Alberg 35 Question With Pics

[Sailaway85]

Hey Guys,

I'm new here but I have been reading and learning as much as I can. I looked at an Alberg 35 today that needs a little tlc. I am not afraid of some restoration work, but one area concerned me. Attached are a few pictures just inside the cabin and in front of the engine. Does that look like original glass work to you guys?













Thanks in advsnce, and sorry if its a stupid question.

[Danosimp3]

After 2 major restoration projects; that looks like new glass and resin to me. It also looks like a decent repair. Find out why. Then, try to pull it up. If it was laid on a wet/rotten surface it will come right off. Tap the area with the but of a screw driver. You should hear a "solid and sharp" sound.

[sabray]

I love this design. That does not look like original glass. Not sure it would matter. I would be more concerned if it were a sloppy glass job but it looks well done. Check the decks

[Kevin84]

I live on my Alberg 35, and looking at that, its not original. Like Danosimp said, check to make sure its a sound repair. I would recomend getting a surveyor out to check the boat over and make sure the boat is solid. If it is, you won't go wrong with that boat. These old Albergs are damn near bullet proof.

[Sailaway85]

Thanks guys. I just wanted to know if it was a deal ender or not. I have a surveyor scheduled, but wanted to check here before I shelled out the cash to have the boat checked out. I'll sleep on it and I might make an offer tomorrow pending survey. Very excited ill keep you guys posted.

[Cheechako]

That's looking like a strange color of paint or gel coat rather than glass layup color to me... hard to tell though from the size of pic. Looks a little too pink and too opaque....? Are you sure it's just resin?

[Sailaway85]

I forgot there are also patches like this under the dinnete table. Is it still worth getting surveyed? The boat is a good deal, but this may be why.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Sailaway85

I forgot there are also patches like this under the dinnete table. Is it still worth getting surveyed? The boat is a good deal, but this may be why.

Depends on the quality of the repairs. If the repairs were done with high quality materials, by a boatyard that knew what they were doing, then it could still be worth it. I would really try to find out the history of that repair and see why it has so many patches, when the work was done, who did it, and have the surveyor check the repairs thouroghly. If everything comes out kosher it may still be worth it. If not, move on to the next one.

[Cheechako]

Hmm... just seems strange indeed, ask the owner. hard to think of a reason ther would be fresh layup, inside the boat, in spotty areas. If dealing with a broker tell him you need to meet the owner or talk with him on the phone. Or if you are looking at the boat, look for registration data in the nav station etc and find the owner on your own! Broker's are often reluctant, but I have found owners love to talk about their boats... sometimes too much! Which is a good thing for buyers. I would not go to survey without knowing more.... If the borker is not willing and has a boss, call the boass and explain the situation. Oftimes, people get given to the lessor broker and the best guy is working on a $1mm sale! If you speak with the owner, remember, as "why" a few times and you will g et to the root of the problem!

In the general areas I see pics of, that's the turn of the bottom to the keel. For instance, if a boat was dropped taking it off a trailer, the hull might crack in those areas from the impact.

[roverhi]

It could be just filler over the original woven roving lay up. An acquaintance filled in the pukas in the roving where it was visiable on his boa because he didn't like the look. A lot better to use a filler than to grind it flush. It is probably nothing but hard to tell from the pictures. If it was damage enough to penetrate the glass, the surrounding wood work should also show signs of some trauma..

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by roverhi

It could be just filler over the original woven roving lay up. An acquaintance filled in the pukas in the roving where it was visiable on his boa because he didn't like the look. A lot better to use a filler than to grind it flush. It is probably nothing but hard to tell from the pictures. If it was damage enough to penetrate the glass, the surrounding wood work should also show signs of some trauma..

I'd agree, but to me, it looks like the interior of that boat has been extensively redone, so I think that may be hard to tell. I do know that the interior, unless its the dinnete version (which I doubt) is not original.

[Sailaway85]

Thanks for the additional replies guys, I will definitely speak to the broker and owner tomorrow and try to find out some more information before any survey. The boat is a dinette layout, but whether it is original or not I do not know. Also, the boat is being sold for a local charity. While this is a good cause, it could also mean that the owner could not sell it himself.

[Stu Jackson]

Could be it's simply missing two piece of teak & holly sole above that area.

[minaret]

I'd guess whoever brushed some gelcoat on that bilge thought they were color matching to the woodwork, but they weren't very good with colors. I would guess there is no repair in these areas, and that the interior was stripped out and rebuilt due to water intrusion/rot. When they rebuilt the interior with a new layout they ended up with a lot of exposed interior hull and decided this would be a good way to "hide" it. Pretty amateurish but easy enough to fix...

[Jonathan Reiter]

The two areas on the port and stbd. sides were originally solid pieces of teak. The place high up on the stbd. side was teak veneer plywood. These boats have bullet-proof hulls, which is why they endure. They tend to develope leaks around the decks where hardware is not maintained and cracks the glass layer. The fresh water leaks down and sits between the hull and the wood, making it mushy and eventually, rotting it. Instead of replacing the solid teak pieces, the repairer elected to make it "rot proof" by filling it with glass resin that was thickened to a putty. Same goes for the patches in other places. This is just furniture, or trim, if you will; don't worry about it. Find the sources of the deck leaks and attend to them. On my 35, all the stantions and hardware are coming up, the decks will be patched in these areas, then the hardware will be "relocated" to "fresh" locations. The thing you most have to check is the mast support under the framework to the door going into the forward cabin. Look at the cabin top around the base of the mast for deformity and inside the boat for any signs of buckling. Go to Tom Alley's Alberg 35 owner's website, join, and you'll have detailed pictures of just about any project that needs doing on an Alberg 35. Only listen to advice from A35 owners and those who have worked on these great sailing boats. Fair Winds, JLS