My 1977 Albin 25 Deluxe rebuild thread

[patclem]

That automotive varnish over epoxy sounds like a winner. If I ask my captain (wife) to help keep up varnish again, I think she might leave me. I do have a spray gun. I did find sapele veneer online, and I may fix her up. At some point in recent history she sat out and the wood deteriorated. FYI I bought the Sweetwater boat...

[DesertAlbin736]

The 207 hardener has some UV inhibitors but overcoating with the Schooner on exterior brightwork is recommended. Again: UV.

That's what we've done with our grab handles & the teak hatches I made for our wheelhouse hard top. Then added Sunbrella covers too. Hit 118 here yesterday, cloudless sun & 9% humidity for days on end. No rain since April 11.

[hetek]

118? Ouch! I've been struggling with mid 90s but thick humidity.

Doing what, you ask? This!...

20200731_203339.jpg

Install the table bracket and it's done.

I can hear it now:

"What do you think, Wayne?"

"Looks good, Roy".

[nebulatech]

Looks extremely nice!

[hetek]

"Submitted for your approval..." - Rod Serling

I loved that show but gotta admit it was a bit creepy for an 5 year old. Anyway...

V-Berth... Done!

20200802_230742.jpg

Cushions cleaned up really nice, too. I'm kinda digging the blue vinyl.

[nebulatech]

Looks great! You should paint the topsides to match!

[DesertAlbin736]

Wow!!!!!!

[hetek]

Long ways since this...

20180727_174523.jpg

I'm embarrassed to show that picture. Ugh!

That interior has been in the dumpster for years now. The hull was taken down to bare fiberglass, scrubbed, washed, flossed... and once it was a clean fiberglass slate the new stuff started going in.

Gotta admit, it did take some imagination.

Thanks, all, for the encouragement! Not sure if I would have had the energy to continue without it.

[hetek]

Amusing anecdote...

I ordered the foam-backed perforated hull liner from Defender Marine, to the tune of 17 yards, if I recall correctly. Not cheap, but Albin correct. Or so I thought...

My brother took a look at the old and the new and said "You know you got the wrong stuff..."

What?!

Turns out the original Albin hull liner isn't perforated, but instead has tiny black dots printed on plain vinyl to simulate the perforated pattern. Could have fooled me... and did!

Defender was great and let me return my error and sent me the solid, unperforated, un-printed stuff.

We don't need no printed dots!

[WillieC]

Jon, put your before and after pics in one post. The difference is stunning and serves to encourage others with their project boats that anything is possible...with mad skills and your dear departed brother's attention to detail.

Your work is a testimony to him.

[hetek]

Thanks WillieC. Very much.

My brother was the one who kept prodding me to get moving on it. Then he asked "What can I do to help?" I gave him the awful job of stripping the interior down to bare fiberglass. No complaints.

I wish I could teach my son the same work ethic.

[WillieC]

When my baby was still the baby (39 years old now) he absolutely hated cooked tomatoes. No spaghetti (except chef-boy-ar-dee), no goulash, no stews, nuttin' honey.

We were having homemade chili one night and he squawked so much about the tomatoes and how he wasn't going to even touch them, I picked up his highchair, opened the door to the garage which was right off our kitchen and plopped him down and closed the door.

I would probably be arrested today for such abusive behavior, but mom and I had had enough, and his two older brothers weren't helping one bit. But, oh, do we all laugh and scream about it now. All tinged with the missing of mom, gone 19 years this spring.

Your son is watching, Jon. And learning. Who knows what will flip that switch inside him, just stay close, watch and listen to him. Every little thing's gonna be all right.

[hetek]

Guess what I've been working on?

Hint:

20200819_190517.jpg

Darn it! The picture caption gave it away!

Sorry, but I just couldn't go with the Albin original teak woodgrain pattern Formica... and I already own a sheet of teak woodgrain pattern Formica! I chose "antique white" instead.

And again, sorry Albin, but 3/8" (9mm) plywood substrate is a bit too anemic for my taste, so I went with 1/2" Birch plywood instead.

And no seam between the basin area and the strip behind the stove, and no screws securing it through the top!

That's right, I'm a rebel!

And what's that piece that covers the basin, you ask? Dunno, but I could always set a cold beer or two on it so it must be useful.

I'll call it "A25 galley countertop v2.0".

[WillieC]

Retro redo only goes so far. Nice work, Jon.
Though I did salvage the blue formica off the icebox door to make the missing infill piece at the Origo recess in the countertop.

[hetek]

Thanks WillieC.

Guess what I bought a full 4x8' sheet of teak grain pattern Formica for in the first place?

Answer: an 18x20" refrigerator door insert panel on my last boat. I got LOTS leftover.