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[Hoosier]

Hello and thanks for taking me aboard. My wife and two sons cruised a MacGregor 26 power sailor in Washington's San Juan Islands and the British Columbia Gulf Islands for a few years while the kids were little. When they got bigger they mutinied and we sold the boat. I'll be retiring soon and aim to get an Albin MS for perhaps more extended cruising in more comfort than the MacGregor could offer. So I so thought I'd join the group and learn more about Albins. Hoosier is the name for natives of Indiana. I've no idea why they are called Hoosiers and neither does any other Hoosier I know.

[WillieC]

Welcome aboard, Hoosier! One of the worst days we have had was trying to beat a small craft advisory after being stuck in the fog for three hours at Port Ludlow. Our goal was LaConner and I thought if we survived that passage in front of Oak Harbor, we'd have it made. Full on stern seas but I knew once we made the turn north we'd be in the lee of Whidbey Island. For about half an hour... until the winds met us coming around the other way through Deception Pass. We took blue water over the roof a couple times and almost missed the channel markers of the Swinomish. I think the Starfleet Commander would have given you our A25. We made it, and lived to tell about it. Not too bright holding to a schedule that was three hours behind out of the gate. We should have holed up either at Langley or Oak Harbor. The very next day we met folks who had just motored up from Tacoma (in a much faster boat) and the water was pretty much glass.

So what is an MS? Motorsailor, yeah like the MacGregors! That's it. Not many still rigged up that way, with one notable exception who will weigh in shortly. We did see another modified MS on another A25 last year up in Ladysmith. It even had the hardtop. Those folks are full time liveaboards. Hardy folk, there, but a nicely appointed boat for their purposes. It CAN be done. AND they generally anchor out.

There are masts lying about and periodically they come up for sale. Trying to rig it all up would be a cinch for a person like yourself, given your experience. Depending on the set up, it can be a bit of a pain. Desert Albin, with whom we traveled to Desolation Sound last year, had his mast rigged while we are mastless. But they are former sailboat owners. Are you planning on trailering or staying in a marina?

Hope you find your boat! Hold out for the Good One! Ha!

[DesertAlbin736]

A Hoosier Daddy?

...one notable exception who will weigh in shortly

Ha ha, who would that be?

Here is our Albin 25 with mast installed

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Here's another boat at Ladysmith (not the one WillieC's talking about).

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I'm also quite familiar with both the MacGregor 26X and the later 26M. Before I met my wife, she and her late previous husband (he passed in 2005) owned a 2001 MacGregor 26X. While they are not great sailboats they do sail better than an Albin 25 ever could. The Macs had 1,300 lbs of water ballast and a drop down centerboard. The Albin has neither. The Macs also have up to 50 HP outboards & could motor at 15 knots.

With Albins the sail rig was added as an optional after thought, mostly useful as a steadying sail. We transitioned from a Catalina 25 sailboat (I've had sailboats since 1998) to the Albin and were not actually looking for a motor sailer. Just so happened the A25 we found came with the sail rig. We were 'going over to the dark side' in order not to have to deal with mast raising when trailering. We do a lot of trailering because we live 360 miles from the nearest ocean. The nearest lake to us is 15 minutes away but is only 2 miles wide by 4 miles long, which we've long since outgrown. Other sizable lakes in and near Arizona are at least 50 miles away to as much as 250 miles away (Lakes Havasu, Mead, Powell, & Roosevelt) Last summer on our trip with WillieC up to Desolation Sound we brought the mast along to try it out. Yes it helped dampen roll rate in rough water, but otherwise did not do much to help. We only ever used the mainsail because the jib/genoa blocks half the view from the helm and always motor sailed with the engine running because under full sail with jib it's only good for about 4 knots. It did take us over 2 hours at the ramp to set up and rig the mast, since with the wheelhouse we weren't able to stow the mast across the top of the boat but instead had it strapped down to the trailer frame. Which meant it had to be lifted up onto the boat & raised front to back. I do not intend to ever use it again.

So if you're interested in having a boat that does well under sail, then the A25 is not what you're looking for. But as you know, in the San Juans & Gulf Islands in summer you motor a lot anyway. What the Albin 25 has is 5' 9" standing head room in the forward cabin, 6 ft in the cockpit/wheelhouse. Depending on model & engine installed the diesel engine pushes it at between 6.5 knots to 7 or 8 knots burning anywhere between 0.4 to 0.75 gallons per hour, with up to 200 mile range on a 20 gallon tank. These boats will not under any circumstances go at the speeds the Mac could under power with the board & rudders up. I'm not generally claustrophobic, but I could never stand sleeping in the under-cockpit berth of the Mac. With the Albin 25 the forward cabin settees fill in with a center cushion to make a nice wide, comfortable V berth, and you're always out of the weather when driving the boat.

I assume you're considering a trailerable boat, but Albin 25 weighs quite a bit more than the Mac 26X/M with ballast tanks empty. With trailer ours is about 6,500 lbs towing weight, displacing about 5,000 lbs on the water with fuel, water, provisions & gear.

There is one non-motor sail Albin 25 for sale down in Oregon.

Hope that helps!

PS, when in Canada be sure to say it's "Hoosier", not "Hoser".

[WillieC]

"There is one non-motor sail Albin 25..."

I get what you mean but do you mean what you wrote? My boat needs a motor! I coulda ben a English major. This is way more fun than sitting up all night grading papers. HA! (Hoosier daddy was the first thought that went through my mind, too. So who is going to research where the term came from? Should take about 1/1,452,693 of a second. See what you got yourself into, Hoosier? All in fun.)

[Hoosier]

Thanks for the replies WillieC and DesertAlbin736. We experienced a few "exciting" crossings in the Macgregor (Haro Straight comes to mind) and we motored at 15 knots exactly twice. The 50 hp Suzuki outboard will drive the MacGregor at that speed but the ride is absolutely miserable. So in the calms in San Juan and Gulf Islands in summer we motored at 5 knots 95+% of the time. A 10 hp motor would have easily met our needs. The most important option on the boat was the bimini to shield us from sun in the no wind conditions. The MacGregor did sail reasonably well on those rare occasions where we could sail. I found the MacGregor cramped but I liked that the four of us could sleep on it (the boys under the cockpit). I also liked being able to tow it with a Honda Ridgeline and moor it in my driveway.

Given its poor sailing performance It sounds like I'd sail an Albin 25 even less than the MacGregor. So perhaps I'll abandon that idea. And I'll definitely need a bigger truck to tow it.

Thanks again for the replies.

Hoosier

[WillieC]

And get the right trailer. Mine is underbuilt and uses some "budget" components, like brake cylinders and discs...
We got it mainly for hauling the boat about 200 feet up our ramp into our driveway. Works ok for that. Had to fully overhaul the brakes before our trip to Blaine last summer, not uncommon on trailers in salt water. I truly think the brakes were never properly bled at manufacture, thus sucking saltwater into the system. Once I figured out how to bleed them, correctly, the cylinders are working as designed. Now the backup lock-out solenoid is on the fritz. I am pondering adding another axle to this trailer, if for nothing more than peace of mind. My preference is to keep using it just for the 200 foot drive and winter storage.

[DesertAlbin736]

Hoosier,

Your Oak Harbor location is ideal for Salish Sea cruising, so you shouldn't have much need for long distance trailering. At worst if you didn't want to transit Deception Pass from Oak Harbor, say for instance launching from the Cornet Bay ramp, you could trailer the 20 miles up Rt 20 to Anacortes to launch. I'm jealous!!! In that case a 1/2 ton pickup or full size SUV should be sufficient for short range towing on more or less flat ground. Speaking of Anacortes, perhaps you could help me with some info. We have hauled our boat up to Washington three times now, twice to Bellingham in 2014 & 2016, and once to Blaine last year. Each time we've cruised for six weeks at a time, usually from late June through the end of July. The issue has always been where to park & store the truck & trailer while we're on the water. Bellingham used to have a free long term parking option for up to 60 days in the overflow lot behind what used to be Redden's marine store. That lot has been sold & so that parking option went away. That's why we chose Blaine last year, which is 1,600 miles from where we live down here in the Phoenix area. Blaine had free parking last year, but we were told that may or may not be available this year and in the future. Anacortes would be 60 miles closer, if one could find a good launch ramp & reasonable long term truck/trailer parking. I wouldn't mind paying for a Travelift launch, but the bunks on our trailer extend all the way back to the stern & would be difficult if not impossible to get straps under the stern. Any advice would be appreciated.

As for room, the A25 is marginally less cramped than a MacGregor & could sleep 4, two in the forward cabin with the center cushion in place, and two in the aft cabin. But the aft cabin is quite cramped, sitting head room with a pair of single, very coffin like quarterberths that extend under the cockpit bench seats. But just for the two of you it works fine with the aft cabin used for gear storage. Below is a page from an original sales brochure. I think Albin had couples with small children in mind as a weekender. At least with our boat compared to Mac 26's I've seen, our settee cushions are 4 inches thick compared to the thin cushions MacGregors had.

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We tow with a heavy duty Ram 2500 diesel 4X4 pickup since no matter which way we go, either to Pacific NW or SoCal, we have to negotiate steep mountain grades somewhere along the way. Having 4WD helps with slippery boat ramps, shift to 4 low & walks right up the ramp without spinning wheels.

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Anyway, you might want to check out this post in the for sale forum on this site. Far as I know it's still up for sale since the owner hasn't yet posted anything to the contrary. Lots of good photos, and priced similar to a late model MacGregor 26M. It has a classy wood helm wheel & two-lever Morse throttle/shift controls. It's located in Scappoose, OR near Portland, about a 4 hour drive from Oak Harbor. Worth a look if nothing else. Considering it's turn key (so the owner alleges), with trailer and a very good Yanmar engine (big plus IMO), I'd say the price is reasonable starting point for negotiating. I may get flak, but IMO & experience Yanmar engines are much quieter & less vibration than Volvos. Who knows, maybe we'll see you up there this summer?

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[DesertAlbin736]

Ha ha, speaking of harrowing crossings, this is us getting towed off Nelson Island on the BC Sunshine Coast back to Pender Harbour in 2016 when our then-dinghy (subsequently broke loose, lost, & never to be seen again) which was stowed on snap davits, caught a wave & broke loose, capsized & the painter fouled our prop, leaving us adrift on a lee shore heading for the rock in the background. Lucky for us we have a stout samson post cleat on the bow. The Albin 25 can handle rougher conditions than you can.

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This boat responded to our PAN-PAN distress call and towed us back to Pender Harbour/Garden Bay, & took the picture above. We were on our way up Malaspina Strait heading for Lund & Desolation Sound. They were from Glacier, WA & home port their boat out of Anacortes. Which by the way they are now considering selling this 42 foot sailboat. The owners were spending the winter RV'ing down here and visited us at our home a few weeks ago.

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[Hoosier]

WillieC

Couldn't agree more on the trailer. Had to completely rebuild the brakes on the MacGregor trailer. It had to have been engineered to the lowest cost. possible. I never trusted that painted trailer because I was never confident it had not rusted in places I couldn't see.

DesertAlbin736

I bought the Ridgeline (towing capacity 5,000) to tow the MacGregor when I concluded our Odyssey minivan (3,500 tow capacity) was not up to the task. Its not entirely unlikely the purchaser of that minivan had to replace the transmission. In my defense I should say that vintage Odyssey was known for short lived transmissions. The whole experience convinced me its important to have some tow capacity cushion.

After trying a few different launch sites we settled on Bellingham because of its proximity to the SJI, its good facilities, the option of spending the night there if we got a late start and that free parking you mentioned. I'm disappointed to learn it is gone and don't know where else to suggest for a launch site.

Being in between boats I picked Oak Harbor for a home port because my parents live there and moored their boat there. I agree its a good location for access to the SJI though Anacortes and Bellingham are closer. The ramp at Oak Harbor is less steep than most because, as I understand it, the navy built it for seaplane launching. So a launch there requires extra "vehicle submersion" or a tongue extender. They do have a lift if you can make a lift work. And they always seem to have some spare trailer parking space. Don't know their rates.

The loss of your dingy and subsequent tow off a lee shore sounds, er, exciting. I attended a lecture on the inside passage to Alaska at the Seattle boat show last Friday. The presenter fouled his prop on a fishing net and had to get a tow (from the net's owner). Although he had brought a dry suit he had to hire a diver to cut away the net because he forgot to bring a weight belt. I doubt there would be room on an Albin 25 for either.

[DesertAlbin736]

We're hoping Blaine still maintains their parking option this coming season, but we'll see. Blaine is only 20 miles up the road from Bellingham & still easy access to SJI coming down from the north with closest stops Sucia & Matia. Also fairly easy run to clear Canadian customs at either Bedwell Harbour or Sidney, and check back into the US at Point Roberts. Blaine has a nice marina with plenty of room for transient slips, which are side ties to main dock & has water & shore power hookups. Otherwise it's possible to find paid offsite parking in Bellingham. Our friends from Flagstaff took their sailboat up there in 2017 & found reasonable parking arrangements in town, just have to take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft ride back to the marina once the truck & trailer are stored.

Guest dock at Blaine harbor. Our boat in center, another Arizona sailing friend's Laguna 26 sailboat in front of us.

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[NickScheuer]

Howdy Hoosier Swabby! I pretty much grew up in South Bend, IN, moving there from Chicago at age 8.

My father's family were long-time Hoosiers starting when my Great Grandfather arrived from Luxembourg. Dad often related how folks from Indiana came to be known as Hoosiers. You see, back in the early 1800's Indiana was a veritable crossroads of America, with lots of new arrivals finding the locale just what they were looking for so they built cabins (Dad was born in one near Delong) and tilling the rich soil. However, lots of other folks were just pressing through to other places farther west, like St Louis and beyond. Heck, in the middle of the night one wouldn't know who might be knocking on their front door; could be a neighbor, could be a drunk who was lost, could be some fellow heading farther west looking for water for his horse, could even be an Indian wanting to punch one in the nose for taking his land, who knows? So before poking the latch string out through the hole in the front door, they'd holler "WHOSERE?" Twasn't too long before the spelling became corrupted to HOOSIER.

We got our 1876 Albin-25 Deluxe a few years ago as it seemed about the largest motor vessel we wanted to tow cross country. Prior to the Albin we'd towed a 28' sailing yawl all over the USA from Maine to British Columbia.

[DesertAlbin736]

We got our 1876 Albin-25 Deluxe a few years ago.

Must be the oldest Albin 25 in existence! They were probably steam powered back then?

So your prior boat, that would be y'all's yawl?