A25 trailer question

[kerrye]

I'm looking to purchase an A25 and have a question. Does this trailer look too short for the boat or is it an optical illusion? It appears odd to me although the wheels seem to be in the right location on the boat.

<http://houston.craigslist.org/boa/5244286102.html>

[denchen]

If you look on page 26 of the Albin 25 manual, it shows the centre of gravity point about half way along the side windows. This being about right for the trailer in the picture. However I would like a protector of some sort on the rear end of the keel in case it grounded and damaged the gel coat.

[DesertAlbin736]

My first impression of the photo in that Craigslist ad is that the trailer is too short. It leaves the aft 1/3rd of the hull and keel unsupported. Might be OK for a yard trailer for a boat that stays in the water most of the time or used to haul out and place the boat on blocks and stands, but as a trailer used for road transport or keeping the boat on full time, not so sure.

This is how our trailer is. Bunks support the hull from roughly even with the front end of the cabin top all the way aft to the transom. The keel is fully supported by rollers at each cross member. The trailer tongue extends far enough ahead of the bow that the boat can be launched without need of a tongue extension. That's what I'd shoot for. Otherwise it's a nice looking boat.

[kerrye]

Thanks for the replies. Huge differences in those trailers.

[Beta Don]

A very nice boat that someone has spent a small fortune and a lot of time restoring and repowering

When I first checked the ad, it was listed for $25K, now I see they have lowered it to $20K. If I was looking for an A25, I think I'd keep a close eye on this one. Winter is coming and I think this guy wants to sell if before then. If you could buy it for $15K, I don't think I'd worry too much about the trailer . . . . you could afford to spend $2500 or so and have the trailer refitted to the boat and still come out ahead

If you like the boat (and I assume you do) I would make him a firm offer to buy it for $15K and then sit back and wait. If he doesn't get a better offer in the next 6 weeks or so, I think you bought yourself a very nice boat and for a very good price. If you get it, I think you've found a real bargain and if not, there will be others with better trailers which will come along . . . . but I doubt you'll find a nicer A25 at any price than this one, IMO

Don

[kerrye]

I've asked the seller questions about the boat's history and haven't gotten any straight answers. I like to have some information about a boat besides pictures when traveling to look at or purchase a boat. You could easily be correct but I haven't satisfied myself enough to act yet.

[kerrye]

By the way, if anyone knows the history of this boat or has seen it in person, please post or pm me. I'm guessing that whoever put that much work into the boat was probably a member of this or some other forum at some time.

[Beta Don]

It sounds like the current owner bought the boat 'as is' and he wasn't the one who did the restoration and repower, so it's entirely possible he doesn't have many answers for you. I think it's definitely worth a trip to look it over . . . . you might take a check with you because cash talks - You can always walk away if you don't like the look of something or it he won't meet your price

The Beta repower with the high output alternator, new shaft, new dripless shaft seal, Racor filter, flexible coupling was about a $15K upgrade, possibly a bit more depending on who did the work. I've done about the same thing on my boat with a rebuilt Yanmar and doing all the work myself, I've spent about $12.5K . . . . and my engine was not brand new

There are some other very impressive upgrades - 12/120 refrigeration, hydraulic steering, custom hardtop, new stainless fuel tank, chartplotter and a complete new paint job. This boat was set up for cruising and it looks like neither the current owner or the one who did the retrofit has been able to take advantage of it, since the engine has only 150 hours on it

You could buy an old, tired A-25 and retrofit it similar to this one for about $25K . . . . if you did much of the work yourself. I don't know anything more about this boat than you do and have no relationship with the seller, but having just bought an old, tired A-27 and spent years and way too much money going through it, I sure wish I had found something like this back when I bought mine - Something nicely restored, ready to go and for much less money than you could do it all yourself

Don

[DesertAlbin736]

I would agree with Beta Don. Good A25's for sale are few and far between, especially with a brand new Beta engine installed and all the other cosmetic work like was done on this example. In March 2014 we drove drove 850 miles all the way from Phoenix to Idaho to get our Albin 25 and paid more than $20K for one repowered with a nearly 30 year old Yanmar 3GM30F engine. At the time there were only 3 other A25's for sale anywhere, and of those 2 were in Canada and the other in Florida.

Remember, they only made around 2,000 Albin 25's, including both the older full displacement models and the newer semi-displacement Deluxe models, of which this one is probably one of the earliest made, since the Deluxe version started around 1974. The majority of Albin 25's are in Europe and the U.K., and of those in North America most are in Canada.

For comps, there's this Albin 25 posted on Fort Myers Craigslist in Punta Gorda, FL repowered with a 30 HP Yanmar asking $34K.


http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/chl/boa/5259564397.html


If we're talking good trailerable pocket trawlers in turn-key condition, $20K is chump change.


Like this 1908 Ranger 25 Tug for $98K

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/Ra ... i2lwfmrTcs

Or this 1983 Nordic Tug 26 for $49.9K

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1983/No ... i2mSPmrTcs

On up to a 2009 Nordic 26 that goes for $149.5K

My other fave would be a C-Dory 25, but there you're also talking in the $70K range.

[DesertAlbin736]

kerrye, speaking of traveling long distance from Denver to Port Isabel, TX, when we sold our Catalina 25 sailboat in 2013 our buyer drove all the way down from Eaton, CO, North of Ft. Collins to make the purchase.

You might think of offering something close to his asking price, maybe 5% to 10% off but not insultingly low-ball, considering that someone, either he or the owner previous to him put a substantial amount into that new engine, as Beta Don suggests might have been up to as much as $15K right there. BUT, make your offer contingent on passing a professional survey (at your expense of course), and negotiate on any repair items or deficiencies that might crop up.

[kerrye]

I'm still thinking about it but I'm focusing on others. I've traveled a number of times to purchase motorhomes so I'm well aware that pictures don't often tell the whole story, hence my interest in the history of the boat. I don't mind buying at a distance but I like to increase my confidence in the likelihood of purchase before packing up the truck or buying an airline ticket.

[Beta Don]

I buy long distance, sight unseen all the time - So far I've not been disappointed but maybe I've just been lucky

I drove 900 miles one way towing a dolly to buy a '66 Corvair Corsa convertible which was advertised in Hemmings Motor News for $8K. I talked to the seller, got him to send me some more pictures and told him I wouldn't even come look at it at his price . . . . I'd bring a check for $5K and if he thought he could sell it for that, we might have a deal. He told me to come ahead and (eventually) I wound up buying the car for $3500 - Long story

I drove from Biloxi to Chicago to buy a 2003 Protégé 5 which I found on eBay. The pictures looked OK - He said he'd had some advertising stickers on it and you could see where they used to be when he removed them. The car was a STEAL - $5500 (4 years ago) and it had less than 60,000 miles. Book on it was about $8500 to $9K at the time. The paint buffed out fine and it looked like new, inside and out. Not a scratch or a dent on it anywhere . . . . how can you drive a car 60,000 miles in the Chicago area and not get a scratch or dent in it anywhere? We're still driving it and likely still will be 10 years from now

My brother and I drove 1100 miles one way to Summerville South Carolina to buy a hardtop for his Miata. We did that 2200 mile trip non-stop, changing drivers every few hours

4 months ago, I found a 2012 Mitsubishi electric car in Indianapolis and we drove up and trailered that home. A car which had a $35K sticker when it was new, had only 3,900 miles on it (had just come off lease and been auctioned) and we paid $8,700 for it. You absolutely could not tell this one from a brand new car - We're still driving it as well

All of these 'finds' were made on eBay. I always look at it like it's a 3 day vacation, a few tanks of gas and two motel rooms and if I don't like what I see, I'm always prepared to go home without it - I tried leaving the guy's house 3 different times which is how I bought the $8K advertised Corvair for $3,500

Go take a look at this boat and bring a $15K cashiers check with you - All he can do is say no, but with winter coming on, I think there's better than a 50/50 chance you'll get it for that - If not, he'll come down from the $20K to a better number. Worst case if he declines your offer, tell him you'll split the difference with him ($17.5K) before you turn to leave - I can pretty much guarantee you that you *CAN* buy it for that. He says "All serious offers considered" and if you're there with a truck and a check, that's a pretty serious offer, very likely the last one he'll get before winter. It's hard to see a big chunk of cash money drive away when you're trying to sell something that few people really want . . . .


Don