Thinking about a live-aboard, pondering size

[landon.burge]

Howdy,
New member in Columbus, MS. I am currently at the Air Force base here in Columbus and just got the go ahead to live off base. I hope to complete the loop when I finish pilot training and I was thinking what a great way to get a head start on a boat by having the AF help make payments on it with BAH. I love Albins for the practicality and their fuel economy. I drive a 96 Passat TDI Wagon for the same reason . But I'm not sure which one to get.

I will likely not keep the boat when I'm done with the loop, but since I will be returning to Houston after training it is a possibility. But one that would sell quickly when I'm finished would be nice. I love the 25 and the 27 FCs for the fuel economy, but I'm not a huge fan of their front cabin layout. I also like the ability to put them on a trailer. But since I'm thinking about living on it for 1+ years and then looping on it for another year, I don't think the 25 will be big enough. Would a 27 FC work if I put a board over the sitting area in the aft cabin and made a bed across the back rather than the two down the sides? I'm 6'2".

I recently came across a 34 FC and it seems like everything I've been looking for as room and a layout that I like, but with a big engine and not able to be put on a trailer. It also seems like it would take a long time to sell since it's kind of rare. I do have quite a bit of experience with Cummins diesels though so that's a plus.

So from a live-aboard, resale, fuel economy, convenient hauling, affordability, already fixed up cause I don't have time frame of mind, what do y'all think? I found a 34 FC, but I think they were asking nearly $60k for it. That's way beyond what I can do. I'm thinking less and $40k, $30k would be better.

Anyone know of any 34s for sale? While we're dreaming let's have it sitting ready to go for me in Amory or somewhere convenient.

[brookesmith]

We just completed 6 months 2743 N.miles on our 1979 Albin 36. You should be able to pick up a 79-86 model for about 40k. Very comfortable. Take a look at an older 36. I average 1.6GPH @ 6.3kts around 3.5-3.9 NM per gallon. You will probably get your money back when you sell it.

[tbnolin]

The 40 NSC I had is a bit more then what you want....price wise and fuel wise. But lots of room! A great layout. It was our camp on the water for a couple years before we packed it up and headed south to Florida on her. We traveled for 8 weeks and lived another 8 weeks on her docked before buying a place.
The loop is still something we want to do....tops on the "bucket list"! We'll see.
Sounds like brookesmith has what you're looking for!

Good luck!
Tom

[Roy]

Thought that you'd like to know that we had a 1985 Albin 27 Aft Cabin for 23 years and finally sold it about three years ago. We were a family of four and it served us well for trips as long as six weeks. After the kids left we used the aft cabin just as you mentioned. It is designed to sleep either way and crosswise is a full queen. To make it more comfortable we added a two inch foam pad to lay on the cushions. It really helped. On our new boat we added a four inch memory foam pad from Walmart and it is as good as our Tempur Pedic mattress at home.

The Albin 27 is a great design and would work well for you. They are economical and extremely seaworthy for their size. Ours was an 85 with the 78hp Nissan which was an excellent engine. Later, in 88 they went to a larger engine and had to strengthen the boat in a number of areas which was overall a good thing.

I highly recommend the 27 over the 25 for what you want to do. Both boats are great boats but the 27 has close to double the interior room. On such a long trip the added space is a blessing. Have fun!

Roy

[WillieC]

Roy, if you haven't already, flip over to A25/A27 and read "Issues with older 27s". Some great comments and info regarding why we putz around with older boats. We own our first boat ever, in our 60s, an A25. I am retired and know my way around wrenches and tools, but no experience with fiberglass and diesels. I am learning. And I love it. Well not the fiberglass so much.
Seems like there are two types of old Albin owners. Those with piles of cash, and those with piles of time. We could have been more selective in our purchase, but stumbled into Albins rather blindly and bought the first one we looked at. It ran, floated, didn't stink too bad, and the Captain said if we are ever going to buy a boat this is the one. I have gone through the electrical system, the plumbing, the propane (removed and went back to alcohol), the weather and salt destroyed top, the shaft and prop, motor mounts, fuel system, rodded the heat exchanger, and on and on, painting and cleaning and touching up as I go and finding out all the things that have been "repaired" or "upgraded"... and all of them needed attention. A nicer boat would have left me without all this valuable experience. I know this boat now and where its weaknesses are and how to address most anything that comes our way. Then again, I am not planning to go to Alaska, but that is more reflective of our (lack of) experience, than the tune of the boat.
Your question was about size, sorry to digress. My original point was, after reading about all the issues with the A27 pilothouse attachment, among other problems, I really like my A25. But they are all old boats and need careful attention regardless of size, which I am sure you already understand.
Good luck in your search and read all you can. Lots of great advice, info and people here at AOG.. Rick

[Mike Ebert]

Thanks for your service.

[Panhdjoe]

I have owned a 27 family cruiser and now have a 1983 36 classic trawler, like Brooke and Susan's boat. I personally would never consider trying to live aboard a Family cruiser. Things like Air Conditioning and Heat. A functional Galley with a refrigerator and oven, A place to sit with windows that open and screens, at 6'1" you would have no place to stand up straight except out in the cockpit. not to mention an actual bed, clothes storage and food storage. A family cruiser just does not have this stuff. Don't get me wrong we enjoyed ours and it was a good boat. A 36 would do and are one of the great values on the used market.
I would want to go to a 43 to live aboard.

[DesertAlbin736]

I will likely not keep the boat when I'm done with the loop, but since I will be returning to Houston after training it is a possibility. But one that would sell quickly when I'm finished would be nice. I love the 25 and the 27 FCs for the fuel economy, but I'm not a huge fan of their front cabin layout. I also like the ability to put them on a trailer. But since I'm thinking about living on it for 1+ years and then looping on it for another year, I don't think the 25 will be big enough. Would a 27 FC work if I put a board over the sitting area in the aft cabin and made a bed across the back rather than the two down the sides? I'm 6'2".

If you're going to end up in Houston you might want to have some kind of boat around just to survive the floods.

I agree, the 25 (of which I own one) would not be very practical for full time live aboard. Especially since you're 6'2". Forward cabin in an A25 has 5'9" of headroom. Just over 6' in the wheelhouse. I'm 5'11" and I can't fully stand up in the forward cabin without being hunched over a little. Not to mention that marinas that do allow liveaboards often require minimum boat sizes of 30 to 35 feet. Plus a surcharge of $250 to $300 or more. I would check around some marinas if you're seriously thinking about living aboard.

The 25 is trailerable with a 1/2 ton pickup if you're mostly on flat ground. 3/4 ton if you had to do any serious hill climbing. A 27 would likely take a 3/4 ton truck minimum, plus possibly oversize load permits due to the beam. Our 25 weighs 6,800 lbs with our aluminum trailer. A 27 on a trailer would be pushing 9,000 lbs plus on a triple axle trailer.

Anything bigger than a 27 may be "transportable" (read $$$$) but not trailerable in practical terms. And you're not going to see the kind of fuel economy you would with a 25 or 27.

But with an A25 you could do the Loop in stages, leap frogging by docking your boat while you take a bus or something back to get your trailer and taking it ahead to the next stop. If it's just you, you could do the loop in a 25. More room than if you were on a submarine, if that's any consolation.

I know of a guy who once "circumnavigated" the whole country, from South Caronlina, down to Florida & the Dry Tortugas, the Gulf Coast, SoCal, Monterey, San Francisco, the Great Lakes, New England and back to S. Carolina by "trailersailing" a Montgomery 17 sailboat.

Here's another guy who did part of "The Loop" in a 17 foot Montgomery sailboat:

http://msog.org/trippics/icwdmk02/down_the_icw.cfm

He had this for a cabin

icwdmk_3.gif

Here's the Montgomery sailboats website. On the home page, the guy in the boat with the red sails, #102, that's me on Roosevelt Lake in AZ back when I had my 15 footer "Scamp", which I also sailed one time from Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles out to Catalina Island, 30 miles out to sea.

http://montgomeryboats.com/

ps, as a Navy vet myself, let me say thanks for your service, you Air Force puke! Just kidding. My sister served in the Air Force back in the mid '70s.

[DesertAlbin736]

WillieC,

Amen to everything you said! Except our prop shaft, motor mounts & engine are OK. Been there, done just about everything else you mentioned. We're leaving for Bellingham on the 12th of this month. Should launch from Squalicum Harbor on or around the 16th. Spend the rest of the month in the SJ's before heading up to Desolation on July 1. Maybe dock in Sidney & take a bus down to Victoria for the Canada Day celebrations on July 1st. Any news on your summer schedule?