[Public-list] Thinking about buying an Alberg ... sorry very long post

[Gordon Laco]

Good morning Sam - 

I hope you get your boat!  Mine has factory installed wheel steering; the
tell tales for determining the steering was installed by the factory are:

- they used Edson with small enamelled wheels
- the pedistal is rather forward in the cockpit; abreast of the main winches
- no compass on the ped. Just a teak disc covering the top.
- throttle lever on starboard side of that wooden disc.

It is dead easy to remove if you want to go back to the tiller, it will just
be a matter of unbolting the pedistal and removing the steel cables from the
quadrant on the rudder shaft under the cockpit.  You can leave the quadrant
in place.  The only complication will be re-positioning the throttle lever.

Cheers - Gord #426 Midland on Georgian Bay








> Hi All,
> 
> First a little introduction. My name Sam Stone and I live, for the
> moment, in Austin, Texas. I have been thinking about buying a sailboat
> for some time now. I have done some sailing, mostly making offshore
> deliveries. I have subscribed and lurked on this list for a couple years
> now. Below is a copy of a post I made to sailnet.com recently that does
> a pretty good job of describing where my thinking is on potentially
> becoming a new Alberger. For what is worth, most of those who responded
> to the inquiry thought that the A30 was the best of the three.
> 
> snip ------------
> 
> I am for the first time seriously thinking about buying my own boat. In
> the past I have satisfied my sailing itch by sailing others boats ...
> that is beginning to change. I have very little money for the initial
> purchase ... at the most $20,000 ... less that $15,000 would even better.
> 
> My basic requirements are cheap (in price not quality), proven bluewater
> capabilities, active owners groups (i.e. fair amount of "communal"
> knowledge to aid in upgrades and known problems and solutions), small
> enough to single hand yet large enough to coastal cruise with wife and
> daughter, small to keep slip fees and maintenance cost to a minimum,
> high quality initial build. I am very handy and usually not frightened
> the need for a little work (i.e. I could do the work required to deal
> with the mast compression issues that have been known to occur in the
> A30 and Vega). I am pretty sure I don't want a wood boat. I want, for
> the most part, to stay clear of home built boats (can you say Bruce
> Roberts kit boats). I realize that this limits my choices fairly old boats.
> 
> To that end my short list is:
> Alberg 30
> Albin Vega
> Pearson Triton
> 
> I have sailed on two A30 although in mild conditions, seen and been
> aboard a Vega, seen but never aboard a Triton. I have been subscribed to
> both the A30 and Vega mailing lists for a couple years. Read everything
> I can find on the boats (PS Boat Buying Guide, Vigor's 20 Small
> Sailboat, John Neal, even recently brought Yves Gelinas dvd With
> Jean-du-Sud, atomvoyages.com, etc).
> 
> I am currently leaning towards the A30.
> 
> Any and all comments and insights anyone has on any of these boats,
> these boats compared to one another, any other boats I should consider,
> whatever would VERY GREATLY appreciated.
> 
> ---------- snip
> 
> In the coming month of so I plan to go to Dallas to look at an A30 the
> broker describes as a "project". For those interested the boat can be
> found on yachtworld.com ( http://tinyurl.com/ykoaxt ). This boat has
> been listed for sale on yachtworld for 2 to 3 years. The original price
> was $23,000. It was lowered about about 14 months ago to its current
> price of $15,000. It is listed as having been built in 1968. It has
> wheel steering; I don't know if this OEM or not (BTW, how difficult is
> it to change it back to a tiller?) The "improvements" and  "upgrades"
> pictured strike me as downgrades and "unimprovements", if you will. The
> one big advantage I to this boat is I can "customize" (i.e. galley
> upgrades as talked about in the recent "oven installation" thread) it to
> my needs without worrying about ruining its resale value. There was
> another A30 for sale during this time period on the same lake that went
> up for sale and was sold fairly quickly (in less than 8 months).
> 
> Here is what the broker has told me so far (I have not any way been able
> to confirm any of this yet):
> 1) The boat has been in fresh water for at least 12 or 13 years,
> probably longer maybe as long as 15 or 20 years
> 2) He doesn't know the hull #. He thinks at the last survey of this boat
> could have been as long ago as 15 years ago; he hasn't seen any survey
> for it.
> 3) He doesn't know the condition of the engine. AFAIK, it could have as
> long as a couple of years since the engine has even been started. I am
> going to assume the engine will need A LOT work, if not even a new engine.
> 4) The hull, deck, and spars are in good shape. The boat is in the water
> and the bilges are dry.
> 5) He doesn't know the age of the rigging or sails. The standing rigging
> is good shape, though it and the sails could be original to the boat.
> 6) He said it is for sale for the "right price", intimating that the
> boat could go for very much less than the list price
> 
> I invite any comments any of the above (the quoted post, or the boat
> itself) and, in particular, what to look for in an A30 in this condition
> that  could be either a deal breaker or indicate a real steal. Has this
> boat ever been the subject of discussion on the list and I somehow
> missed it?
> 
> I often times hear people say to be wary of "project" boats because even
> if they are a "good deal" the coast of fixing them can exceed the price
> of buying one that is in good shape. Does anybody have any good rules of
> thumb, if you will, about how to judge this? I have more time than
> money. Should I have this boat surveyed before closing on it regardless
> of how much I pay for it?
> 
> To be frank, I can't see myself offering more than $5000 to $7000 (and
> maybe even a lot less) for this boat given what little I know about it
> at this time. I can easily see have to sink $5000 to $15000 into this boat.
> 
> Thanks and sorry for the very, very long post,
> Sam Stone
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