Alberg 30 as "bluewater" cruiser

[Glenn.Brooks]

Yep, Ok, my mental math missed the mark. The edit feature on this forum disappeared before I could go back and correct. The important thing is: as a 30’ cruising boat it’s still a 5-6 kt boat. so 100-120 miles per day would be a nice run - same as any other displacement hull with similar lines.

And it does stand up very nicely in 50kts with deep reefs in the main and small jyb. Very well balanced and stable. Most all the Alberg designs are noteworthy in this regard.

[Rockinar]

Doesnt Sailor James have an Alberg 30? I love old boat but I dont like how cramped they are and the quarter berths are dinky if they have one at all.

[Glenn.Brooks]

Yes they are quite narrow by today’s standards. Just a Bit over 8’ beam. I singlehanded for most of 40 years and thought the narrow beam was actually a plus for bracing yourself in the cabin and working the gear on deck. I ran all the lines into the cockpit so had reefing,,sheets and halyards right at hand. Worked well for me, yet big enough for weekend sailing with three other crew if family or others wanted to come on board.

I don’t think Whiby built any with pilot berths. Acouple of owners may have done so on their own. There are two big fleets on the east coast, around 700 boats or so total, so lots of customization over the years. Factory design usually was aft galley to stbd, ice box to port at the rear of the cabin. Settee/ double forward one side of the main cabin, a single berth to port. Then main bulkhead, hanging locker/head amidships, v berth focs’le forward. Definitely traditional cruising layout. Not a Harbor queen, but a good family boat overall.

One advantage these days is you can often find fairly complete boats in reasonable condition for $4k-$6, fully upgraded and equiped sometimes for $15-19k. So fairly economical to go set up for cruising on a tight budget. The Whidby hulls continue to have almost no history of blistering, and little to no delimitation. Their heavier layup i think, contributes to their longevity.

[thomm225]

A friend of mine had an Alberg 30 for a while.

I really liked the way it looked on the water with sails up.

He ended up refitting it and replacing the A4 with a diesel.

Later he bought a Westsail 32.

Now he has a Cape Dory 25 he got for free and refitted

[double u]

Originally Posted by Glenn.Brooks

...And it does stand up very nicely in 50kts with deep reefs in the main and small jyb. ...

50kn =10Bft, 29-41' seas
(after more than 3 rtw I have to say: "BS!")

[Glenn.Brooks]

We were in sheltered waters, so the seas were mild. The whole point of my comment is to let people know the characteristics of the boat. It handles very nicely in a variety of conditions.

Not quite sure why that is so hard to understand...

[thomm225]

Alberg designs do fine offshore.

That's all that needs to be said, but that can get you in trouble close to shore.

25' Folkboats have sailed the North Sea singlehanded and circumnavigated

The Alberg designs are very similar

https://www.classicboat.co.uk/articl...rdic-folkboat/

Contessa 26 another Folkboat spinoff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3pcXWUZ5Pk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r3mno5oo7s

[double u]

Originally Posted by Glenn.Brooks

We were in sheltered waters, so the seas were mild. The whole point of my comment is to let people know the characteristics of the boat. It handles very nicely in a variety of conditions.

Not quite sure why that is so hard to understand...

while the A30 is a very nice looking vessel, I object to outrageous claims of owners about their & their vessels sailing prowess

[thomm225]

So the Alberg 30 is definitely a Bluewater Boat as it was based on the tiny (24'-25') Folkboats which have crossed oceans numerous times.

https://www.yachtingworld.com/featur...folkboat-67743

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/in...ional-folkboat

https://sailingmagazine.net/article-540-alberg-30.html

[Glenn.Brooks]

Yes, actually the folk boat was the original inspiration for the A30. A couple of original owners - who still own their boats- approached Carl Alberg and Whitby and asked them to develop a larger version of the folkboat for family cruising. The A30 is what emerged.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Glenn.Brooks

Yes, actually the folk boat was the original inspiration for the A30. A couple of original owners - who still own their boats- approached Carl Alberg and Whitby and asked them to develop a larger version of the folkboat for family cruising. The A30 is what emerged.

Yeah, Kretschmer mentioned that in the link above.

My boat is very similar and about the same speed maybe a tad faster depending on seastate

But the A30 is a beautiful boat

[Mickeyrouse]

Rule number one about all sailboats: there’s nothing practical about them. Don't waste your time seeking practicality in the concept.
Now that we have that behind us, we must admit to ourselves that what we really like about blow boats are the aesthetics- admiring a lovely set of lines, the tranquility (sometimes) of peaceful progress powered only by nature’s essence, quite anchorages, a connection to centuries-old skills and traditions- the list is long. Most assuredly we all like different and often conflicting things.
I owned and happily sailed an Alberg 30 for 10 years. Had our sailing goals not developed further, I would probably be sailing one still. I acquired mine because a friend sailed his around the world. I have heard of at least three other Alberg 30 circumnavigations besides.
I think too many people wrongly bring shore-based expectations aboard. Simply stepping aboard means you should be prepared to do things differently.
I’ve been at this sailing thing a long time. The Alberg 30 is a very sea-kindly boat. I have not found them to be any more wet or motion-prone than any other boat its size. Many designers contend that overhangs- especially at the stern- keep the boat safe in a seaway.
As to room: it’s a 30 foot boat whose room should be compared to a comparable boat without the stern counter, like the Cape Dory 28. What can you really expect.?

[double u]

Originally Posted by Mickeyrouse

Rule number one about all sailboats: there’s nothing practical about them. Don't waste your time seeking practicality in the concept.
Now that we have that behind us, we must admit to ourselves that what we really like about blow boats are the aesthetics- admiring a lovely set of lines, the tranquility (sometimes) of peaceful progress powered only by nature’s essence, quite anchorages, a connection to centuries-old skills and traditions- the list is long. Most assuredly we all like different and often conflicting things.....I think too many people wrongly bring shore-based expectations aboard. Simply stepping aboard means you should be prepared to do things differently.
I’ve been at this sailing thing a long time. ...

ABSOLUTELY!!!

[PaulCrawhorn]

Originally Posted by Mickeyrouse

I think too many people wrongly bring shore-based expectations aboard. Simply stepping aboard means you should be prepared to do things differently.


..

it’s a 30 foot boat whose room should be compared to a comparable boat without the stern counter, like the Cape Dory 28. What can you really expect.?

My shorthand is, I love camping!

Truck, car, hiking, tent.

And yes, fulltiming, months at a stretch away from amenities.

Within that context the following is no longer true

> there’s nothing practical about them. Don't waste your time seeking practicality in the concept

In fact out of all the modes, cruising is the most "luxe" version, so maybe glamping is more like

[Happ]

Originally Posted by PaulCrawhorn

My shorthand is, I love camping!

Truck, car, hiking, tent.

And yes, fulltiming, months at a stretch away from amenities.

Within that context the following is no longer true

> there’s nothing practical about them. Don't waste your time seeking practicality in the concept

Many of these older pocket cruisers are being refitted with GPS, AIS, inverter, solar panels, outboard motors in lieu of diesels, composting heads, increased water capacity, upgraded dated sail plans, etc. All at about 30% of the cost of a new Beneteau. I know of one of these refits that sailed singlehanded from the East Coast to Tahiti.