the port side have been 
removed but the fronts and doors came with boat so we should be able to 
reinstall. One of those sections is the perfect size for a small 
microwave to fit into. When we make the settee we may make the table top 
similar to one used in trailers and let it be part of the bottom for the 
bed when it's down and the table when it's up. 
   Our spreaders have also been replaced with aluminim and it looks like 
all the shrouds have been replaced, they are in excellent shape.The 
roller on the main is gone and replaced with an aluminum boom. Also came 
with a brand new main(North), a 90, a 130, and a spinaker.
   Our hull is all original and is a light blue. It's in good shape with 
no scratches, had them all fixed before it came over from Wisconsin. 
Deck is good and we have brand new toe rails(one and one-half inches 
wide by two and one half inches high) with new one and one quarter inch 
tracks with Shafer cars.
   You talked about painting the name on the back of your boat. Check 
with a sign company and get a price on having a stick on name made. We 
found this to be much more reasonable. Here in Indiana it only cost me  
$49 to have "Tradewinds" in 4" blue letters outlined in gold, South 
Haven in script, and my registration numbers done. I put them on myself 
with their instruction sheet and they came out fine. By the way, we left 
ours with the same name, just new lettering to replac the awful block 
stuff that was sloppily painted on.
   We have a couple of large discount boat suppliers in the area where 
you can get some real good deals if you need some parts to work with. 
Let me know and I will forward the addresses to you if your interested, 
depending on how far you live from No.Indiana.
Will be looking forward to hearing of your progress, keep me posted 
too!!
Later,
Tom Parks
"Tradewinds" #48 

Tom,Pam,and April Parks
parks24 at hotmail.com
http://www.hotmail.com




------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, or to change your subscription
to digest, go to the ONElist web site, at http://www.onelist.com and
select the User Center link from the menu bar on the left.