So...what do you do?

[TonyAmalfitano]

Capt. Dave, and Denis,
If either, or both find yourself off NJ drop a dime on me. We'll raft up and pop a tap, or two.

[rt11002003]

We're both retired. Peggy spent her career as a social worker and continues to do volunteer work. I retired from the Air Force; followed with another career as a financial executive. I grew up in Kentucky and spent as much time as possible on the water. Over the years we spent time on the lakes of Minnesota, the waters of Hampton Roads & the James River, the St. Lawerence River, the Tennessee River, and the Gulf of Mexico. Our boating has been done in jon boats, canoes, kayaks, smaller power boats (20 ft. and under) and sail boats. We still own a S2 7.9 which we keep at Lake Lanier Sailing Club in Flowery Branch, Georgia, our home.

Peggy has been wanting to cruise the ICW for a number of years. This past summer we finally decided to buy a cruising boat. After looking for boats along the Western coast of Florida, the Southern coast of Alabama and in North and South Carolina we purchased a 1987 Albin 27 Aft Cabin. We both liked the Albin 30 Family Cruiser. My first choice was a 2002 Albin 36 Express Trawler. Her choice was a 2004 Mainship 39. Then we decided to crawl before learning to walk. I have more than 30 years of experience in boats the size of the Albin 27; it seems like the best choice for us.

"Bella Donna" was transported to Guntersville, AL. late last year. Our plans are to do some shakedown trips on the river in the Spring followed by a cruise to Mobile Bay and the Gulf in late Spring and early Summer.

We're finding this forum to be invaluable.[/i]

[Legacy]

Thought this was a great question. Amazing how everyone is so different. Enjoyed reading through all the backgrounds. Any of you have served in our Armed Forces, thanks so much, I mean that sincerely.

My wife is an architect and designs sports stadiums for colleges around the country. Maybe that's why our new house has stadium seating in the dining room! I'm president of an advertising agency in Boston www.wcm-partners.com and our Albin 35TE "Legacy" is berthed across the street from my office at Constitution Marina in Charlestown,MA. Yep, spoiled rotten! This ois our second Albin, love to get a North Sea Cutter one day. We cruise, fish and entertain. And stayt on board a few nights per week.

Splashing Monday. Drinks every Friday afternoon from May until October for anyone in the area!

[Fogg~Dogg]

I own the Albin 28TE - Fogg~Dogg out of Portmouth, NH and the Great Bay Marina. I came back to boats afteer 14 years of flying - everything from a Piper Dakota to a pressurized-twin Cessna 340, and even a Citation Jet. Did 4 years in the Air Force in the early 70's and never got it out of my blood. Racked up 1,600 hours flying all over the country.

I always loved the design of the Albin's I saw while sailing in college. I started my boat search last Spring and ended up seeing two dozen different boats. I settled on the first boat I saw...the Albin 28! Bought mine out of Toronto...called the Griffin. Imported it back into the country and spent all last summer and fall up and down the NH/Maine coast. FANTASTIC! Great boat, good systems, super-spiffy upgrades by me, great fishing platform, big sound system when the fish aren't biting, very comfortable interior with Tempur-Pedic cushions, and fantastic electronics. Lots of time up in Booth Bay and Kennebunkport. Can't forget Portland. There's nothing like Maine water and its coastline.

I used to be President of New Hampshire's largest advertising agency for 30 years. Finally got sick of the *(&^%%^$ from partners, so I sold out, and became Creative Director at Tracey Edwards ONeil. Love it. I do what I entered the business to do in the first place...creative! Of course, it doesn't hurt that my new partners have a Jenneau 47 and a bow-rider of some sort.

I've been to the Albin factory and everyone there was great. Same with the executive offices. I've looked at the 35CB, the Sabreline 34 and 36, and many others should I want a bigger boat. With the exception of the Albin 47/Hunt...I see no reason to leave the great little 28-footer I handle easily by myself, and host up to three couples when guests come along. If any of you see me up in Maine or along the coast, give me a shout. I love talking boats, planes, and fishing. Wi8th the inverter I just installed and the air conditioning, we can fire up the blender for a great sunny afternoon - at the docks! Safety first!

[RicM]

This is a great forum, with a surprising number of retired military, pilots, and, oddly, ad guys(I include myself in that general catagory). I bought my Albin 28 in January and have yet to get it wet, and worse, it's 2 hours away and behind 2 rows of other boats. It's a long drive to go sit on it, turn the wheel and go "vrooommm" for an hour then drive back.

I bought an Albin on the recommendation of my friend Ed, the rocket scientist because, well, he's a rocket scientist and he had already done the research. The only thing we disagree on is he has a Cummins, I went for Yanmar.

Forgive me for rambling but this weather is getting to me......
Spring IS coming!

[TonyAmalfitano]

RicM
My daughter is serving in the Army as a Multi Media Illustrator, (ain't no mud on her boots!) She'll get out in 2011 (maybe, she likes it) If you're looking to expand!

[Nordvika1stMate]

Posting a reply to 'what do you do'

I'll repond for my husband and myself. We live in Gig Harbor, WA and "Mariner" is our son. He's far more active on this board than we are.

Nordvika is our 36' Albin and she is moored in Gig Harbor. We're 'retired' -- sort of. Gary is active in Rotary and many other activities. I'm active in BetterInvesting and many other things as well. We keep very busy, so don't use the boat nearly as much as we would like to. But, I'm guessing that is true of just about everyone. 'Cept perhaps a liveaboard.

I need to post a few other places, or I'll lose my membership here. Can't let that happen. I'll also make a point of checking in more often.

Gary and Linda

[TD]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our site administrators--both Mariner and J Collins. I really appreciate all the work you put in as it benefits a lot of us boaters. And by the way when you work for free I don't think you have to be perfect on every comment!! I get most benefit for maintenance because I enjoy doing that so that I understand my boat better. The members are really helpful.

Anyway much thanks to the administrators for a job well done and also a very Merry Christmas and properous new year.
Terry

[Mariner]

Posting a reply to 'what do you do'

I'll repond for my husband and myself. We live in Gig Harbor, WA and "Mariner" is our son. He's far more active on this board than we are.

Nordvika is our 36' Albin and she is moored in Gig Harbor. We're 'retired' -- sort of. Gary is active in Rotary and many other activities. I'm active in BetterInvesting and many other things as well. We keep very busy, so don't use the boat nearly as much as we would like to. But, I'm guessing that is true of just about everyone. 'Cept perhaps a liveaboard.

I need to post a few other places, or I'll lose my membership here. Can't let that happen. I'll also make a point of checking in more often.

Gary and Linda

Somehow I don't think you're going to get your account pruned. I know a guy.

[Veebyes2]

Like everyone else I had forgotten this thread. Just read through the entire thread paying special attention to where everyone lives. Pretty sure that we have seen some of your boats in our past two years of RV traveling, especially the Chesapeake Bay area where we base our truck & trailer between trips near Easton on the Eastern Shore. John C one of these times we will hook up.

Begining early April we are off again. This trip will take us past many AOG members. We plan to head south along the coast as much as possible as far as Titusville, FL then head west basically along the Gulf Coast to New Orleans then DFW to Denver to Seattle (hope to see Mariner there), down 101/1 to SFO then a zig zag course back to Tilghman Island, MD by the end of July.

This will be another boatless year for us. A shame because in June the Tall Ships will be in Bermuda. 9 square riggers I think this year plus another 20 or so smaller boats. Oh well....

We would love to meet Albin owners along the way if possible. There is a little flexibilty in route & time but not much.

[Jeff Lavallee]

Just read through the posts- looks like a pretty diverse group!! I grew up in Worcester, Ma and have always loved the ocean. I originally went to college to be a business major and found after the first year that the school I was at was not for me. I transferred to The Massachusetts Maritime Academy and graduated with a B.S. in Marine Transportation in 2001 and a Third Mates Unlimited Tonnage License. After failing a few physicals due to a severe case of asthma I found that shipping commercially was not going to work out as planned ( even though I passed th Coast Guard physical for licensure). I put an application in at th Mass D.O.T. and have been inspecting the construction of bridges for over 6 years now. It has all worked out pretty well though because I met my wife Carrie at the Department and we are now living in a small coastal community 45 minutes north of Boston. We have an 18 month old Kerry Blue Terrier named Shackleton and have just recently bought our first boat, an Albin 27 AC. I am 29 now and still feel not ready to have children, not sure when that changes?? I hope to get a few boating seasons in before the real responsiblity comes!!
I hope to see the local guys out on the water this year

[Marcy K]

Hello,

We (my husband Ron and I) just joined last week after 10 years of owning an Albin 27 aft cabin and 2 weeks ago purchasing an A 34 (with flying bridge and attached deck) - before selling the A 27! We both graduated from Southampton College majoring in Marine Science. Ron has retired from Northeast utilities as the manager of environmental remediation and I am still working as Director of the Outdoor Education Center of Regional School District #13 (Durham/Middlefield CT). I have summers off and we move aboard the A 27 ("Willet") in July and cruise - living at anchor for ~ 3.5 weeks at a time - our limiting factor at this point is my horse who lives in the backyard and we have to hire a horse sitter for him. I spent my childhood aboard a 42' Stonington Motor sailor "Storm Child", my parents had her for 30 years. I will retire in 3 more years and we hope to cruise longer - the Great Loop and down south as well as further north. Our plans are to go to Cape Cod and Boston this summer. We love to live at anchor and have to outfit the new (to us) A 34 for such conditions. We will use the ice box and alcohol stove and grill rather than electricity - just like on Willet. The A 34 will be renamed "Paumanok" which is the Native name for Long Island where we met and went to school. Hope to run into some of you along the way. Marcy

[jleonard]

I guess I never posted to this so I might as well join in the fun.
I am a mechanical engineer with a specialty in manufacturing. For 26 years I worked for a bearing company (Torrington/Fafnir) designing and building steering universal/intermediate shafts and steering columns for the big three, Mazda, Toyota, columns for Club Car golf cars, Bobcats, and big motor homes.
Due to downsizing I have worked as an engineer in stints for a perfume pump manufacturer, General Electric (circuit breakers), and currently work as a quality engineer for Norgren/Kip a company that makes solenoid valves.
We have been boating approximately 20 years, 14 of those with an old 34 Mainship that we repowered and did all kinds of fiberglass repairs to. Not much we haven't fixed on a boat at some point.
Been up the Hudson, Erie canal, and spent quite a bit of time in the Chesapeake Bay (love it there). Eastern LI Sound, Block I, and in the whale tail of LI are our common cruising grounds.
If anyone here needs local info on those areas just ask away. We are also members of the MTOA and are CT port captains meaninf we are availble to give out local knowledge and assistance when we can.
I am also a diesel engine and performance buff and know my way around Perkins, Ford Lehman, and (the beloved) Cummins 6B diesels.
The retirement light is clearly visable at the end of the tunnel....looking to do the loop cruise starting in 2011

[Yearwood]

Interesting forum.

Born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn having a boating (NY Harbor, Hudson, Long Island, NJ) father and grand father. Graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy (engineering) and CUNY (MBA). Attended a number of other colleges as well. Married w/four adult children and ten grandchildren. Worked in ship design (7 patents on LNG), ship brokerage (Tokyo), management consulting, computers, managed a ship brokerage company, two shipping companies (one NY and one in Geneva, Switzerland), managed an oil and gas exploration and development company in the US and Canada. Business took me to around 60 companies for short or extended stays. Taught as an adjunct in graduate and under graduate programs. Retired early and have been consulting with a partner largely in the transportation field and also selling companies on behalf of owners. Maritime arbitrator.

First boat was a 1971 TS 32' Luhrs all glass bought after returning from a 10 week trip buying ships on behalf of a client when I astutely realized that leaving my wife with four children on a Saturday while I played golf was not conducive to a bruise free marriage. Kids grew up weekends and vacations on the boat and yes, it was tight. Then a 40' aft cabin Silverton. Moved to Maryland in '89 and purchased a 28' Albin PH (Yanmar) blue hull in '02 jointly with a neighbor. Boat (Osprey) is kept on a lift in the South River. Use has been declining over recent years (back to golf) but the boat is used for some fishing, cruising (grand children mostly) and acting as chase boat/tender for the log Canoe "Olivers Gift".

[LarryOwen]

Born and raised in southwestern New Jersey, I started boating on the Delaware River at about age 5 in wooden runabouts. By 12 I was running the family's 14' clinker-built runabout with a 12 HP Johnson and thinking that I was "king of the road". My dad died when I was 14, so boating was on hold for 23 years. After college, medical school (worked my way through most of the time) and internship, I spent two years on active duty in the U.S. Navy (Medical Corps), then back to four more years of training as a radiologist - my career for the next 31 years. Bought a 16' 8" Glasspar outboard in 1968 then moved up to a 21' Grady White Chesapeake in '74 which got a lot of use in its 14 years. Had a Hinterhoeller Limestone 24 for seven years, then a 1995 Albin 28 for another seven years. Traded the '95 for an "02 in 2002.

There was never enough time to use a boat until I retired. Since 1996 my first-class 1st mate and I have traveled up and down the Chesapeake Bay from our home port in Salem, NJ (via the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal) to Norfolk & Portsmouth, VA and many places in between. We have usually had a summer trip of four to six weeks, a fall trip of two or three weeks and a number of day or overnight trips to Chesapeake City, MD and Havre de Grace, MD. Have averaged about 100 hours running time and about 1400 nautical miles per season.

The 28TE has proven to be a perfect fit for our boating style ("breakfast on board and find a crabhouse"). I've never worried about the boat, no matter how rough the going in nasty weather. Have had Cummins 6BT series engines in both Albins. They have been trouble-free. We cruise at 18 kt (2300 rpm) and average about 8.5 gal/hr each season. I love being able to jump in the boat and single-hand it when my mate isn't available.

We see a few Albins on our travels but have yet to meet up with other owners. Maybe next year!