A27 Aft Cabin

[Jmk2000]

Hey all so I’m here to gather info and recommendations on the A27. I probably wind buy one till I retire from the military but this boat really catches my eye and I think has great potential. What is yalls opinion and is there certain things I need to be on the look out to avoid? From my searching so far I would prefer to have a model with a Yanmar engine vs the old Nissan or Piquot diesels. Any and all info you’d be willing to share with this novice will be greatly appreciated.

My current boat is a 212 Hydra-Sports walk around. While my family loves this boat, my wife and I eventually once the kids are gone want to have a boat that’s much more capable for longer trips while still allowing us to fish which we both love to do. Our hope is to someday do the great loop. Neither of us wants a big boat that has a lot of overhead. I am a mechanic in the service and am pretty handy so I’ll be doing a lot of the work myself if at all possible. Thanks

[tego]

Howdy Jmk, Good to see another retiree. I was 22 years Army. The 27FC is certainly capable of long cruises and is really economical (for a boat!). Mine is an '87, which I've had for 5 years now. You're right to look for a newer engine and I highly recommend you look for one that's been restored. It'll cost a LOT less in the long run. A really good one will cost about 30k. If you realize that a new engine will cost about 15-18k, then it's apparent that you got a very nice boat for very little money. I still have the Nissan in mine but I still wouldn't sell mine for 30. I burn about 3 qts per hr @ 6 knots, but with 100 gal of fuel, I can go a loooong way before refueling. I also recommend looking at mid-87 or newer as they are built a little differently. That's not to say that you can't find an older one that's a real cherry! It all depends on the previous owners. If you are over this way (TN) give me a holler on here and I'll be glad to show you and the wife mine.

[Jmk2000]

Tego, thanks for the input!

[coolchange]

loaded question...all boats are:" it depends" Most folks seem to deal with the windows, crappy cushions and coverings..mold, wear, tears etc., outdated electronics, PO (previous owner) "upgrades" or repairs that need to be torn out or redone, seating, heaters and of course the engine, trans, prop etc. If you spend some time here you can get a really good idea of what goes wrong..or what needs modern approach..after all an 80s boat is at least over 30 years in service.

[sail149]

Short answer is the design is great the long term durability of the build quality is a problem . Many have all sorts of problems that are all fixable and if you can find one that has been fixed up really well and has a newer/replaced engine in it pay top dollar and enjoy it. If you can find as late model as possible , 1990-93 . They have metal window frames and other improvements just be careful with the engine. Avoid the Mercruiser diesel 180hp!!!! Not much service available find something with a Cummins or Yanmar in it . The later ones came with much bigger engines and were built stronger , the big engine seemed to work and go fast 12-16 knot if you really want but 6-8 knot is plenty for me. Whatever you do, Do NOT buy a "fix er upper'. Too much effort for too little boat. Cheers Warre
oh ps you could look at the much newer albin 30? Aft cabin , they don't look as good to some but they have no exterior wood, they are a much better build quality , different factory in RI ( not CT),, similar to a lot of the more recent Albins but nobody like them so prices are rock bottom for well sorted boats.

[JT48348]

...What is yalls opinion and is there certain things I need to be on the look out to avoid? From my searching so far I would prefer to have a model with a Yanmar engine vs the old Nissan or Piquot diesels. Any and all info you’d be willing to share with this novice will be greatly appreciated...Thanks

On my website below there are many pages which answer your questions. Or google “Albin 27 Buyers Guide” for detailed info on what to look for. Good luck

[hetek]

As a previous owner of an Albin 27FC, I have to say that it was probably my favorite of all the boats I've owned, and I've owned at current count 20 boats. Seriously, I have a list and I just counted.

I second all that's been said above but add droopy cabin headliner and soft coring in the decks and under the cabin windows as things to look out for.

Mine had the Lehman 4D61 engine based on a Peugeot automotive base engine. Marinization parts are getting hard to come by but I always seemed to find what I needed. I looked into repowering with a newer Yanmar for better reliability and speed but with a near $20k price tag I couldn't justify replacing a perfectly good Lehman for just a few more knots. If you find a repowered boat, you're ahead of the game.

When I sold "Bunkie", the new owner motored her straight home from NY to MA. After a couple weeks of fine tuning to his liking, he motored south along the ICW to the FL Keys. Basically, within the first month of ownership he traveled nearly half the Loop!