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Are there any family out there with 2+ people who have successfully lived aboard and cruise in Alberg 30?

7K views 37 replies 20 participants last post by  Arcb 
#1 ·
I want to buy a Alberg 30 as my first boat, so my husband and I can learn and cruise safely, take it to the Caribbean and eventually cross the Atlantic. We are also planning to have children soon so I'd like to be able to fit in 2 more kids in the future. We are on a budget so we are not looking for so much comfort, but safety is the most important for us. I just want to know if it's doable, if it's safe. We don't mind putting in the work, there's a 1968 model I found...I'd like to get as much suggestions as possible. Thanks!!
 
#2 ·
I think a Southern Cross 31, Westsail 32 or Allied Seawind 30 would be better options from that era for you stated purpose. They would give you more room and wouldn't hobby horse as bad as the Alberg.
Keep in mind that any boat from that era is likely to need a lot of work and a lot of money. Even when you're doing things on a budget there are certain things that you just shouldn't scrimp on for safety reasons.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I have only been on an Alberg 30 once and briefly. That is pretty small 30'er.

We have a 33' steel Brewer Murray 33 and my Wife and I have lived in it for up to 4 months. We also have a 44' center cockpit we live on otherwise. Our 33 is quite a bit larger than an Alberg 30.

IMHO an Alberg 30 would possibly work for a couple, a special couple, who have the right temperament. It is simply too small for a family of 4.

Sure there may be someone who has done it, and if they did they were very exceptional people. Most people will find small for a single, difficult for a couple, impossible for kids.

AGAIN just IMHO.

There is a couple doing videos who live on a Allied Seawind 30, which is roughly similar in size I think. I like them be ause they do talk about some of the issues small living brings up.


You may find that illuminating. There is especially one video focused on the couples issues.

See also Season 5 episode 2 where they start to look for their family boat. Right up your alley.

 
#9 ·
It's been a long time since someone came on SailNet, who wanted to buy an Alberg 30 as a long distance cruiser. There was a time, maybe 15-20 years ago, when it seemed like there were still folks who considered the Alberg 30 to be an acceptable cheap cruiser. If Alberg 30's were ever a decent choice as a distance cruiser, that hasn't been the case in a very long time. I have spent a lot of time sailing on these old girls, and frankly they are the antithesis of what I would ever suggest as "an acceptable boat to go distance cruising." And are not even a particularly good boat to develop skills on.

As designed they lack the kind of carrying capacities and storage that one would want in a distance cruiser. Build quality was pretty mediocre and they are now 35 to 60 year old boats, and there has been scores of year's wear, tear, and fatigue.

It is important to understand what these boats were designed to be, The Alberg 30's were designed as CCA era race boats and coastal cruisers. In that era, there were boats designed for offshore cruising. With 15 gallons of fuel and 30 gallons of water, the Alberg 30 isn't one of those.

When you think about selecting an acceptable design for offshore cruising, especially short-handed offshore cruising, there are a series of traits that are critically desirable. The boat should have a comfortable motion. She should have lots of stability relative to drag. She should be easy to sail in changeable conditions and sail well, and safely in a broad range of conditions. The hull, deck and rig need to be robust. There needs to be adequate carrying capacity for the consumables to support the crew plus all of the gear that is necessary for the longest passage contemplated. Helm loads should be light so as to be able to be vane steered or use minimal autopilot power, and to not wear out the crew. They should be dry.

The Alberg 30 is none of these things. These boat are tender, have miserable motions, develop lots of weather helm if pushed hard, or require more frequent sail changes than ideal to minimize helm loads. They are slow, wet, cramped, lacking in carrying capacity, and not especially seaworthy. They came from the factory poorly equipped for cruising even in a time when cruising was a much simpler affair. That means that unless you found one in that had been carefully restored for the purpose, making an Alberg 30 suitable for your planned sailing adventure requires such a large investment in time and money that this would make the Alberg 30 a very expensive boat by the time that you went cruising. .

While some people seem to want to claim that these boats are safer because they had full keels, (when they are fins with attached rudders by the classic definition of a fin keel), semantics aside, these boats have all of the worst faults of both fin keels and full keels with none of the virtues of either. They don't track, the rudder is not protected by the keel, they won't stand fore and aft without struts, nor are they easy to maneuver, or offer a light helm.

For a 30 footer these are hard boats to single-hand and offer poor sailing ability at either the heavy and light ends of the wind range. A skilled single-hander might make one work, but a skilled single-hander would probably chose a more suitable 30-35 footer. While it seems to be a seller's market these days, there are still some good deals out there if you take your time. Many of these will be a much better choice all around for the type of thing that you would like to do. So if you are assembling a list of potential makes and models, the Alberg 30 should be very near the bottom.

Jeff
 
#16 ·
With a little more time to think about it, I would add:
Galaxy 32,
Medalist 32
Tartan 30

and possibly the Cal 34.
Both the Cal 34 and the Pearson 10M (mentioned above and specs here Pearson 10m) might need remedial structural work to beef up their hull to deck joint and their keel framing. That said, many of the older and inexpensive boats out there are likely to need keel framing added or rebuilt before trying to cross and ocean. These two boats have a very similar build to the Pearson 36 from the YouTube Channel- Sailing Uma. The couple who own Uma shows how they beefed up the keel framing in this episode. .,

Jeff
 
#17 ·
I do love the look of a CCA-inspired boat, and I find the Alberg 30 to be unusually pretty. I've only sailed on one once, but that was enough to knock it off my list of possible boats. It took a lot of effort to manage the weather helm, and no matter what we did, the boat sailed on its ear. I've since learned better ways to manage the weather helm issue (although that would have only mitigated the problem, not resolved it), but the boat is designed to be tender so that it buries the lengthened ends, increasing the waterline length and "beating" the CCA rating rule. Kind of fun for an afternoon, but not for any kind of distance cruising IMHO. And don't even get me started on sailing downwind in that boat.

I know there are those who just love the boat, but I would never consider taking that boat offshore. There are just so many other boats of that size that are so much better suited for your plans.
 
#19 ·
I have been very impressed with those two. I feel like there is a bit of a mystery about them. For example, of all of the really cheap boats that out there, they somehow ended up with one of the best designs that is out there from that era out there.
But these boats do have a number of vulnerabilities. They quickly identified those issues and did extremely well engineered and well constructed remedial structural repairs.
And while they are both architecture graduates, and so are used to designing things, I am still impressed and mildly perplexed by the speed with which they identified the critical vulnerabilities, engineered good solutions and selected ideal materials and methods, and developed a high level of the needed skills.

And while doing all of that, they learned the sailing, navigation and boat handling skills. It's very impressive, but I would love to know more about that process they went through ramping up the multiple steep learning curves.

Jeff
 
#21 ·
OP,

Have a look here. Might be of interest.




 
#22 ·
With all due respect, this is a good example of a really poor choice for an offshore voyage that someone misguidedly poured a ton of money into. Unfortunately I have seen this type of thing too many times.

People fall in love with the looks of these boats, and think that somehow they might be acceptable cruisers. With that in mind they pour a ton of money into 'upgrading' these boats with the type of gear that most people expect out of a modern cruiser.

But no matter what you do to one of these obsolete old race boats, you can't change the reality that by any objective standard the basic design of these boats is a miserable design for a coastal cruiser, let alone a distance cruising boat.

Like most extreme CCA race boats, the Black Watch 37 (Tartan 37) are a bear to handle in changing conditions. They tend to be very tender. They have poor motion, tending to roll and pitch through large roll and pitch angles. They are expensive to maintain and yet have limited accommodations and carrying capacity. Because these design limitations, they have limited utility as a cruising boat, and so no matter how much money you pour into one of these, they have little to no market value.

Jeff
 
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#24 ·
Jeff and Sander,

Thanks for the comments. Yup it sure looks pretty and salty.

Its sailing qualities aside dose it reflect roughly the size and condition of boat that can be had for about $20k. Or are the performance deficiencies so widely known that it depresses the boats value.

Asking for the OP here. What can he expect for his investment?
 
#25 ·
Jeff and Sander,

Thanks for the comments. Yup it sure looks pretty and salty.

Its sailing qualities aside dose it reflect roughly the size and condition of boat that can be had for about $20k. Or are the performance deficiencies so widely known that it depresses the boats value.

Asking for the OP here. What can he expect for his investment?
I think that the issues with these designs are much better understood than maybe 15-20 years ago so that very few people actually want these boats anymore. Its heartbreaking to see a boat like the Black Watch since you know that there is an owner who cherishes that boat. I have seen this time and again,

A friend of mine redid a similar model boat that was maybe 5 feet longer, He did a fabulous job of replacing anything that could be replaced. Here was a boat with pretty much every desirable piece of cruising gear replaced new, the engine and sails almost new, new upholstery, hard dodger....you name it, he did it. The boat looked better than when it left the factory. He could not find a buyer at any price. He finally donated it.

Another acquaintance had a very nice looking Bristol 40. He rewired and replumbed it, painted the decks, varnished anything that could be varnished, and rebuilt the engine. The boat had pretty fresh upholstery, and had good sails, decent instruments and everything worked. The boat looked great for a 50 year old boat that had been in use pretty much all of that time. He had it listed for sale at ever decreasing prices for 5 or more years. As his health was fading, he finally just literally gave it away rather than pay for a haul out and another year of maintenance. The first time that the guy who was given that boat got into bad weather, he called me and said that he was ready to give the boat away. (I talked him out of that but have not heard from him since.)

In recent years, for the most part, the people who have interest in these old CCA boats are either younger new sailors looking for a really cheap coastal cruiser at a bargain basement price ($5-8K) or else older folks nostalgically looking for a day sailor/overnighter (for $5-8K).

Neither group are willing to pay for all of the work and gear that someone else has put into into these old girls. Moreover, they generally do not have the mix of time, skills, physical condition, and money to keep these boats operational. .

Lets face it, by and large these boats reflected a fad that produced sub-optimal boats to own. That fad died over 50 years ago. Boats like these are like trying to sell the silly 1970's era oversized collared shirts and high wasted 'elephant' bellbottoms. They were a product of their times but their times have long since passed. Its one thing to wear clothing that is a social faux pas, its another to place your life on the line in an obsolete old race boat. It does not help, that you can buy equal condition, newer and better built, and better sailing designs in the same general price range.

Jeff
 
#26 ·
Here's a link that may help you with offshore worthy boats. George
 
#28 · (Edited)
Id go with a J/30. Best old sailboat ever. Cruising thats not boring. Ive read an article about cruising a J/30 in the Caribbean for a year. They did some additions to the interior. That's about it. Remember, this boat is the king of the 1979 Fastnet race. Strong, but fast. They are finally pretty cheap now. May need to do a little core work. But thats why they are affordable. This boat would be my choice for a couple to do a year cruise. Havent been successful talking my wife into it yet. Still working on it.

J boats J30 cruising
 
#30 ·
The OP does not seem to list his sailing (or shopping) area, but there is a fully restored Cascade 29 for sale here (Portland OR) in his general price range. It was re-manufactured extensively for long term use, and then the owner unfortunately died in a plane crash. Yes it was/is an awful situation. :(
That model has sister ships going thousands of sea miles for decades. Robert Smith NA design, and built very strong.
 
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#33 ·
I have a couple of friends on a 27', but it is just them and the cat and they are in 20s. I have another couple on a Bristol 30 and they are in their 50s/60s.

Neither says an extra body would be doable in the long run. But it truly is a to each their own.
 
#34 ·
First of all. Go for a bigger boat. 3 people. Plus gear. Crossing Atlantic. Your gonna need a bigger boat. Lol. I have a 37 cutter. Ans it's very big. But I hate it when there's more than just me Ans my wife. 1 person. Plus gear. Plus provisions for each person takes a lot of space. Not to mention water usage. Etc etc
 
#35 ·
A friend of mine sailed his A-30 around the world in 1975-77 with his nephew as crew. Crossing the Indian Ocean he had two more aboard. His experience encouraged me to buy and cruise an A-30 for 10 years, mostly with my wife aboard. More than two people makes sleeping a bit of a drill. If all aboard are extremely compatible living a fairly Spartan life it can be done. But some folks are incompatible regardless of boat size.
 
#36 ·
Jean-du-Sud & the Magick Byrd is a book about sailing on an Alberg 30.

"In 1982, filmmaker, inventor & artist Yves Gelinas set out to sail solo & nonstop around the world, via the fabled Great Capes, in his beloved Alberg 30 'Jean-du-Sud.' In the tradition of the early solo solo sailors, Yves' voyage was one of personal discovery as much as physical exploration. He recounts the voyage, which nearly ended in disaster when he was rolled & dismasted near Cape Horn..."

There is an English version. It's also available as a free audio book on the podcast "sailing stories".

Anyways, before he set out he spent considerable time strengthening his Alberg 30. Among other things, I think he replaced the mast, so these were not small changes. He also invented the Cape Horn wind vane for this trip, which he still sells. My understanding is he is still sailing that Alberg 30.

 
#37 · (Edited)
Hi,

There are a couple of things that should be done before purchasing a boat... First on that list should be taking a couple of sailing courses...

After that, there should still be experimentation in order to see what are your preferences, and what suits you best... You'll end up with some criterias that should orientate your purchase, if you decide to make one.

And after that, you should try out the boat, if possible. I can say how it feels for me, but you're a different person and may get a different opinion from another person here. Point is, at that time, it should be you that figure up how it is, what will be the pros and the cons, and ask rather about eventual conception issues, and ways to solve them without spending a great amount of cash you won't want to cope with, than on if your project is doable or not.

Most of the time, I'd say that almost everything is doable, but not necessarily secure, confortable, or up to your very needs, or very making a lot of economical sense. Furthermore, sometimes, getting a design to suit what you want may end up costing you more than a newer, fresher design from a decade later... which is why often the initial price point won't be the best indication that you'll spend less for your purchase than with another another one which may be in better condition, or with another model. It can/but may not be very close to the total you'll spend to revamp the boat.

Sure, too, to think about, as I'll point out, there are some elements you'll see and have to deal with the Alberg 30 - that may indicate you that the boat will fit you well... or not particularly well.

First point: I would try to make the less mistakes I can on my boat, especially if it's the boat I plan to stick with as I found a family. The repairs and troubles encountered by not being particularly handy with a boat you own may cost you a couple of hundred, and often thousands of dollars...

Getting a little education, and some practice, will truly help you not spend your cash for nothing, especially if you're tight on budget.

Secondly, the Alberg 30 is not a huge boat, but is somewhat slow in giving you feedback. You'll make errors, you won't notice them really quickly. An error on a boat you pay 1-2k for, without any engine, without sails that cost you a couple of hundreds each, won't be what you'll crave for.

I'd really suggest you to take try to manoeuver out a boat singlehand before making a boat purchase, and to try out any boat you may purchase for something like one or two hours. Being sure you appreciate what you get is essential. You don't want to ask yourself what where you thinking about two-three months after getting the boat. And on that boat, you may get a better sense of what it'll be like, than by listening to our impressions.

The Alberg 30 is not a high-end nor a low-end production boat, it's a little over average boat in terms of quality, but it is quite old, and a couple of these suffer some delamination, osmosis, blistering or other issues, such as issues on their engines. These won't be necessarily easy to detect unless you are accompanied by a professional marine surveyor, and get to run those engines.

Be sure to have a good look at particular points where some extra attention is required, and have a professional surveyor that has no interest vested in the sale with you if you ever make the purchase. Be sure your boyfriend likes the boat as much as you do, as he may have a different take on the boat.
Contact him/her (the professional who will inspect the boat) after you have inspected the boat thoroughly, and have found little, or no issues at all, or issues you are ready to deal with. Otherwise, if you don't know much about sailing, boat layouts, and this kind of stuff, you may end up with a little more than a wreck.

They aren't particularly fast nor slow, are somewhat confortable, but do have a habit of hobby horsing when conditions aren't at their best. At the same time, some people will get to deal with it, and accomodate theirselves, especially if they don't get far away, it'll be possible to just come back home and stop the adventure right when you have got past the point where you enjoy sailing. I tell you that because if you are not so skilled, I'd rather forgive, at least initially, any idea of pulling the trigger and trying to push your luck when the water is not calm, and there is a lot of wind.

It'll be progressive, and you have to start somewhere to end up somewhere.


The layout of the Alberg 30, I think you may want to get a better look at it, it'll show you that's there isn't so much extra space, and you may end up feeling a little too squeezed, with the feeling that things are cramped.

These can take load, but I mean it all depends: if you want to spend the day or maybe a couple of days out, there will be no problem. If, however, you plan to spend a couple of weeks out... having a tiny space to deal with, with two children, for weeks, and having to figure out where you have placed this or this, and store things in a particular configuration as you have not a lot of storage space (unless you work on that, which is what you may want to do) may not help you: to be running into each other, may prove that on the long term, what was adequate for two wasn't for four, especially when they grow up.

You should read on them, if you plan to buy one of them. It will hint you the particularities, and from there, you'll see the good, the bad, and the ugly - and what is workable, and what is not, or not without a lot of cash.

Alberg 30 are not so pricey to purchase though, nor the worse ones you could pick. But, if I were you, I wouldn't make the purchase beforse having done a couple of sailing courses, getting a better opinion on what other options are, and having someone who's job will be to tell you the truth about what he sees as issues on that boat you may, may not purchase.

Finally, if you ask me, with the proper knowledge, and some practice, would I buy one, I'd say probably no. It might not be the best choice at that price point (under 30k). And you? It may not be the one you'll be happy with. It may not be the one you'll want to pick if you try other ones before settling. I'll say it once again, these are fine, quite affordable vessels, but not the very best you may get for what you plan.

Follow my advice, do read on boat purchasing, learn what to look for, read on what to care for on older boats: on the internet, there is a lot of information you'll be able to grasp fairly quickly.

And I support @Jeff_H's answer, he has given you other options that look to him (and to me, also) more compatible with what you want.;)

Oh, and be sure to have considered all other aspects of a boat's purchase (such as maintenance costs, setting apart a budget for any repairs, and all the other related expenses, the time for taking proper care of the ship) before making your decision.

This is the way you won't regret it.


That said, have fun and take care.
 
#38 ·
I had a buddy that lived on an Alberg 30, single guy, always had a gaggle of gals down on the boat on Friday night, but most of them were gone by Saturday morning the rest were gone by Sunday. They are just too small for more than one person. There are so may boats of equal price and length that would work better. Go down below on one, there is no space, you almost need to go out on deck to change your mind, never mind change you clothes.
 
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