Moving on up! From TE 28 to TE31

[PilgrimPaul]

Our offer was accepted yesterday and we are now under contract for “Eurosia”, a beautiful TE 31 at Baltimore Inner Harbor. Her hull #191 was laid in July of 2001 and she is a 2002 model with the twin Yanmar 6LP option. She seems to be very nicely appointed with lots of “extras” and only 336 hours on the twins. The hull and engine surveys are scheduled for next week.

We have very much enjoyed our TE 28 for seven years but a cruise last year from Cleveland to Lake Champlain via the Erie and Champlain Canals made us want a bit more room for weeklong trips. Our overall experience with Albin has been very good and we think the line offers a lot for the dollar, compared to similar designs like Back Cove and Sabre, which would bust our budget.

We don’t really plan to loop but the TE 31 seems like a real nice upgrade for more comfortable overnights, weekends and even a little dock time .

Having read many very interesting and informative posts on this AOG website, we’re open to any suggestions or advice or concerns or questions that anyone might have regarding this new boat and the transition from the 28. We had put the “bigger boatitis” into remission but it seems like we’ve had a serious relapse!

Any response will be appreciated, thanks!

[Jkraft]

Congrats on going under contract! I recently moved up from the 28 to the 31 and could not be happier. As far as handling goes, it does eveything the 28 does, just better. Good luck with survey!

[PilgrimPaul]

Thanks Jkraft! Fingers crossed for hull and machinery survey Thursday and engines Saturday. I am really impressed with the “ bigness” I feel on the TE 31 vs. the TE 28. Hoping everything goes well!

[gmberkley]

best of luck and hope the survey goes well...................respectfully, I hate this type of post, I have the 28, and have looked at a 31, but we didn't pull the trigger, I've put so much time and money into the 28, and boating season isn't that long, that to upgrade to a large boat doesn't seem to make sense............until reading posts like this.

[GGAlbinTherapy]

I upgraded in the last month from a BW Outrage 21 to a 2000 31 TE w 6LP x 2. The impeccable maintenance by the owner sold me on this boat. Bought in NY sight unseen 3000 miles away. Hire a Yanmar Surveyor to go over the engines. Regular Maintenance seems to be the key to the Yanmars.

[GGAlbinTherapy]

…….that Eurosia was listed in the beginning of August 2023. I believe it has been in contract at least once. Ask the broker how many times in contract, and why it fell out of contract. Ask if any of the prospective buyers had any surveyor work done and by whom. If they disclose the name, call the surveyor. They may not disclose much because that survey, if any, is owned by the the person who funded it. I made an offer within the first several hours of discovering my 31’s listing.

[Jkraft]

…….that Eurosia was listed in the beginning of August 2023. I believe it has been in contract at least once. Ask the broker how many times in contract, and why it fell out of contract. Ask if any of the prospective buyers had any surveyor work done and by whom. If they disclose the name, call the surveyor. They may not disclose much because that survey, if any, is owned by the the person who funded it. I made an offer within the first several hours of discovering my 31’s listing.

I noticed that too about that 31. I had assumed it sold but then it went back up. I agree, any 31 that is in impeccable condition needs to be gone after immediately. You snooze you lose with these boats

[PilgrimPaul]

Thanks GG and Jkraft. Here’s the update, the boat was put under contract in August but the buyer pulled out before any survey was performed. We had a hull survey done Friday which was going very well until she failed the sea trial when a seawater system hose at the intercooler blew. We are assuming clogged intercooler created back pressure beyond hose capacity. The owner quickly agreed to cooler rehab work with my engine survey to follow. Records indicate that the owner responds quickly with repairs or replacements as soon as he is informed of issues.
When I bought my TE 28, same Yanmar 6LP power plant and also from the Chesapeake, my mechanics work order reported: “Service air cooler, excessive dirt, hard coming apart, clean core, found crusty material in cooler”. After cleaning and flushing it runs well with no apparent issues although I’m running in fresh water. This boat’s engines have only 336 hours which can be both good and not so good. Hoping the owner’s mechanic is vey thorough and goes through the entire seawater system!?

[Jkraft]

Sending you a message

[GGAlbinTherapy]

PP, don’t fall in love with a boat that has issues ( personal mistakes). I bought my Montauk—I should had walked. I bought my Outrage—I should had took $5k more off because of its engine. I did not feel comfortable with Eurosia because lack of maintenance and the green staining oozing from the pipes around the heat exchangers. This green stuff whispered to me plugged something after 20 years of no to low maintenance—have both heat exchangers and mixers serviced!! Talk with a Yanmar mechanic of what can happen with plugged heat exchangers and lack of yearly oil changes. I find it difficult that that beauty Eurosia was not in contract after the first buyer passed - at least 1 month. I pounced on my deal and “Obsession” is now inside the Golden Gate on blocks prepping to get splashed—I was fast and lucky “out of the holster”.

[GGAlbinTherapy]

……have the seller service the generator too. My guess whatever cooling system it has uses raw water, which means its system will have calcified deposits too after 20-years.

[GGAlbinTherapy]

…..with those Yanis, in your engine survey, 3800 rpm is the minimum RPM wot with full load. 4000 wot is preferable. Not able to hit 3800-4000 suggests the boat is over-propped. And as suggested before, if you can get a Yanmar mechanic to do your survey, all the more better. And, my oil survey told me not much because there were no prior surveys to give me a baseline—single oil survey does not provide much history on the engine.

[PilgrimPaul]

Thanks GG. I caught a very short glimpse of the TE 31 for sale in New York a short while ago. The boat had been owned by a very fastidious Captain as I recall the advertisement stating. When I called, three minutes later, the broker told me the boat had sold (you!) and he already had a list of three interested parties. I logged in at number four!
From this AOG website I have deduced that only about 135 of this model had been built. The model really suits us; in line with our mission; some fishing, some cruising and lots of weekends at the dock! Can we overcome the engine issues, I don’t know. My TE 28 passed a sea trial but after the first season I had the engine hauled and gone over through the winter by Great Lakes Diesel, a very reputable and capable Yanmar shop. That boat had virtually no service records so I obviously took a flyer when I bought it!
While the engine was in the shop we tuned the shaft and prop and replaced the cutlass bearing and I epoxy painted the engine room. All told I put about 20k into the project but the reward has been another six seasons and six hundred hours of dependable run time and confidence in the engine. The mechanic said goodbye because he said I’d probably never see them again!
How to know how bad these engines could be? I’m trying to go slow and hear what the owner’s mechanic reports. Or ask for a deep discount and contract the engine work myself? Thanks for the feedback, it really helps think things through.

[GGAlbinTherapy]

PP,

Have the current owner service both Yanis and the generator. If during engine survey, the boat does not reach 3800-4000 rpm with a full load, ask the props be turned down or money back for engine maintenance for the props and dreaded valve seals replaced. Once squared away, Eurosia should be a good buy.. These 31s are truly nice boats, and I’m sure we will enjoy being their curators.

[PilgrimPaul]

Thanks GG, that’s a v good plan. As both engines reached 3900 rpm the port engine CW alarm sounded. The hose was off. The starboard was still full out but spitting seawater at the intercooler connection. Definitely want to see both at a 3900 rpm WOT.

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