Albin Accent 26 Keel issue

[Dguads]

Folks, I'm considering an Albin Accent 26, it's dismasted in a marina, the owner abandoned it there a few years ago, think they're just giving it away but I'm assessing the cost to repair before trying to salvage it. I was in the boat the other day and took some photo's of the interior including the drive shaft and keel. It's in the Potomac river well upstream of Chesapeake Bay so not salt, maybe some brackish but in water nonetheless. Removing the salon floor board reveals a lot of rust staining. The stern shaft tube boot end is gunked up with rust and what looks to be a bearing block is totally rusted away, i can manually descale solid rust so assume the zinc is totally gone. There is a steel plate with four bolts and nuts visible, the plate looks shiny and intact as do the protruding bolt/nuts but passing my hand beneath this plate reveled that there were no bolt shafts i.e. the protruding threads and nuts on the plate are decoupled from the rest of the bolt. I assume these bolt are supporting the iron plates in the keel. I found info online that says the Accent 26 has an iron plate fin keel, no bulb. I fear the keel is unsupported since I cannot find any other support structure nor information about the design online. I even reached out to the new owners of the Albin boat corp., in Slovenia and the had no other information. I may return this weekend and try and ID the serial numbers and some further investigating on the keel support. If anyone out there has an Albin Accent 26 I'd appreciate any confirmation on whether these bolts are supporting the keel and other information of the keel support structure. I really love the looks of this boat and this Norlin design but between the mast, rigging, probable fouled fuel and possible diesel (Yanmar 8hp) rework, the prospects of a decoupled keel are making this a bridge too far for my likes/money. Anyway, just looking to confirm the worst and/or any advice/recommendations; walk or work? Photos attached.....

[coolchange]

some free boats are really expensive

[nebulatech]

It is theoretically possible to repair the keel damage, but coupled with the mast, shaft, etc I would say walk. Let the marina deal with hauling and disposal. They have deeper pockets.

There are plenty of decent sailboats in this size, and you should be able to find a good bargain (as in needs cosmetic work, not structural). Best deals will be on FB marketplace, craigslist or similar. Yachtworld requires you to be a broker to list, and they dont make enough on cheap boats to bother listing them.

If you are dead set on this model, it might be worth it to you. Many of us A25 owners either have done major restorations or are in the process. The A25 is a truly unique boat. If the Accent 26 is special to you, and you have the time money and space, this boat is salvageable (at considerable expense of time and money, based on your description). If it isn't, wait until the weather gets cold and prices drop. Historically, February is when boats are cheapest, but with Covid, it's all up in the air.

[nebulatech]

One more thought to add:

I noticed you posted in another thread that you were looking for a project to work on. You are going to need a trailer unless you have the boat stored in a yard. Dont do that. The fees add up, and for a smaller boat, just not worth it.

I don't know your budget or skillset, so this is a general statement, nothing personal; even a "sail away ready" boat needs plenty of work. You should be able to find a decent day sailer/weekender on a trailer for $5k-$10k and have plenty of work left to do. Expect a blue water boat to be more, though you may be surprised. I've seen a Cape Dory 28 on a trailer for under $5k (dont remember the condition).

Finding a decent trailer for a sailboat is a lot of luck and hard work. It will likely need to be modified, and you will need to make arrangements to store the boat while you prep the trailer. Storage costs are a total loss in this case. It's true that many sailboat "deals" don't include a trailer, but make sure to factor in trailer, transport and storage when considering the purchase price. It is well worth a few thousand more to buy a boat on a trailer already.

Good luck whatever you choose to do!