Albin Vega '71: Would you or not?

[hellosailor]

You might want to look for some Albin owners online and see just what is involved in "restoring" that boat. Sails and rigging are easy, that's just money and new ones easily arranged.


But the engine...no spares, you're left on our own to find a solution. Slapping on an outboard is, well, like getting married to a supermodel and starting out by taking her to TacoBell and Ross for the wedding dress and catering.


Among other minor issues, Albin used an advanced starter/alternator, one device that did both functions, and those are unobtainable as well now.


Of course if you enjoy restoring old Packards or something...this could be a similarly exciting challenge. I'll bet he'd glady GIVE you the boat once it sits around for a month with no bids. (Or the guy who buys it will gladly give it to you once he finds out how expensive this could be.)


If you want a cheap project to putz around some lake while teaching your kids boatbuilding and sailing...it could work for that too.

[Scout 30]

Look at a lot of boats before you decide to make someone else's problem your problem. You can get a decent sailboat for a really reasonable price these days.

[johnhharty]

Love the CF users...thanks for your input....

UPDATE....I went to see the Vega...it gets worse. It was tossed around in a hurricane at dock about 3 years ago; floated free up then down the river (with part of the dock in tow)--landed on it's side in a yard with a bent rudder and sat for a few weeks with water collecting in the cabin. The good news, if ya can call it that, hull still sound.

I RAN.

[hellosailor]

"was tossed around in a hurricane at dock about 3 years ago; floated free up then down the river (with part of the dock in tow)--landed on it's side in a yard with a bent rudder and sat for a few weeks with water collecting in the cabin. "


Heheh. Those canny CraigsListers...they always leave out some insignificant small part like that. Check back again next month, when it will be listed among the "FREE STUFF" category.(G)

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by johnhharty

Love the CF users...thanks for your input....

UPDATE....I went to see the Vega...it gets worse. It was tossed around in a hurricane at dock about 3 years ago; floated free up then down the river (with part of the dock in tow)--landed on it's side in a yard with a bent rudder and sat for a few weeks with water collecting in the cabin. The good news, if ya can call it that, hull still sound.

I RAN.

Good decision!

[Vaidotas]

My first boat is project boat, everything was roten inside, so took everything out and daysailed in fjords on good days. It had ok outboard and it was my way out if everything fails (rip in 20year old sails, broken rudder etc.) You can even buy velcro navigation lights but I have put led ones and powered them from rc battery. I had great fun sailing on good days and fixing it on rainy ones and in 3 month it had electrics with solar and autopilot. Most of refit was done on hard in winter but in general if you look at your boat as snipe or laser you can sail a lot of small project boats on good weather. Thats was my sommer aproach two years ago.