Newbie looking for an Albin 28 TE - Found!

[Norseman]

Survey is delayed a week.
(Broker screwed up the dates.)

So a few more questions:
How many of you guys Document the boat with the USCG?
I have done that in the past, but usually because of financing, this will be cash.
Is it easier to come back to the U.S. With a documented boat? Or same $25 US Custom sticker and same
check-in whether you are documented or not?

[Russell]

Norseman
All of the boats I have owned were documented except my present one. It was already state registered and so I followed the path of least resistance and did the same. Amber J appears to be state registered by the numbers on the bow.
I don't know all the requirements to go to the Bahamas but people on my dock talk like it is very simple. I will find out next fall.
Many of the questions you have been posted will be answered at your survey and because Albins are all slightly different the answers we give may not be correct. Definitely be present at the survey. You can also use the search function on this site to find answers such as the ram size for the autopilot. I believe someone recommended going a size up from what was installed by Albin. Good luck with your new adventure.

[djpeewee]

Congratulations if it all works out! We just bought ours last September. It was a very exciting / nerve wracking / drawn out process. Worth every bit though. Ours is documented and I am not sure what this gets us other than the preferred marine mortgage. We still have to pay rego to the state every year. We just don't have to fly the numbers on the bow.

I would look into a different insurance company. That rate seems way to high. We are paying $725 per year on an agreed value of $85k. We went through Anchor Marine Underwriters. It may be a Florida vs. Washington thing though. We don't get hurricanes up here.

[Norseman]

Thanks Russel.
Yup, I am all for going up a size in autopilot, but so far I don't know what was installed my Albin.
(Did a quick search, but it seems like there is many different brands installed.)
I need a Raymarine something because the rest of the electronics are Ray, from 2010, fairly current.

Been to the Bahamas 27 times with my sailboat and quite familiar with check in-procedures, but the boat was documented and it was easy coming back, no need to talk to an inspector unless I carried aliens onboard.
If so, we drove down to the office to show a passport. (Kind of silly, if I had in-documented aliens, or illegal immigrants, I would never have reported them and would not have to drive down to the office )

[Norseman]

Thanks DJ, I will check with your insurance company as well.
Rates tripled here in Florida after hurricane Wilma, it wiped out more boats
Than you could shake a stick at and many boats were not allowed to stay here during the season.
Will shop around.