Albin 7.9 meter owner advice?

[Molika]

I'd sure love to connect with any other English speaking owners of the 1/4 tonner Albin 7.9 meter sailboat. I am racing mine on the Columbia River in Portland, OR and would love to share ideas, thoughts, and strategies with other owners and racers. So far, no one has contacted me from my 'introduction' a couple of years ago. Help?
360 721 3468.

[DCatSea]

Hi Molika,
Don't want you to be a lonely Albin Sailor in a world of diesels. I think Albin sailing yachts are more common in Europe than the US. I may be wrong, but that's my experience.
Anyway - I'm sure I'm not alone if I say we'd love to see pics of your Albin flying along under full sail.

I have enjoyed some fine oysters in Florence OR, which I gather is not too far from you.

[DesertAlbin736]

Doug is right. Although most sailors, including many former sailors here who came 'over to the Dark Side' know or have heard of Albin sailboats. The vast majority of AOG subscribers own Albin power boats, from Albin 25 pocket trawlers to Tournament Express sport fishers to the larger trawlers. So that said, speaking for myself as a former sailboater, I'm glad to hear from owners of Albin Vega type sailboats

[WillieC]

Now that DA mentions it, we have seen a few Albin Vegas around these here parts, one in particular I remember in Poulsbo. I was commenting to the Starfleet Commander how closely the windows matched those on our own Albin 7.62 DeLuxe, when she noticed the nameplate. I still got it!

Molika, please post some pictures. Though boatless at the time, we spent many hours watching the regattas from McMenamin's in Vancouver. Sorry for the lame welcome to the forum. Lots of former sail boaters here, though few would consider themselves as "former" I am sure. Maybe "not currently". Welcome anyway!

Doug, Portland/Vancouver to Florence is about the same distance as Alexandria to Trenton, NJ, though I would hazard a much nicer drive.

[DesertAlbin736]

Hey! Don't be dissing New Jersey! I happen to be a native Jersey Boy myself, although I moved away from there 50 years ago.

[DCatSea]

I had relatives in Eugene so the drive was pleasant; beat the heck out of I-95 and the NJT anyways.

I suspect the Florentine oysters had been working out, and they were spectacular.

[Molika]

Thanks for responses. Struggling with photos. Must I post in the pictures section, or can I include them in a reply like this? I can't seem to get it to work here. I'll try for pics again so you can see that my boat is not a Vega, but a 7.9 meter quarter tonner. They are quite different. I was hoping that perhaps some European sailors visited the site..... BTW: If you like oysters, come a little farther north to Netarts Bay just west of Tillamook where we have a small cabin. Pure little estuary and great oysters, clams and perhaps the best crabbing on the West Coast! I'm prone to a little hyperbole....

Gary Bruner
s/v Molika
Battle Ground, WA

[WillieC]

You weren't at one time by chance a junior high school teacher, were you?

When posting, drop down to and click on the "Attachments" box, which gives you fifteen more ways to mess it up. You'll get the hang with a little practice.

[Molika]

High school teacher, yes. Jr High? Not much at all except student teaching and a bit of coaching at that level. Ended up H.S. theatre, mostly, and the last 12 as a theatre professor in Portland. How much trouble might I be in?

[WillieC]

I was mistaken, I was thinking of a young man (some fifty years ago) named Jim. Come to think of it I even have the last name wrong. I was going to mention that I don't feel that old, but maybe I better rethink that.

Now what were we talking about? Ah yes, boats! Something about racing. My Albin 7.62 has topped out at 11.7 kts, in the Tacoma Narrows. Top that!

[DesertAlbin736]

When posting, drop down to and click on the "Attachments" box, which gives you fifteen more ways to mess it up. You'll get the hang with a little practice.

In addition, if you're posting pictures as a reply, click the "Full Editor & Preview" box first to access the attachments/add files function. If you discover typos after you've submitted a post or otherwise want to change something just click the little "Edit Post" box at upper right (pencil icon).

[Molika]

Here is at least one pic of my sailboat. It doesn't show the name MOLIKA in large letters on the hull. It's named after my daughers MOlly, LIbby, and my wife KAthy, but I often tell people it's Polynesian for 'naked maiden'. Harvey Weinstein made me do it....

[Molika]

I suspect that Tacoma Narrows record was GPS speed, with just a little current added in! It rips through there. My record on Molika is not much, but once hit a max speed of 13.75 knots under sail in my old Yankee 30 sailboat. It was a race up the coast from Astoria to Victoria called the Oregon Offshore. That was under white sails as it was blowing up to 40 knots in quite a little gale....We are likely doing about 7.9 knots going downriver on the Columbia in this pic...taken from near McMenimens in Vancouver, a great spot to watch local races....

[DesertAlbin736]

Great picture! She's got a real "bone in her teeth"!

Tacoma Narrows? Who can forget the story of "Galloping Gertie"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zczJXSxnw

Speaking of the Columbia River, my wife's sister & her husband live in Deer Island, OR & run this Bayliner 2552 up near St. Helens. They often trailer up to Anacortes & cruise the San Juans & Gulf Islands, as we did with them in 2014. They are also avid hobby craft brewers of beers & IPA.

http://www.deerislandbrewery.com/

DSCN1646.JPG

[hetek]

Desert - A native Jersey boy? Get out! Me too!

While not a true "native" (that would be Minnesota), I spent 90% of my youth in Maplewood, NJ. Even went to Rutgers! How's that for "Jersey"?

Molika - That's a beauty there. Nice full sail photo. You would be probably outrunning my Albin 25!