Albin Marine Nimbus 42

MGFraser · #1 (**permalink**) 05-22-2004

Hi Everyone,

In what seems a never ending process of boat shopping, my wife and I are looking at an Albin Marine Nimbus 42 on Yachtworld. It sure looks like a nice boat and at a reasonable price. Does anyone know anything about the manufacturer or designer Albin Marine (Kaufman & Ladd)? We are seriously thinking of going down to Ft. Lauderdale for a look see.

Also this is the first time I have looked at a boat with the companionway not in the cockpit. Can anyone comment on this type of design, is it done so that if the cockpit fills up there is no water going down the companionway? But awkward to get down!

Thanks,

Malcolm

Jeff_H · #2 (**permalink**) 05-23-2004

Albin was a very high quality Scandinavian boat builder. They built highly regarded trawlers and performance oriented sailboats. They eventually were bought out and the name applied to a Taiwanese built line of boats that lacked the higher quality of the earlier boats. I am not sure at where the Nimbus was constructed.

Kaufman and Ladd was a partnership of Mike Kaufman 410 263 8900 and Rob Ladd 410 268 9194. During their partnership they were know for producing higher performance racer-cruisers. They both seem to be very conscious of proper engineering and have a nice eye. Both Mike and Rob are still yacht designers practicing in Annapolis although no longer afiliated with each other. I know them both and I imagine that either would be willing to spend a few moments talking to you should you decide to look at the boat.

The Nimbus itself was a pretty high performance racer/cruiser for its era. They seemed to be solidly built and sailed well. While am not a big fan of their IOR proportioned sail plan, the one that I was aboard had very robust hardware and a nice deck plan. They were sort of ''poor man''s Swans'' and so had many of the idiosyncrasies found in Swans of that era, such as the companionway that was not in the cockpit. Frankly placing the companionway forward is a pain in the butt if the boat has a dodger.

The one that I was aboard had teak decks which for me would be an automatic deal killer, especially on a boat of that age.

Jeff

MGFraser · #3 (**permalink**) 05-23-2004

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate your informed reply.

gstraub · #4 (**permalink**) 05-23-2004

The Nimbus was constructed in Taiwan.

Gerhard

jakmedic · #5 (**permalink**) 07-16-2007

Don't imagine this thread is relevant anymore, and don't imagine MGFraser will be reading my post as he has hopefully long ago found his boat, but in case I'm wrong, I'll tell you that I've spent the last 20 years sailing our Albin Nimbus 42 and she's been great to us. Would be happy to answer any further questions, if he or anyone has them...

dhwhite · #6 (**permalink**) 11-06-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakmedic

Don't imagine this thread is relevant anymore, and don't imagine MGFraser will be reading my post as he has hopefully long ago found his boat, but in case I'm wrong, I'll tell you that I've spent the last 20 years sailing our Albin Nimbus 42 and she's been great to us. Would be happy to answer any further questions, if he or anyone has them...

I'm dreaming about buying a 1981 Albin Nimbus 42 that is currently on Yachtworld and is located in Maryland. Can you tell me the negatives you have discovered about the boat. I don't like the bridge deck companionway and the teak decks are a concern. My last boat had teak decks which had to be replaced at about 50% of the overall boat's value. Also, the cabin from the photos appears to be dark and without much exterior viewing. Wondering about the rig with the inner stay and runners - can the boat be single handed?

jakmedic · #7 (**permalink**) 07-30-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhwhite

I'm dreaming about buying a 1981 Albin Nimbus 42 that is currently on Yachtworld and is located in Maryland. Can you tell me the negatives you have discovered about the boat. I don't like the bridge deck companionway and the teak decks are a concern. My last boat had teak decks which had to be replaced at about 50% of the overall boat's value. Also, the cabin from the photos appears to be dark and without much exterior viewing. Wondering about the rig with the inner stay and runners - can the boat be single handed?

Dhwhite: so sorry I've not checked the site for a while. Hopefully by now you have your dream boat...if not and you're still interested, I can tell you our Albin 42 has been very good to us over the years (we've also been good to her). I was 11 years old when my parents bought her new in 1981, and we've cruised maine to florida over the years, though mostly long Island sound. She's solid, well built and quick (though we're strictly cruisers, never race). It is true the companionway is steep, and it's location may make it less convenient than other boats, but frankly it's not something we've ever found to be a bother. Only recently, now that we have a toddler who we are introducing to the boat, is the companionway position likely to make things awkward for a while. Someone with orthopedic issues might have issues. The teak decks are beautiful and we've never had to go through a major replacement. We scrub them with minimal acid wash (not taking down too much of the wood is important) and oil them (several coats) twice a season (beginning and middle of the season), which doesn't take more than a day of work each time. Maybe we've been lucky but the work and expense has been reasonable, and the pleasure we get from the appearance we feel is well worth it. Admittedly, last year we've developed a small leak whenever it rains that's likely somewhere in/under the wood, and we haven't been able to locate it's source yet. But this has been the only issue thus far. I've not noticed that the cabin is dark, but as you mention, it's true the windows aren't very large. I'd call it cozy. I don't consider myself to be an especially accomplished sailor, but I can say she's very easy to handle alone, and I do so quite often (though significant prop walk in reverse makes certain slips a no-go). With 2 people working her she's a breeze.

I'll try to check on this thread to see if you have any more questions. Overall, we've loved the boat.

dhwhite · #8 (**permalink**) 08-06-2008

Thank you for responding. I'm located in Stamford, CT and would appreciate taking a look at your boat if you are ever sailing through the area. The only thing holding me back from buying the boat that is available in Maryland are college tuition bills.

AlpineSailor · #9 (**permalink**) 08-09-2008

DH,

There is an Albin Nimbus on Ebay right now, in NY.

I just happened upon it while browsing ebay (procrastinating my saturday to do list), thought it had some very appealing lines, and just for fun did some reserach on the model.

Up comes this thread. Who knows, maybe this is the boat you're looking for. It's listed under the heading Mega Sail Yacht, for some unknown reason.

I also looked up the boat on Yachtworld. With the better Yachtworld pictures to go by the Nimbus really is a sharp looker.

hellosailor · #10 (**permalink**) 08-10-2008

Could be a bargain or a nightmare--in a barn, no sea trial, as is. Maybe this one will be a pot of gold for some lucky buyer, snug and dry with no surprises and a winning lottery ticket too.[vbg]

I fell in love with a Nimbus in CT some years ago, then discovered the PO had literally taken a chain saw and "improved" the bilge drainage by cutting six inches out of the middle of some the ribs. The broker kept saying "No, really, that can be fixed" and I just said I didn't want to know about it. Idiots with chain saws are something I'm just allergic to. And brokers who figure the buyer just might not notice that kind of thing?!

The reviews and comments I'd seen all said the same thing: Top quality boat, top quality builder, the only thing you could hold against it was the "north sea" type design, i.e. not really well vented for the tropics.