Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 08-04-2014, 19:47   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: L'Isle-Verte, Qc, Canada
Boat: Grampian Discovery
Posts: 31
Albin Vega

Hi everyone,
I'm in the process of buying my first sailboat. I've sailed on Tanzers (7.5 & 26), Jeanneau (Tonic 23, Fantasia 27), Mirage 27 and a few others. For the first few years, my sailing will be coastal in the St-Lawrence river and estuary( Based in Rivière-du-Loup and near Tadoussac and Rimouski). I would like to sail,further away, like Magdalena Islands, New Foundland and St-Pierre et Miquelon. Shopping around, I came buy what looks to me to be a very goods opportunity. An Albin Vega. I've read a lot on this sailboat. It has a very good reputation as a blue water boat. I guess it would fit my sailing program and it is well equipped. It would be very different from the ones I sailed before. I would appreciated any comments or shared experiences about this kind of boat. Am I right in thinking it shoudl be an appropriate sailboat for the region in which I will be sailing.
Thank you for your input.
Fair winds.
__________________
Jean-François
racinejf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2014, 20:27   #2
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 93
Re: Albin Vega

These are amazing boats -- Read the story of the guy that circumnavigated the Americas in one.

Here's the website - Lots of cool pictures of the boat.
http://www.solotheamericas.org
Schrewsburyduo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2014, 20:33   #3
Marine Service Provider
 
mitiempo's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Victoria B.C.
Boat: Wauquiez Centurion 32
Posts: 2,874
Re: Albin Vega

The Vega is a good choice for sailing in any area, except polar regions. Several have circumnavigated. There is good support from the Vega Yahoo group as well.
mitiempo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2014, 20:51   #4
Registered User
 
Reefmagnet's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: puɐןsuǝǝnb 'ʎɐʞɔɐɯ
Boat: Nantucket Island 33
Posts: 4,864
Re: Albin Vega

As an ex-Vega owner they are a great boat. There is a reasonable users group for them over at yahoo. The only real fault they suffer from is a weak mast support beam which tends to warp and work loos over time. My Vega sailed from Sweden to Australia (as have a few others - including one from Canada). Matt Rutherford sailed one around the Americas a few years back and that crazy Beserker guy sailed one to either the antartic or artic. So they come with quite a good cruising resume.
Reefmagnet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2014, 09:59   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Lake Michigan
Posts: 86
Re: Albin Vega

Do a YouTube search for Crusing LeaLea, great series of videos by a couple cruising in a Albin Vega.
Max Sail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 18:50   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: L'Isle-Verte, Qc, Canada
Boat: Grampian Discovery
Posts: 31
Thanks everyone. I'm going to see her April 17 ! Isis is her name and she is in the water in Halifax. Geez, it is exciting!
__________________
Jean-François
racinejf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 19:31   #7
Registered User
 
Reefmagnet's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: puɐןsuǝǝnb 'ʎɐʞɔɐɯ
Boat: Nantucket Island 33
Posts: 4,864
Re: Albin Vega

Coincidentally, there is an Albin Vega called "Isis" that was sailed to Oz a few years ago from Canada (I think). That poor boat was left high and dry on land and lodged on a walkway fence after the Bundaberg floods in 2011. It was subsequently rescued and put back in the water. Then in the floods of 2013 it got washed out to sea along with the finger pontoon it and another half dozen boats were attached to and somehow got rescued again. Not sure whether "Isis" is a lucky or unlucky name for a boat after that
Reefmagnet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 19:34   #8
Registered User
 
goat's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Everywhere (Sea of Cortez right now)
Boat: PSC Orion 27
Posts: 1,377
Re: Albin Vega

You might find the headroom a little scant, their 5'10" statistic is fairly generous. If you're 5'6" to 5'8" you won't have to stoop.
Goat
goat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 19:37   #9
Registered User
 
Reefmagnet's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: puɐןsuǝǝnb 'ʎɐʞɔɐɯ
Boat: Nantucket Island 33
Posts: 4,864
Re: Albin Vega

Quote:
Originally Posted by goat View Post
You might find the headroom a little scant, their 5'10" statistic is fairly generous. If you're 5'6" to 5'8" you won't have to stoop.
Goat
Not a big problem for the vertically challenged but that damned mast support beam would line my head up every time I went to the forward berth!
Reefmagnet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2014, 21:02   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,687
Re: Albin Vega

Many of them came with a variable/reversing prop which worked great, but most are worn out now and are hard to get parts for the special transmission that they used. I dont know how hard (expensive) it is to convert to a regular prop and shaft and transmission? Check what it has and make your offer accordingly. If you buy it and want to stick to the variable, get in touch with me, and I can get you in touch with a fellow selling most of the parts needed. That is, if he hasnt already sold them. I think they are a great boat. ______Grant.
gjordan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2014, 04:23   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: L'Isle-Verte, Qc, Canada
Boat: Grampian Discovery
Posts: 31
Thanks again.
I'm 5'5" so headroom won't be a problem I guess ;-). A regular 3 blades prop has been installed on this Isis. Of what I collected on her history, she doesn't look like the Isis that want through all these troubled waters. But I'll double check. Also, the rudder attachments, which could be a weak point on these boats, have been replaced and secured. The survey found this boat to be in good condition (meaning, in their definition, nearly new with only minor cosmetic or structural discrepancies).
The equipment appears right for the sailing I intend to do : radar, VHF, depth, speed, GPS Garmin map 492 (although I'm a bit old school and carry and use paper maps for navigating), autopilot, diesel (Beta Marine model 14), wired (professionally rewired in the last 2 years) for 12 volts with 3 marine batteries and a solar panel, 130 and 140 genoa on a Hood roller furler, 2 mains setup for jiffy reeling (all sails quote to be in good conditions), sheets and halyards appearing to be fairly recent, winches, ground tackles (3) with chains and rods and other sailing equipments. What is missing is some security equipment (flares, life jackets).
If she is half as good as she appears on paper, I guess she'll endure a lot more than me ;-). Well, we'll see in two weeks.
If I buy her, you'll probably read a lot more question on my parts, because it will be the first time I have to take care of a sailboat, aside sailing it ;-).
__________________
Jean-François
racinejf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2014, 17:25   #12
Registered User
 
The Way's Avatar

Join Date: May 2011
Location: On the boat, currently Tampa Bay, Florida
Boat: Dickerson ketch, 36'
Posts: 211
Re: Albin Vega

Quote:
Originally Posted by gjordan View Post
Many of them came with a variable/reversing prop which worked great, but most are worn out now and are hard to get parts for the special transmission that they used. I dont know how hard (expensive) it is to convert to a regular prop and shaft and transmission? Check what it has and make your offer accordingly. If you buy it and want to stick to the variable, get in touch with me, and I can get you in touch with a fellow selling most of the parts needed. That is, if he hasnt already sold them. I think they are a great boat. ______Grant.
I owned a Vega and the prop is NOT great! It was impossible to get it reliably into the neutral position, so there was always some propulsion. Also, the prop is aft and above the rudder, so you can't use propwash to nudge the stern over -- makes docking more fun! Still and all, a great boat! (They all have quirks of some kind.)

Fair winds,
The Way
The Way is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
For Sale: Albin Vega 27 Bill NH Classifieds Archive 8 22-08-2009 10:52
Albin Vega unbusted67 Monohull Sailboats 19 16-08-2009 04:12
27' Albin Vega for Sale in Fiji mcvouty Classifieds Archive 7 26-12-2008 12:49
Albin Vega 3 blade prop recommendations? Chief Engineer Propellers & Drive Systems 1 29-09-2008 08:16
Albin Vega 27 for sale Bill NH Classifieds Archive 0 14-09-2008 08:00

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:58.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.