Aft Cabin Differences?

[hetek]

Hi All -

During my Albin search I've seen different aft cabin designs, specifically between the earlier versions and the later. Let me clarify:

The "early" version ('85-ish) has the aft cabin but it is open to the engine compartment down towards the foot of the quarter berths. If you open the cockpit seat hatches you can actually see the foot of the quarter berth cushions.

The "later" version ('88-ish) has a bit more refined aft cabin with a drawer beneath the companionway steps, and what I recall as a bulkhead of sorts at the foot of the quarter berths, thus enclosing and seperating the cabin from the engine and bilge area.

Other obvious refinements are the flip-up backrest in the forward v-berth area, but my focus for this post is the aft cabin arrangements.

My point? Well, I was on a '85 boat and in the aft cabin I could smell the distinct smell of diesel. Not good. I then realized the engine compartment connection via the quarterberths. The '88 I was on had no such smell. It could have been a matter of housekeeping around the engine or a minor fuel spill while changing the fuel filter in the '85 but, regardless, the smell was there in the aft cabin.

My question: Is there a way to "retrofit" an early '85 version with the '88 style bulkhead? I don't recall the '88 design well and am wondering if it was installed during production before the deck was mated with the hull or afterwards. To me it would be a first step in preventing the smell of diesel from wafting into the living quarters. Another benefit of the bulkhead is the insulation of engine heat from the sleeping area. I'm thinking this bulkhead was teak plywood but it may have been even a fiberglass molding, now that I think of it. I just can't recall.

Sorry for the long post but can anyone please set me straight?

[Fortunate]

I have an 84 AC. There is a blukhead between the engine compartment and the aft cabin, however the fuel tank is behind it, under the deck. The fuel tank is exposed when looking through the cockpit seat hatches. I am not sure of the new models. We have no fuel smell and the engine noise is no greater than in the v-berth. It would seem like a leakage problem if it smelled that bad.

[Marcy K]

Hi,

We too had an 85 with the foot of the bunks open under the seat hatches. There was absolutely no smell of diesel except for one time when the hose on top of the tank was weeping - then we had a strong smell of diesel which prompted us to search for its source. As for the drawers under the steps - we liked having that part ope - we could store a lot of spare part stuff in that area. I remember talking to someone who had the drawers and he felt that he lost a lot of good storage space with them. I guess it all comes down to personal preferences. It seems like the boat you were on had a leak somewhere. The newer boats have more headroom in the wheelhouse -at least 6'2" I think. Marcy K A 34

[hetek]

Thanks Kim and Marcy -

I have a feeling something just wasn't right but had limited time to investigate.

This would be my first diesel boat and needed to know if the smell was the norm or the exception. Looks like from your responses that it is the latter. Good to know.

The boat would need a thorough cleaning, including the bilge. I would also plan on replacing all hoses. Also, the fact that the shrink wrap was covering the vents in the sides of the hull didn't help.

Thanks.

[Don from Mystic]

My 83 has no bulk head till the engine compartment. No diesel smell. Sounds like a small leak. I had a quite insignificant leak at my transfer pump, and even with a "bad" nose picked it up immediately-

Sometimes when I have a bit of extra surf time on the internet (on the bosses dime), I look at 27's for sale. There were a pretty significant number of subtile changes from year to year (perhaps even within years). I suspect some to make things less labor intensive = hold costs, and some to improve the design. I find it pretty interesting to see the evolution of the vessel.