Transition from an Alberg 30

[SVSOLITAIRE]

Originally Posted by Hoodsail

Since you have the Bristol 33 on your list would add the Bristol 35.5 (I'm biased)...get a bit more beam and a tad more length with quality build and not much more $$...not full keel, but close....also Tartan 33, considerable more beam, a bit more LOA, but again not a full keel, but well built. enjoy the hunt.

Thanks, yeah I’ve been thinking a lot about tartans.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Regarding the Allied Princess 36 from Sailing Magazine..."The Allied Princess 36 is an affordable, well-built, seaworthy cruising boat capable of bluewater sailing or gunk holing."
Practical sailor...https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...ed-princess-36
Wavetrain.net...https://wavetrain.net/2012/03/23/all...-robust-ketch/


Not sure what you guys are reading. I spent a month this year working on one of these and they are built like a tank. I think the interiors are the thing that makes them look mediocre but all the factories focus was on construction.

True, the Formica covered plywood and woodshop grade trim detail make them seem less than well built.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

True, the Formica covered plywood and woodshop grade trim detail make them seem less than well built.

Yes, formica over marine ply. Woodshop grade trim?...hardly. And...they are better laid up than most Taiwan teak dripping interiors with tons of blisters on the hull.

Allied never figured out it was tinsel that sold a boat and not quaility.

[Cheechako]

"working deck room"
Doesn't the Alberg 30 have wide side decks?
My advice is do not change from that sweet boat for another 30 footer. If you change then go to 36-38 ft.
The Alberg 36-37 is highly esteemed, but still a little old school I guess. and getting long in the tooth.

There are so many. Cape Dory seem to tick a lot of my buttons for simple boats with similar characteristics as the Alberg. Maybe a 36.
If you dont go to 36+ or so, a Mason 33 is a beamy and very sweet boat but hard to find and getting long in the tooth also.
Forget a Ketch! Especially in smaller boats. You will tire of that cockpit clutter real fast and there is little to be gained in a small boat.
In more modern underbodies I really like the Wauquiez boats.
Hallberg Rassy.
I have never been that impressed with Allied, but have only been on a couple. Sure , stout hulls, but everything else seems to be falling apart.

[jpendoley]

You might consider a Pearson Vanguard. Many have made offshore passages. 6'2" head room. Dinette version is comfortable for two. Very plain interior, but you can brighten those up with creative interior finishing. Any old cruiser will need reefer work, reinsulation.
I cruised with a family of four extensively in New England, always felt secure. People are almost giving them away as most want the spacious interiors of newer designs. I would not buy one without a diesel though. The atomic four will move it along, but is considerably underpowered in a head sea.

[Oldsailor27]

I was looking initially on Alberg 30 and finally got A37. Alberg 37 interior space is comparable to a newer 33 footer, but considering ocean going capability and as a vessel just for two,- it's good enough. I am currently refitting my newly bought A37 and I like it very much.

[SVSOLITAIRE]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

"working deck room"
Doesn't the Alberg 30 have wide side decks?
My advice is do not change from that sweet boat for another 30 footer. If you change then go to 36-38 ft.
The Alberg 36-37 is highly esteemed, but still a little old school I guess. and getting long in the tooth.

There are so many. Cape Dory seem to tick a lot of my buttons for simple boats with similar characteristics as the Alberg. Maybe a 36.
If you dont go to 36+ or so, a Mason 33 is a beamy and very sweet boat but hard to find and getting long in the tooth also.
Forget a Ketch! Especially in smaller boats. You will tire of that cockpit clutter real fast and there is little to be gained in a small boat.
In more modern underbodies I really like the Wauquiez boats.
Hallberg Rassy.
I have never been that impressed with Allied, but have only been on a couple. Sure , stout hulls, but everything else seems to be falling apart.

Great suggestions and logic. Definitely wouldn’t switch to another 30 from the Alberg very easily. I like 33-36 I wouldn’t want to deal with anything larger without knowing I had dependable crew (and I never want to be dependent on crew).

As far as working deck room. I have a rowing dingy i stow on deck (8’loa 4’beam). I don’t run lines aft so I’m on deck a bunch. Not to mention downwind, setting preventers etc. It’s not like I need huge decks to get a job done but having the option of stowing Jerry cans etc on deck would be great.

[SVSOLITAIRE]

Originally Posted by jpendoley

You might consider a Pearson Vanguard. Many have made offshore passages. 6'2" head room. Dinette version is comfortable for two. Very plain interior, but you can brighten those up with creative interior finishing. Any old cruiser will need reefer work, reinsulation.
I cruised with a family of four extensively in New England, always felt secure. People are almost giving them away as most want the spacious interiors of newer designs. I would not buy one without a diesel though. The atomic four will move it along, but is considerably underpowered in a head sea.

My friend was selling his vangaurd and I considered it for sure. Nice vessel. His had just gone too many years unloved.

[JPA Cate]

With old boats, condition is everything. Especially when you prefer sailing to boat work.

Some boats from the 70's that I'm familiar with (not many, because we pretty much keep our boats a long time, by most people's standards)....

S&S 38, fin and skeg, Jim admired them, but they were over our budget

Palmer Johnson Standfast 36 (designed by Franz Maas), fin and skeg This one will want hull strengthening at the aft end of the keel if it has ever grounded. Jim did this job on the one we owned, in the water. Dirty job, with grinding, but came out really well. (No more flexing). We had grounded her pretty hard on an unmarked reef in Fiji. If you found you liked one, I'm pretty sure Jim'd answer a PM about it. They had balsa cored decks, and foam cored hulls. Flush deck, strong, with good form stability. Liked auxiliary rudder type wind vane, benefitted from the lateral stability aft. We cruised ours for 18 yrs. She was a quiet boat, with the cores acting as sound insulation.

Palmer Johnson Standfast 40, fin and skeg, very strong boat. One was dropped from the slings in San Diego, bang! onto the concrete, and nothing inside moved! The boat later circumnavigated.

Good luck with your search.

Ann

[Celestialsailor]

Personally, I would stay away from foam cored hulls. I was advised against them from a Surveyor friend who told me a few horror stories about delamination issues.

[Don C L]

Well if it were ME and I was staying in the genre I'd be looking for a Pearson Rhodes 41 or Bounty II. They are long but not so big, if you are used to the Alberg I bet you could singlehand the Pearson. Think of it like a 35 foot boat with a little extra space to walk on on the bow and stern. There is a guy here locally who has a beautiful Kettenburg 41 (similar design except it has a spade rudder) and he singlehands it around the local islands. He seems very happy with it! If you could find one of those I'd say that's a good one too, but they're pretty rare I think.

[JPA Cate]

Those Palmer Johnson boats were built before they understood how lightly boats could be built, and for the 18 yrs. of our stewardship there was no fiberglass/foam delamination. It did have a small balsa/fiberglass delamination, that Jim was able to repair.

I wouldn't have mentioned them, except the OP said he was open to the fin keel skeg hung rudder concept, too. And, we keep our boats long enough for hidden problems to emerge.....

Ann

[SVSOLITAIRE]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Well if it were ME and I was staying in the genre I'd be looking for a Pearson Rhodes 41 or Bounty II. They are long but not so big, if you are used to the Alberg I bet you could singlehand the Pearson. Think of it like a 35 foot boat with a little extra space to walk on on the bow and stern. There is a guy here locally who has a beautiful Kettenburg 41 (similar design except it has a spade rudder) and he singlehands it around the local islands. He seems very happy with it! If you could find one of those I'd say that's a good one too, but they're pretty rare I think.

That’s what stinks. If and that’s a big if you can find some of those cool gems they are way overpriced or have fallen into disrepair. Wont stop me from keeping my eyes peeled though.

[SVSOLITAIRE]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Those Palmer Johnson boats were built before they understood how lightly boats could be built, and for the 18 yrs. of our stewardship there was no fiberglass/foam delamination. It did have a small balsa/fiberglass delamination, that Jim was able to repair.

I wouldn't have mentioned them, except the OP said he was open to the fin keel skeg hung rudder concept, too. And, we keep our boats long enough for hidden problems to emerge.....

Ann

I am curious about fin keel skeg rudder setup. I’ve never sailed one but John Kretschmer raves about them so I imagine it’s worth some investigation.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by SVSOLITAIRE

I am curious about fin keel skeg rudder setup. I’ve never sailed one but John Kretschmer raves about them so I imagine it’s worth some investigation.

If you're looking at fin keels, don't just limit yourself to a skeg hung rudder. There's nothing wrong with a sturdy, well implemented spade rudder. In general, if the boat is of a sufficiently sturdy build and has a well attached fin keel and a strong rudder design, the details of how they achieved the strong rudder (skeg vs beefy spade rudder) isn't particularly important. And by having balance on the rudder and not having the prop in an aperture, a boat with a spade rudder is often more maneuverable in close quarters if that matters to you. And the spade rudder will steer more easily with some balance as well.