The HORNBAY? Albin-25 with Texas reg.

[NickScheuer]

When we left our Albin at Larson's (Waukegan, IL) a couple of days ago we saw ANOTHER Albin-25 there! She was up on stands for cutlass bearing replacement and bottom painting.

Anybody know her? The shop told me she is a 1978 boat

She has a nice fiberglass hardtop over the cockpit, which instead of extending straight aft from the original top, steps up 4".

Nick

[DougSea]

No picture Nick?

[MikeF]

Hi Nick - That is my boat! It was also a pleasant surprise for me when I saw anther A25 - yours - in the yard! (I have sent you a PM…)

I have had her for almost 10 years. She was in Dallas and Houston until we recently relocated to IL.
Thanks for your comments on the hard-top. I designed and scratch-built it myself some years ago, along with the opening fiberglass hatch over the pilothouse - it was a very labor-intensive job, but the hardtop is serving us well and keeps the boat dry.

I recently re-powered with a 30HP Beta Marine, which I am happy with though I am currently dealing with really frustrating cutless bearing/shaft-seal/stuffing-box/flexible-coupling issues. She has been at the boatyard for almost two months now and the issue is STILL not resolved…

Does anyone know of any other A25's in the greater Chicago area…?

[NickScheuer]

We will be at the Waukegan YC this coming weekend for a U S Sail & Power Squadron Rendezvous; Maybe run into you at Larsen's.

I'd like to do a hardtop, too. We're not "sun worshippers" and on sunny days we usually have to concentrate of reducing our UV exposure. The other large advantage is less time required to rig side curtains when encountering a rain squall.

A lot of old "classic" cruising motor boats feature hardtops over the cockpit. Current styles are basically much more open, with truly ugly canvas/bow structures employed to enclose them from weather.

Will exchange more personal info by PM, Mike!

Nick

[NickScheuer]

When I first became interested in Albin-25's four years ago I looked at one in terrible condition which was moored in the Chicago River on Chicago's far north side. It had 1000-lbs of Ferro-Cement ballast fastened to the keel for supporting an oversize sail rig, which included a bowsprit. The AD-21 motor had been removed for rebuilding and had been lying around in pieces for several years at a race car engine shop whose owner talked about a need for cylinder sleeves.

The boat had fake wood vinyl foil liberally applied throughout the interior, several holes in the cabin structure exposing rotten core wood. The trailer was stored out of the city, however photos indicated that it was junk.

The original owner had passed away and it was his son who hoped to sell the boat. The asking price was ridiculously high.

I understand that another potential buyer in Minnesota was thinking about using it to experiment with an electric drive powered by storage batteries.

Nick

[MikeF]

It's always fun to come across another Albin. During various travels over the years, I have spotted several, many in the UK and Europe. I even came across one in someone's back yard near Puerto Vallarta in Mexico!
Thanks for the contact Nick!

[Brian]

Hi Nick - That is my boat! It was also a pleasant surprise for me when I saw anther A25 - yours - in the yard! (I have sent you a PM…)

I have had her for almost 10 years. She was in Dallas and Houston until we recently relocated to IL.
Thanks for your comments on the hard-top. I designed and scratch-built it myself some years ago, along with the opening fiberglass hatch over the pilothouse - it was a very labor-intensive job, but the hardtop is serving us well and keeps the boat dry.

I recently re-powered with a 30HP Beta Marine, which I am happy with though I am currently dealing with really frustrating cutless bearing/shaft-seal/stuffing-box/flexible-coupling issues. She has been at the boatyard for almost two months now and the issue is STILL not resolved…

Does anyone know of any other A25's in the greater Chicago area…?

Hey Mike,
A clean looking Albin!
It looks like the hard top roof is fiberglass...how did you form it up?
The photo shows off the obvious second generation hull with the spray chines aft sloping down.
What do you have for the fwd stbd side trunk/head vent?
Brian
"Tainui II"

[MikeF]

Hi Brian - Thanks. Yes the hardtop and pilothouse opening hatch are both fiberglass. Hand laid epoxy & cloth. Took me about three months to build. Sculpted the "mother" from foam sheets glued together, then laid the layers over that. When cured, scraped out the foam and built it up on the inside and ended up with a nice solid form about 4mm thick. Lots of epoxy filler and fairing both inside and out, much elbow grease sanding it smooth and a few coats of Awl Grip. It was a LOT of work! I tried to keep the design true to the original lines of the Albin.
If you're referring to the hatch/vent above the forward window, it was a very solid, older used hatch (no name), which I found at a boat recycle shop, and refurbished. Really helps to keep the saloon cooler.
Cheers,
Mike