[Public-list] Buying an Alberg

[T.C. Williams]

Jon,

As an owner and racer of an Alberg 30, my extremely biased opinion is you
can't do better than the A30 as a platform for cruising and one-design
racing.  The boats are built like a brick s#!+ house and once the standard
upgrades are done, you have a boat your kids will be sailing years from now.
Keep the bottom clean and your boat will be as fast as anyone's.  Of course
you still have to sail it fast and go the right way, but that's part of the
fun of racing.

Can you sail with seven?  You might find there is plenty of room for them as
you cruise but maybe not enough jobs to hand out for racing.  I'm assuming
your question about 7 meant you and the 5 kids.  If that's the case, no
problem  For racing, one boat in our fleet regularly races with a crew of
two and does very well.  Most folks however tend to race with 4 or 5.

The boat comfortably sleeps 4 which is great for those distance races where
you end up sleeping on the boat Saturday night.  Since you have 5 kids, you
might want to see if your boat has pipe berths which adds 2 more spots.
These are like top bunks that go over the berths in the main cabin.  My kids
fight over who gets to sleep in them.

I'm sure you will get many responses to this inquiry with lots of things to
look for.  The crack at the mast step sounds like it is on the cabin top.  A
plate to repair it should be fine.  However, one of the standard upgrades
which I feel is mandatory is the plate installed to strengthen the beam on
which the mast rests.  If this upgrade hasn't been done yet, you probably
want to pass on this boat.

I don't know much about the Gray Marine engine and I re-built the Atomic 4
in my boat.  Most boats have had the gas engine replaced with a diesel by
now.  When looking at A30's, a diesel upgrade is a plus.  But don't dismiss
a boat with a good running gas engine.

Another thing to consider when you evaluate this boat in Chicago, is the
cost to transport it to the bay area.  There should be several A30's on the
bay ready for your inspection.  The best person to contact about A30's on
the bay is Tom Maroldy at Trident Yacht Sales (410-326-2011).  Tom is an A30
owner and is a wealth of knowledge concerning the sale of A30's.

Good luck in your search and let me know if you would like to join us on the
race course.

Thanks,
TC Williams
Argo 247

-----Original Message-----
From: public-list-bounces at alberg30.org
[mailto:public-list-bounces at alberg30.org]On Behalf Of Budington,
Jonathan
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 2:31 PM
To: 'public-list at alberg30.org'
Subject: [Public-list] Buying an Alberg



Hello,

I am close to purchasing a 1965 Alberg 30.  I have raced on J-30's in the
Bay, and I always admired the lines of the Alberg.  My wife and I have 5
kids - twins 18 months ago - and decided that life would be complete if we
owned a boat.  The boat I'm looking at has been restored and is currently in
the Chicago area.  I was hoping someone could answer some questions about
the boat in general.

1. How large a crew can the 30 hold comfortably?  I doubt I will ever have
the entire family, but can it sail well with 7 people?

2. The boat I'm interested in has some cracks at the mast step.  The owner
has an aluminum plate that repairs this - not yet installed.  Is this a
common problem?

3. The boat has a Gray Marine Gas engine with 1100 hours on it.  Most of the
boats I have seen use the Atomic 4.  Is the Gray a decent engine?

4. I plan to fly to Chicago next week to inspect the boat.  Any advice on
what to look for?

5. The boat may have a few things that need to be completed - rigging
possibly.  Any advice on who works on Alberg 30's in the Annapolis area?


I am new to the Alberg, and plan to buy it and figure it out.  I would
greatly appreciate any advice.


Thank you,


Jon Budington
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