Newbie

[CausaSui]

Have my eye in an 81 Albin 36. Boat is in amazing condition. But has 8000 hours. Guy asking 45k. Thoughts?

[jashmen]

Welcome! Depends on service records. Was it maintained? Was it rebuilt? Also, how much are you using it. This summer, for example, I probably only put 20 hours on due to family issues. If I was to cruise the ICW, it could be hundreds. The price doesnt seem bad depending on the overall condition, electronics package, etc.

[CausaSui]

This boat just came back from Keys from NC. I know the head gasket was recently changed and the engine compartment and engine look spotless.

Plus owner is maintenance hawk.

[Nancy]

If I'm looking at the right boat on Yachtworld, there are or were a lot of leaks to the interior. The listing cautions that the interior woodwork needs a lot of work. Bilges don't look spotless in the photos.

[CausaSui]

This boat is not listed.

[DesertAlbin736]

Like a lot of those type & vintage trawlers, Albin 36's were built in Taiwan, similar to CHB, Marine Trader, Universal and others.They were not built in Sweden like the A25! If you're serious then a good survey, preferably with a haul out at your expense could be a wise investment to confirm your own due diligence. You're looking at a 40 year old boat coming from a tropical climate. First thing to do is look over whatever documentation and service records the owner has & how far back they go. There are a few key problem areas to watch out for. The two most serious are #1 teak covered exterior decks that have leaked into the underlying layup through loose screw holes and caused core rot & delamination. Number two, these boats usually have mild steel fuel tanks. If they have rusted through in places then they cab be a royal cast iron b*#ch to change out. We're talking engine removal & major surgery to tear old ones out & install custom fabricated new ones. Major $$$$$$ & headaches! Another common issue is leaking teak window & door frames which can cause water damage problems to interior paneling. 8,000 hours on an engine is a bit long in the tooth. But I'd rather have a high hour engine that was run regularly, like 100 hours per year or more, with conscientious preventive maintenance than a dock queen that's hardly run & has a lot of old, stale fuel in the tanks. I'm no expert but in 2018 we did consider looking for a 34 or 36 foot Taiwan built trawler to keep up in the Pacific NW & looked at a number of examples listed on the market. There's a reason why these boats are priced in the low to mid 5 figures compared to 6 figure priced boats like Nordic and Ranger Tugs and others.

As Jasmen says, electronics are a big thing too, chart plotters, depth sounders, radars, VHF with AIS receiver capability. Replacing an ancient suite of navigation & comms equipment can run into significant money. Also, cushions & upholstery. Replacing or restoring shabby salon, V berth, & aft cabin mattress cushions costs more than you might think. Even if you're in a position to do your own cutting & sewing, good materials are not cheap either.

Bottom line, Caveat Emptor, and don't let emotions overrule reason & caution. Don't let your heart overrule your head. There may not be many other Albin 36 boats available but there are other brands of similar design that may be just as good & built it the same yards as Taiwan built Albins. I'm mean, don't get me wrong, they are very tempting & I love the large salon and aft cabin layout with fly bridge, two heads with showers, etc on boats like this.

Here's a good thread from a few years back on the Trawler Forum.

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/ ... 37414.html

[jashmen]

It looks like the windows were replaced. That's great! It looks good but more pics/info would be needed. Let us know what you decide. I paid a little more for my 1978 a few years ago. Could be a steal.

[CausaSui]

Yes. Access panels on both cleaned and seal coated both in last 3 years.

"There's a reason why these boats are priced in the low to mid 5 figures compared to 6 figure priced boats like Nordic and Ranger Tugs and others."

What is the reason? I can understand you are excited about your ship being built in Sweden but from what I hear and see the Tawainese models are desirable bc of their build strength? No?

[Pitou]

Have my eye in an 81 Albin 36. Boat is in amazing condition. But has 8000 hours. Guy asking 45k. Thoughts?

Thanks for sharing your search. The pictures, so far, show what looks like a very well kept vessel. Electronics .. they can all be replaced or not.

I'm very curious as to the inside and what is under the hatches .. those are just as important and the under the hatches pictures will really tell the story.

[CausaSui]

It's spotless inside. Same condition as outside.

[CausaSui]

Believe it or not I am unable to get insurance. 1st time boat owner, stored in NC.

[Pitou]

Believe it or not I am unable to get insurance. 1st time boat owner, stored in NC.

That looks like a beautiful boat that you've found.

First time boat owner and 36 feet .. that's tough to underwrite. Having a safe boating certificate with an organization like the US Power Squadron might help.

Are you quoting with an independent agent who might have all of your other insurances? If you've been a good risk otherwise, that's your best shot.

[jcollins]

Moving post to classic trawler forum.

[CausaSui]

Yea tried everyone. Nada. Shame bc I love this boat. The year has a lot to do with it also, over 40 years old plus I live 3.5 hrs away from the dock. Etc...

[DCatSea]

You might try speaking directly to BoatUS / Geico after completing an IN-PERSON Boat Safety program with either US Power Squadron or USCG Aux. (Meaning not online). Also get your State Boating Safety certification (on-line) and look into other courses that you might want to take - there are some really good ones on BoatUS website. On-the-water boat handling training with a certified program would be ideal.

BoatUS / Geico is quite accommodating, but you need to be prepared with some kind of Boating Resume.

Thats a nice looking 36, and it would be a shame to let it slip away because of this.