Albin 28 for family cruising

[Boatguy]

Hi everyone,
I am new to the forum. Would like to buy an Albin 28TE to do weekend cruising with my family (wife and toddler aged daughter). Wondering what people's experiences have been in similiar situations? Enough room? Good spots for a 3yr old to sleep/feel secure, etc. Any thoughts/opinions appreciated.

[Tree]

With a bit of juggling about no problem whatsoever. We sleep on the boat. That's me, my wife 8,4 and three year old. I'm not the smallest person in the world either!

[Boatguy]

That is very impressive!

[Pedro]

Hi,I have had a 28 for 4 years now,,and my daughter is now 10, she loves "her" aft berth, she hangs out there and reads or uses the iPad in there when not sleeping there,The boat is very well suited to young kids due to the
1.toe rails in the cockpit
2.extra deep cockpit
3.transom door for boarding
4,high bow rails for moving forward
5.Head is plenty roomy
I love this boat,,the ride is also great for the family,very safe and stable,Good Luck

[johnmurray]

You might also think about the Albin30 Family Cruiser which is exactly the same as a 28 forward, but has been extended two feet to make a separate aft cabin. Unfortunately there are not too many of them around. They were built during the 2004/2005 period only.

[catalina_mike]

Hi,I have had a 28 for 4 years now,,and my daughter is now 10, she loves "her" aft berth, she hangs out there and reads or uses the iPad in there when not sleeping there,The boat is very well suited to young kids due to the
1.toe rails in the cockpit
2.extra deep cockpit
3.transom door for boarding
4,high bow rails for moving forward
5.Head is plenty roomy
I love this boat,,the ride is also great for the family,very safe and stable,Good Luck

Ditto...

[Jack]

The 28 should be plenty big enough for a weekend. The vee berth is very large maybe queen size at the head and narrows toward the foot in the bow. The quarter berth is great for a child and even for some adults, especially the engine box model where the berth is a few inches wider.
We use our engine box as a table so that adds to the feeling of roominess.

[RobS]

You will be fine. My family of 4 and small dog cruised our 28 for many many sessons, most trips were 7 to 10 days and the last few seasons the trips were all on the hook or a mooring. Storage space was always a bit of a challenge so we had to be both efficient and creative in that department...

[Boatguy]

Thank you for all the excellent responses everyone. I am actually looking for the engine box model as I think it adds to the family aspect of the boat and I don't fish so no issues there.
My biggest concern is some of the videos I have seen with water constantly pouring over the front wind shield from spray in rough seas. I boat on Buzzards Bay and 15-20kts of wind with a good chop is the norm heading out. While running home typically entails the a stiff southwesterly with the seas on the port aft quarter and I hope the boat isn't too "squirrely" in the type of sea. Any comments on this would also be helpful. Thanks again.

[Serenity]

The 28 does well in a nasty chop. My only complaint were the single arm windshield wipers. I have since installed pantographic wipers and they make a world of difference. Find your sweet spot for speed and your good to go. Very safe boat.

[Pedro]

I boat in LI or Block Island Sounds,very choppy conditions at times,Pantographic wiper upgrade was a "huge" help this past season, very simple upgrade and not expensive,,you will get spray in a nasty chop, but the ride is great and you will have a happy crew in most all conditions,,

[special k]

excellent boat for weekending ( and serious fishing if you choose). we now use ours as a couple and couldn't be happier. the quarter berth should accommodate a child or two.

biggest drawback to being family friendly is the small (6gallon) waste holding tank. we prefer staying on the hook so good "potty management" a must.

pantograph wipers keep the windshield clear and enclosed pilot house keep us cozy and dry in sporty seas...

been out in real nasty seas and never felt threatened, as mentioned above you just have to find your sweet spot

cheers!

[drbob]

The Ray Hunt hull for the TE series and NSC is modeled after the North Sea patrol boats that take 40-foot seas with aplomb. There is an interesting article written about an A28TE journey in 24-foot seas. Waves smacked the port and center windshield wipers off, but the boat never faltered. See the first Testimonial for the A29TE for the article on this site http://www.albinowners.net/Albin_news.html and check out Albin 28 Testimonials and the Rough Rider article.

Take care if you show your wife this article.

Other than using a little common sense, we never concern ourselves with the 4 to 6-foot wakes produced by the big guys out in the Caloosahatchee River.

And yes, it can be a windshield wiping ride, but it's also an extremely safe ride.

We like to cruise around 20 mph at 3,300 rpm in our 2005 A28TE engine box with 315 Yanmar and carrying a 3.5 Generator, 4 AGM batteries, full fuel and water, and AC/Heat installed up front. Last bottom cleaning was Jan. 2017.

Bob DeGroot
Cape Harbour
Cape Coral FL

[Radioman]

Hello Bob, I have a 28 TE engine box, and would like to install a generator. If you don't mind; what model genset do you have and where is it installed. Any pictures?

I have my 28 near you in Ft. Myers Beach. Any help would be appreciated.

Warren Hall
FMB, FL

[Jeremyvmd]

Mine has a factory genset mounted in the front of the compartment between the seats. Where many boats have their battery trays. It's an entec west 3.5. Has been a great and reliable genny thus far!