Anyone near Raleigh, NC that could show me their A27 or A25?

[nichampagne]

I'm looking at potentially buying an Albin 27 or 25 in the future, but have yet to see one in person. I thought that seeing a few seemed fairly important to do before jumping in the deep end and buying. So I'm posting here to see if anyone is anywhere near Raleigh, NC and would be willing to let me see their boat in person. I did have an offer from a member here in Tennessee but I wanted to see if there were any closer by. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[DesertAlbin736]

Can only post a few pictures of our own boat, but the main difference between the 25 & 27 besides the obvious extra 2 feet in length is also beam & displacement, and to a lesser extent fuel economy. A key question for any prospective buyer, to paraphrase Shakespeare, would be...

To trailer, or not to trailer: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes spent on marina slip fees, haulouts, and bottom paint
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by trailering and storing on land end them?

Not to mention your preferred cruising style, like for instance not being limited to local cruising grounds vs a bit of extra room and speed. Otherwise initial cost is not that much different.

As with any boat in the +/-40 year age range, you'll find many owner mods & variations such that no two boats are exactly alike. Also, the Albin 25 had two distinct hull variations, the early pre 1974 Albin 25 like ours which is full displacement with 6 to 6.5 knot cruising speed, and later Albin 25 Deluxe boats that had a flat flare shape added to the aft portion of the bottom to make it semi displacement & used larger HP engines for 7+ knot cruising speed. Also many of these A25s have been repowered at some point with the stock Volvo engines replaced with other types such as Yanmar (like ours) or Beta/Kubota engines, to name just two, or others.

Here are a few samples of our Albin 25 from a series of insurance application photos

[nichampagne]

I'm going to travel to Ft. Myers, FL (August 12-13) to see an Albin there and wanted to know if anyone else lived in that area that would be willing to show me their Albin. The one I'm seeing is a 25 and I'd love to be able to compare it to a 27 or even another 25. Thanks for reading!

[DesertAlbin736]

"Going to travel to Ft. Myers, FL (August 12-13) to see an Albin there and wanted to know if anyone else lived in that area that would be willing to show me their Albin. The one I'm seeing is a 25 and I'd love to be able to compare it to a 27 or even another 25."

Is it this one in Punta Gorda?

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/chl/bo ... 18648.html

Puntagorda Albin25.jpg

If so, it looks like a decent turn key deal, especially with the Yanmar engine. From the ad pictures it's a bit difficult to tell where the holding tank is located, and of course it makes no mention of a trailer. But you could do a lot worse. He says the engine is a "30 HP Yanmar", but makes no mention of the model series, i.e. 'GM, YM, HM,' or whether it's fresh or raw water cooled. But if the engine is so new or a fresh rebuild it only has 95 hours on it, then the engine alone is worth quite a bit. Could always have the hull painted if you didn't like that yellow color. If this isn't the one you're headed down to look at, then you might want to add it to your shopping list.

[nichampagne]

That was the one, but the seller just told me they accepted an offer today so I had to cancel my plane tix and everything. I probably shouldn't have said anything on here... or maybe I'm paranoid.

[DesertAlbin736]

Oh, that's too bad. Don't give up though, and be ready to travel long distances on short notice to find one. You never know, the buyer of the one in Punta Gorda could still back out at the last minute. A27's are much more common and easier to find, but a little tougher to trailer. Keep checking various Craig's List ads up and down the East & Gulf coasts.

One of our AOG members (I think) out West in Sacramento, CA has this one for sale, and it is possible to trailer one across the country (we've done it ourselves), but that is a long haul. This one is a early model full displacement version like ours. Looks nicely set up with full hard top & radar. Ad says there is a trailer available for it, which I assume is at extra cost. But that solves the problem of finding a trailer.

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/boa/d ... 71093.html

[DCatSea]

I know it's a bit of a haul from Raleigh (not too far, though), but if you are in the DC area we keep our 27FC in Deale MD, on the Chesapeake Bay.
If you'd like to see her, and perhaps go for a quick run round Herring Bay I'd be pleased to go out. PM me on the forum if you would like to do this.

Doug

[DesertAlbin736]

I know it's a bit of a haul from Raleigh (not too far, though)

Five hour drive, 295 miles via I-95 & US Rt 301 to be exact. That's 100 miles shorter than our recent trip towing our boat out to Los Angeles. Go for it!

[Northern Spy]

I have an A25 docked in Oriental, I would love to give you a tour and a test ride. She may also be for sale soon!