Hello from new Puget Sound Albin 25 owners

[Shangie1]

Howdy All,

After several years researching Albin 25's, this site included, much thought, wonderfully engaging discussions with each other over boating dreams and goals, we decided to sell our Ranger Tug and buy our dream Albin 25. She has been briefly known to this group as Bobbin. She has had many names and owners, the last three devoted to her upkeep and improvements. Her price reflected that and she was not offered for sale on this site as the last owner did not participate. She was on CL and we were the first to inquire. The rest is history.

At this stage in life we are not retired and felt we could not take on a project and enjoy our limited time off, something that held us back several years ago when we were looking at Albin 25.The ones that were pretty up to date sold in days so we gave up due to work schedules interfering with boat buying. Instead we bought a different boat we absolutely loved but decided we wanted something larger for the longer trips we anticipated doing for extended vacation periods at this time in life. Between this site and the FB one, we felt the A 25 was going to serve us well for the next ten years at least. So many people on the FB site gave us invaluable information on real time cruising in an Albin 25 and maintenance needs as well. On this site we found further in depth information needed to help with the decision making. Much thanks to everyone for all their contributions.

Anyway, we are looking forward to enjoying our boat, soon to be renamed Sweedie Pie as a nod to her Swedish heritage and our nickname for each other, and posting anything we might learn during maintenance that might be of help to anyone and hopefully meeting up with other Albin owners.

Happy Water Trails- Angie and Shannon (the big guy with a girl's name).

[Nancy]

Welcome aboard, Angie! Love the forum name, the boat name, and the backstory! So interesting that you sold a much newer boat to move backward in time to a classic. Coincidentally, I know another couple, also boaters, who are Angela and Shannon!

We look forward to your participation here. Jump in anywhere.

[WillieC]

Welcome aboard, Shannon and Angie. We are getting closer to launching the WillieC. Hope to by next weekend, depending on tides and state of readiness. Plenty of work done this winter so lots to check out before we wander too far from home.

Hope to meet up sometime this summer. We'll let you know when we head your way.

[Shangie1]

Thank you Nancy! Whew on the Angela and Shannon- what are the odds except my name is Angie and not Angela, still....pretty wild.

Trading a newer boat for a classic did seem a bit daunting but we do like older boats and always appreciate those who keep them alike, those and old barns, bridges and homes. We are well familiar with the costs of restoration along with theft that not every older boat is built well enough to justify restoration cost whereas the Albin 25 is. Our Ranger was an excellent boat. We have nothing negative to say about Ranger Tugs. That boat took us on many memorable adventures safely and with no hassles.

We simply could not pass up an Albin 25 with as many updates and upgrades this Albin 25 has plus she came with a trailer, a huge criteria for us. We felt this was a rare opportunity and so we moved on it. The incredible updates gave us what we desire in a boat and some breathing space with regards to projects. We have no projects other than routine maintenance at this point! Hooray! Oh and a little decorating but that's easy considering the space.

That said, it being a boat, and even with a motor with less than a 1000 miles, we are aware that not using motors and sea cocks and other things can cause them to fail so we are going over the boat with a fine tooth comb and will be taking her out to put her through her paces over the next several weekends, finicky Puget sound weather permitting. If not, then we stay at the marina for the weekend and enjoy Marina Life, protected from adverse marine forecast while still enjoying being lulled to sleep by the incredible force that covers most of the earth.

Our granddaughter is showing a keen interest in boating so we hope she keeps this Albin going once she is an adult, if she wants it. They appear to be amazing boats and we can't wait to share our admiration for the design and build quality with others once we spend some time on the water in her and can speak to her qualities firsthand.

[Shangie1]

Welcome aboard, Shannon and Angie. We are getting closer to launching the WillieC. Hope to by next weekend, depending on tides and state of readiness. Plenty of work done this winter so lots to check out before we wander too far from home.

Hope to meet up sometime this summer. We'll let you know when we head your way.

Thank you Willie C- We look forward to connecting with you- Do let us know when you are up this way. We are launching out of either Blaine or Everett next weekend, more than likely Blaine, to cruise throughout the holiday weekend. Hope you get launched as well and have a fabulous time!

[DesertAlbin736]

Welcome aboard from another Albin 25 road warrior and Pacific NW fan! WillieC & I buddy boated together from Blaine to Desolation Sound in 2018, myself hauling our "La Dolce Vita" up to Blaine from Phoenix, AZ.

The story of that trip is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poewLOldXyA&t=44s

Last time we came up from AZ in 2019 to launch from Blaine we diverted off I-90 at North Bend onto Rt 202 to Monroe, thence Rt 2 to I-5 at Everett to avoid Seattle traffic.

Look forward to a future meet up, but sadly it won't be this year, maybe next. We canceled this year's planned run up to Blaine due to to high diesel fuel prices and some other personal reasons. For us it's 1,590 miles road trip each way to Blaine at 10 to 11 MPG towing with our RAM 2500 diesel 4x4 pickup. Yes, we like Blaine not only because of proximity to Canadian Gulf Islands but also because of the free long term truck/trailer parking option at the ramp.

It just so happened the Google Maps street view photo car took this picture of the Blaine ramp parking lot in July, 2019 while we were out cruising the Gulf Islands. Of the three rigs seen here left to right, the fire engine red truck is mine, the maroon truck 2nd from left is an Arizona sailboater friend of ours, and the tan truck 3rd from left is our best friends from Flagstaff, AZ who brought their O'Day 25 sailboat up from Flagstaff.

blaineparking.jpg

This is the whole gang below dining at the Hummingbird Inn Pub inland of Montague Harbour on Galiano in the Gulf Islands. Yours truly at lower right foreground in blue t-shirt, my Admiral at lower left foreground, our Flagstaff friends & owners of the tan truck 2nd & 3rd from left, and the other two from Phoenix, owners of the marooon truck at the far end of the table, ie the gal in striped blouse & the tall guy in with tan bush hat.

20190715_190224.jpg

If your plans this year include going up into the Gulf Island in BC you might consider going to one of the Albineers of BC rendezous. Those folks are a great group. Their May rendezous was the weekend of May 13-15 at Port Browning on North Pender so it's too late for that one, but the next ones are June 10-12 at Telegraph Harbour on Thetis, July 15-17 at Ladysmith on Vancouver Island, and September 9-11 at Genoa Bay on Vancouver.

"Our Ranger was an excellent boat. We have nothing negative to say about Ranger Tugs."

...except the price, ha ha!

Looking forward to seeing some pictures posted on the Albin 25/27 forum page!

Cheers,

Steve E.

[Shangie1]

Hello Steve- OMG your pictures show a great time! Yes we plan to cruise everywhere we can eventually. For now we are terribly content with what we can do, which is trailer to various put ins and enjoy cruising our Puget Sound waters. Canada is definitely on the list for extended cruising once we are both retired. Unfortunately we can't make a weekend rendezvous in Canada due to time constraints. We've never taken our boat into Canada and I have to look up how to do that as we are taking two weeks off to cruise this year and might consider Canada.

It is terrific to see this well made boat being maintained by so many as a classic and hopefully when we retire on five years we will meet other owners and perhaps even cruise together. We want to do the Gulf Islands, Inside Passage, Great Loop and a few of the larger lakes.

Gas prices may never come down or at least stay inflated as government will be scrambling to make up lost revenue due to converting to electric vehicles. We have a Dodge diesel one ton that gets abut 15 mpg (not 4x4) when towing the boat or RV so we are fortunate to live smack in the middle of Puget Sound's many marinas and launches. We love Blaine for many reasons and I want to move there in retirement. It's just a better pace of life than the Seattle metro.

Enjoy your posts very much-and hope to meet you both in the future Happy Water Trails wherever you find them during these inflationary times.- Angie

[DesertAlbin736]

Checking in to Canada ports of entry customs is easy, or at least it used to be, mostly via telephone by picking up the receiver at a Canadian Customs phone kiosk at the dock. No dialing, just picking up the phone rings the office. Until given clearance only the "captain" can get off the boat & on land to report in. Everyone else has to stay aboard. That's standard procedure and true on the US side too when checking back in. They'll ask questions including your name, your passenger's names, boat name, size, make, & registration numbers, number of souls on board & each of their passport numbers, how long you plan to stay in Canada, whether you have any dutiable goods or spirits over and above the duty free allowances to declare, etc. You must first land and clear in at a port of entry before going ashore anywhere else on Canadian soil. They then verbally give you a clearance number which you need to write down on a slip of paper & tape it to your cabin window, so make sure you have a pen or pencil & paper handy. You'll need to report that number to our CBP when checking back into the US. I also write the number in my cruising log, of which I've accounted for every day on the water and every drop of fuel burned since we bought La Dolce Vita in March, 2014. Of course check on the latest COVID restrictions. There are ports of entry at Port Sidney Marina (phone kiosk), Poet's Cove, also a dock phone, (aka Bedwell Harbour) on S. Pender, Van Isle Marina at Tsehum Harbour near Sidney, and Nanaimo. Returning to the US you can check back in to U.S. Customs at Point Roberts remotely via video chat with smartphone using CBP ROAM app, or in person at Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor in the San Juans. We have cruised the Gulf Islands and variously as far north as Comox on Vancouver Island & Desolation Sound and the mainland Sunshine Coast to Chatterbox Falls four times and were never once stopped and inspected or interrogated by Canadian authorities including Customs, Police, or Coast Guard.

You could easily trailer to Blaine & do a two week's vacation in and around the San Juans & Gulf Islands . Recommended stops in no particular order are Bedwell Harbour on S. Pender, Otter Bay & Port Browning on N. Pender, Victoria, Sidney, Genoa Bay, Maple Bay, Ladysmith, and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Telegraph Harbour on Thetis, Wallace Island, Ganges on Salt Spring, Montague Harbour on Galiano, Winter Cove on Saturna, and Sidney Spit on Sidney Island a mile or so off Sidney itself just to name a few.

If for some reason you don't want or are unable to go over into Canada there's lots to explore in the San Juans. I highly recommend anchoring in Fisherman Bay on Lopez for their excellent 4th of July fireworks and go ashore during day at the Island Marine Center dock for the annual parade down the 2 lane highway between the IMC dock & the village.

You are very lucky to live so near some of the best summer cruising grounds in North America if not anywhere in the world. We have the time if not unlimited funds having been fully retired since February, 2010. Our record number of consecutive days afloat & living aboard is 46. Life is short, don't hesitate, let the adventure begin!

[dkirsop]

In the past 40 years I have had many pleasant cruises south of our border into the San Juan Islands. La Connor, Oak Harbour, Port Townsend, Friday Harbour, Roche Harbour and Deer Harbour are a few places that come to mind. If you do chance to venture north, Bedwell Harbour (also known as Poets Cove Resort) is also a port of entry across Boundary Pass from Roche Harbour.

This link provides information for boaters entering Canada from the USA.

https://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/openpoe-t ... e-eng.html

[DesertAlbin736]

Just for reference, L-R this is Dave, aka "dkirsop", Rick, aka "WillieC" (his boat name), and yours truly, aka ""DA" for short, at Dave's place on N. Pender in 2018.

20180625_210945edit.jpg

"DA'ing": verb, AOG slang for the habit of trailering Albin 25 pocket trawler thousands of miles over the road.

[Shangie1]

In the past 40 years I have had many pleasant cruises south of our border into the San Juan Islands. La Connor, Oak Harbour, Port Townsend, Friday Harbour, Roche Harbour and Deer Harbour are a few places that come to mind. If you do chance to venture north, Bedwell Harbour (also known as Poets Cove Resort) is also a port of entry across Boundary Pass from Roche Harbour.

This link provides information for boaters entering Canada from the USA.

https://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/openpoe-t ... e-eng.html

Thank you for the link. We have been fortunate enough to visit many of the ports you mention above and never tire of visiting them. We were actually going to do a grand sweep this year of those ports but will also more than likely visit Bedwell, Point Roberts (curiosity) and perhaps Pender.

We did our shakedown cruise for our new to us boat and found a few issues we want to resolve such as changing out the exhaust elbow to stainless, something my husband does on every boat we have owned. . Even a well maintained boat needs maintenance to be at it's safest and so we are going through the boat with a fine tooth comb to make sure she is in top form for the extended two week cruise- the longest we will ever have taken . - Angie

[Shangie1]

Checking in to Canada ports of entry customs is easy, or at least it used to be, mostly via telephone by picking up the receiver at a Canadian Customs phone kiosk at the dock. No dialing, just picking up the phone rings the office. Until given clearance only the "captain" can get off the boat & on land to report in. Everyone else has to stay aboard. That's standard procedure and true on the US side too when checking back in. They'll ask questions including your name, your passenger's names, boat name, size, make, & registration numbers, number of souls on board & each of their passport numbers, how long you plan to stay in Canada, whether you have any dutiable goods or spirits over and above the duty free allowances to declare, etc. You must first land and clear in at a port of entry before going ashore anywhere else on Canadian soil. They then verbally give you a clearance number which you need to write down on a slip of paper & tape it to your cabin window, so make sure you have a pen or pencil & paper handy. You'll need to report that number to our CBP when checking back into the US. I also write the number in my cruising log, of which I've accounted for every day on the water and every drop of fuel burned since we bought La Dolce Vita in March, 2014. Of course check on the latest COVID restrictions. There are ports of entry at Port Sidney Marina (phone kiosk), Poet's Cove, also a dock phone, (aka Bedwell Harbour) on S. Pender, Van Isle Marina at Tsehum Harbour near Sidney, and Nanaimo. Returning to the US you can check back in to U.S. Customs at Point Roberts remotely via video chat with smartphone using CBP ROAM app, or in person at Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor in the San Juans. We have cruised the Gulf Islands and variously as far north as Comox on Vancouver Island & Desolation Sound and the mainland Sunshine Coast to Chatterbox Falls four times and were never once stopped and inspected or interrogated by Canadian authorities including Customs, Police, or Coast Guard.

You could easily trailer to Blaine & do a two week's vacation in and around the San Juans & Gulf Islands . Recommended stops in no particular order are Bedwell Harbour on S. Pender, Otter Bay & Port Browning on N. Pender, Victoria, Sidney, Genoa Bay, Maple Bay, Ladysmith, and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Telegraph Harbour on Thetis, Wallace Island, Ganges on Salt Spring, Montague Harbour on Galiano, Winter Cove on Saturna, and Sidney Spit on Sidney Island a mile or so off Sidney itself just to name a few.

If for some reason you don't want or are unable to go over into Canada there's lots to explore in the San Juans. I highly recommend anchoring in Fisherman Bay on Lopez for their excellent 4th of July fireworks and go ashore during day at the Island Marine Center dock for the annual parade down the 2 lane highway between the IMC dock & the village.

You are very lucky to live so near some of the best summer cruising grounds in North America if not anywhere in the world. We have the time if not unlimited funds having been fully retired since February, 2010. Our record number of consecutive days afloat & living aboard is 46. Life is short, don't hesitate, let the adventure begin!

Excellent- Thank you so much for this information. I would love to see a collective book made about all the adventures people like yourselves have taken on their Albin 25's. Am cutting and pasting this information about entering Canada into my cheat sheets for boating. And yes we are lucky to live here and to be able to explore the abundant water wonderland. Spent the weekend at Sucia, Fossil Bay. Always a joy- time stands still there. Time limits us to USA weekends but we will go to Canada during our two consecutive weeks of boating this year and your input really helped with planning. - Thanks again- Angie