Seabear--hello from Maine!

[Seabear]

Ahoy. We are Bob and Jacqueline Clark from the Portland, Maine area, looking to join your Albin family when we find an Albin 25 to buy. We are a former teacher and counselor, who in 2001 became full-time liveaboards on a Southern Cross 31, "SeaBear", happily sailing for four years from Maine to the Bahamas, DR, Puerto Rico. We swallowed the anchor when grandkids came into our lives, and now the ocean is calling us back home, (albeit while we still keep a house this time). Now the search for a new boat is on!

We have placed requests in several forums for a look-see and possible ride on an Albin 25, especially along the East Coast. (What better reason to escape this cold and pretend it's spring south of us?). Love the Albin 25 for its simplicity and seaworthiness, the choice of being out of the weather with full enclosure, the trailerability, and all the benefits of not having to fiddle with sails, all within our price range. Thank you for your willingness to share with us newbies--eager for this new chapter in our lives.Your energy and enthusiasm are infectious! We look foreward to hearing more about your boat and adventures, and meeting up. Thank you!

[WillieC]

Welcome, Seabear. Just saw a killer deal on an A25 here at AOG.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=11462

Sale ends soon! This one you need to check out.

[Seabear]

Thanks for the heads up. We are in contact with the seller, and hope to visit this boat soon. Can't wait to actually get aboard an Albin 25! We think it will work just right for us. So great to have this site--very welcoming and encouraging.
Bob and Jacqueline

[Mark Deeser]

Welcome Seabear, I took a peek at the post for the 25 it looks like a very nice offering for the money. We sold our sail boat five years ago and Purchased an Albin 27 FC, we love it. We just finished a nineteen day trip, fitting out for a three month holiday this spring. It’s hard
to go far wrong with our little boats, happy hunting an enjoy.

[Seabear]

Thank you all. Still looking for Albin 25, as the boat we saw was not for us, with its hardtop design that made it difficult for a 6 footer. But our gracious host gave us a chance to really get aboard and see how great this boat is in so many, many ways. Will keep looking.

[WillieC]

I am 5-10 and whack my head almost every time I rush down into the galley/v-berth. It has nothing to do with height, I am just a slow learner.

We also have a full hardtop that sits above the original roof cross member. It is that cross member that is the low point of our hardtop. The height issue on ours would be that stupid passageway and the galley area. Well the head too. And the length of the v-berth...that's it...maybe the length of the quarterberths in the aft cabin...don't forget bangin' your head upon entering the boat from the sides...that's it...

Plenty of six-foot plus owners here. What's a little premature curvature of the spine compared with what great boats we have?

I would imagine that in Maine you may want some kind of hardtop. You may end up building your own. Dkirsop has an exceptional design of a raised hardtop that is hard to beat. The other limitations still apply. Good luck in your search!

[DesertAlbin736]

Still looking for Albin 25, as the boat we saw was not for us, with its hardtop design that made it difficult for a 6 footer.

What was the issue with the hard top? Was the head room under the hard top less than 6 feet, or was it a matter of making it difficult to climb down into the cockpit?

Reason for asking is that I know the head room in the forward part of the cockpit under the pilothouse structure is right about 6 ft, and similarly under the stock type of canvas enclosure over the back half as ours is too. That type of canvas enclosure can be folded forward forward or even removed to make the back half of the cockpit open with unlimited headroom. Also boats with the original design intact have a canvas covering over the wheelhouse, a T top in effect. For example like this one..

uimg-albin-25-060121.jpg

Here was one well maintained A25 we saw on the Erie Canal in 2015 where a hard top was over the back half of the cockpit but had lifting panels on each side to make ingress and egress easier, as well as retaining the original canvas cover over the wheelhouse roof. Maybe something like that would be more suitable if you could either find one like this or modify one that had a different arrangement. We spoke briefly with the owner, but didn't make a note of contact info, and that was going on 4 years ago. If this boat ever came up for sale it would be a real find. Note the sliding side windows in the wheelhouse, an expensive upgrade. It was located in Macedon, NY.

This was a post I wrote about it at the time

viewtopic.php?t=8242

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