Albin 25 MS Compression Post and Compression Post Table

[Foreverunstopable]

Were looking at converting the Deluxe to an MS and are interested in recreating the compression post and compression post table.

Would anyone mind posting measurements for the post?

Would be great if someone has a mast with hardware in Florida along with the post and table.

[DesertAlbin736]

My boat is a 1971 A25 motorsailer version. Mast, boom, rig, and sails including a Furlex headsail furler came with it when I bought the boat this past March. Previous owner had never stepped the mast, only inherited the mast and sails from the owner previous to him. I haven't tried stepping the mast yet myself. But the setup seems a little odd to me, since there is no compression post on my boat either, only a mast step that is located right up against the windshield with a backing plate in the cabin underneath. So I don't know what to make of the idea of installing the mast without a compression post. For now I'm happy with using it as a motorboat. Being an ex-sailboater myself, I can't imagine an Albin 25 performing all that great as a sailboat. You have minimal depth of keel and no weighted ballast. Only inherent stability from the form of the hull itself. That means poor upwind pointing ability and lots of leeway trying to tack upwind. And as we'd say, rather tender when it comes to heeling. Would be OK as a roll damper and for beam and broad reaching with favorable winds. Unless you're keeping the boat in a slip and not doing much trailering, it hardly seems worth the effort. It's the reason I switched from a Catalina 25 sailboat to an Albin 25, so I can trailer to places near and far without the considerable chore of stepping a big mast, yet have similar fuel economy as motoring a sailboat. I did not just stumble across this Albin 25 and think gee, that looks interesting I think I'll buy it. No, I was specifically after an Albin 25 and searched online ads and Craiglist far and wide and had to drive 850 miles each way from Phoenix to Idaho to get it. And finding a motor sailer version was not a priority.

Online photos of most motor sailer Albin 25's that I've seen step the mast a couple feet or so forward of the windshield and have a stainless steel compression post like this about where the aft edge of the settee is. But I'd guess that could vary depending on where exactly the mast step is placed.

albincompression post.JPG

I'm in Arizona, a long way from Florida, so otherwise I can't help you much there.

[n2sawdust]

My 1973 Albin 25 has a sail rig.

The aft end of the mast step is 19" from where the windshield trim meets the deck. This lines up with a support molded into the floor of the cabin.

Compression post is 64 5/8" tall. There is a small wood block between the post and the cabin top. The compression post has a 5/8" diameter screw under the bottom that can be used to adjust the height of the post. Post is made with 1 1/2" OD tubing.

Table is 36 1/2" long. The fwd part of the table narrows to 12 3/4" wide with a 1 1/4" radius on the corners. The aft end of the table is 27" wide with a 9-10" radius on the corners. Table is plywood with doublers underneath that are 7/16" thick.

Table is attached to post with 2" OD Tubing. There is a some kind of material on the inside of this tube to help it clamp to the compression post without scratching it. Top of 2" tubing has two 4" gussets welded to either side...the top of the gussets extend another inch and are folded over 90 degrees to provide for screwing the support tube to the bottom the table. There is a screw clamp at the bottom of the tube which is also used to attach a support arm for the forward end of the table. The support arm is 22" long, including a U shaped bracket on the clamp end. On the other end the support arm has an additional 2 3/4" portion that is flattened, bent 45 degrees to be parallel with the bottom of the table, and drilled for screws.

Have some photos, however get message "the image you tried to attach is invalid". File is jpg from iphone.

[JT48348]

A27 motorsailer copy.jpg

A27 motorsailer copy v2.jpg

Regarding the reason and thinking behind a Albin motorsailer i would reference "The Troller Yacht Book" by George Buehler. Chapt 4.

He explains it in detail the where for and why. Not sure i agree with it either but its an interesting argument. Basically he says we're sailing off the wind. At best 90 degrees to the wind.

Motorboat first. Sailboat second. Sail is auxilary. Mast provides other advantages such as motion dampening, lying to, deck hoist.

Re: no compression post. Perhaps a compression post might not be necessary depending on the deck support, reinforcement, and spreading the load. Probably also depents on your mast height and what you're flying.

which brings me to :
Have a lead on a mast boom and rigging cheap. Has anyone considered a A27 motorsailer?

The hull shape is similar to a A25 and with the right mast it might well be a troller trawler. Mast would have to go immediately in front if the pilothouse. With a boom you could raise a dingy onto the roof.

[Foreverunstopable]

Is anyone not using their motorsailer interior table and willing to part with it?