Operating and maintenance costs of Albin 36 or similar?

[DesertAlbin736]

Just musing on the big picture of a possible future (next year or later) upsizing from Albin 25 to Albin 36 or similar (such as CHB 34 or 38 trawler) and wondering about budgeting for typical fixed costs of ownership. Things including but not limited to slip fees, periodic in water hull cleanings (i.e. divers) haul-outs, winterizing, bottom jobs, general maintenance, taxes, and fees, etc. Specifically aiming to keep such a trawler in the Pacific NW in or around Puget Sound or points North such as Anacortes, Bellingham, Blaine, WA, or somewhere in the San Juans as a summer home for either liveaboard and/or extended cruising and laying up for the winter on the hard.

In comparison we now spend $50 per month to dry store our A25 on the trailer near home, plus or minus $1,250 in truck fuel, camping fees, and meals for 8 days on the road for the 1,600 mile round trip to and from Bellingham for summer Pacific NW cruises, plus guest slip fees and moorings, which for example on last year's 46 day cruise amounted to around $400 for launching fees and guest slips, plus usual meals and provisions, plus boat fuel at 13 NM per gallon mileage (0.4 GPH@ 6.5 knots).

In other words, current $600 annual dry store cost plus about $1,700 to $1,750 in overland transport, boat fuel, and wet slip fees but not counting provisions for 6 weeks or more on the water, which averages out to less than $200 per month on an annual basis compared to what it would cost to keep a larger, more comfortable summer-home-on-the-water in that area permanently where one could either fly up there or drive by car in a sedan that gets 40 MPG to escape the 115 degree Phoenix summer heat?

This assumes nothing smaller than a single screw classic Albin 36 or comparable CHB trawler, and not a A27FC or similar center cockpit boat, nor any TE's which are way out of my price range.

The other question is to note the marked similarity in design between the Albin 36 and the more common Taiwan built CHB/Chien Hwa trawlers of 70's and '80s vintage. Any comments on that? Prohibitive costs of overland transport of such boats with command bridges being what it is limits a search to boats in the local area, of which Albin 36's are few and far between, so CHB is a more likely candidate.

Any thoughts from current Albin 36/37/40/43 owners in that regard?

[jleonard]

Well of course it costs more annually for a larger boat. At least this is true on the east coast.
I was told by a former boat dealer that all the Taiwan trawlers of that era were but I one of two yards in Taiwan. He wider boats like my 40 were built in one location only because of the path (or road) that lead to the freight terminal was wide enough.
Building crews were families that worked on one boat until it was completed, then they moved to another. Quality was dependent upon which crew built the boat. Some were better craftsmen than others.

[varmont]

Any of the boats, Albin, CHB, etc are going to have window and deck leaks in the NW. The leaks will pop up very fast and will do a lot of damage fast. You will need to either keep it under cover (not many options north unless you go with LaConner) or find some way to protect it from the rain and very heavy snow.

Zincs - figure 9 months. My boat (2 transom, 2 ruder and a shaft collar) runs about $100/ change
Bottom paint - figure 1 year for cheap and 2 to 3 years for really expensive. Will need a diver to clean bottom if more than 1 year. Then you have to figure haulout, block, prep, paint, supplies, clean up, etc. Most yards in the NW are getting REALLY finicky about do it yourself paint. At some point will have to pay for it. Figure another $15/ft on top of everything else.
Moorage - figure $10/ft/month at a minimum for uncovered.
Fuel - will be cheapest of anything - $4 to $6/ gallon depending on where you get it. Closer to Seattle gets cheaper.
Lots of other fees I choose to forget so I don't realize how much it costs to own a 36' classic.

[DesertAlbin736]

varont,

That's kind of what I figure too. The cost increase vs size with boats is not a linear progression, more logarithmic I suspect. Thanks. We'll probably stick with our Albin 25, aka poor man's trawler, for now.

[Panhdjoe]

As one who has moved up from a 1984 A27 to a 1983 Albin 36, I can offer that the 36 with a 120 Lehman gets around 2 Gal. per hour fuel burn, The 36 is a much more "Systems Heavy" boat, gen set. auto pilot, heat and AC, Norcold ref. and so on, All that stuff greatly adds to cursing comfort but adds up to more Maint dollars. And yes I am still chasing a couple of leaks, although overall our boat is better than most. Albin and Grand Banks were the 2 Taiwan builders that kept there own quality control people on the ground during the 80s. and are generally better boats, Thats according to some articles printed in Passage Maker Magazine. There is also a good review of the Albin 36 on the Boat US web site. Look out there is a lot of Junk that comes on the market.

[RobS]

..... "Systems Heavy" boat, gen set. auto pilot, heat and AC, Norcold ref. and so on, All that stuff greatly adds to cursing comfort ......

Joe, I think there was a typo in there but honestly you could not have said it better!

[WillieC]

I saw that cursing comfort as well and thought how apropos! No typos were harmed in the posting of that thread.

[Panhdjoe]

I was not an English major. To Say the least.

[WillieC]

All in fun Panhdjoe. Thanks for being a good sport.

[coolchange]

Hi...as an owner of a 27FC and a big fan of its trialability...ie Portland to Olympia or further to Bellingham...you know the upside of all this. I keep the boat in the water since we sold the farm, and pull it to go north.

I have had the good fortune to spend the last 2 years in the Braughtons/Desolation/Discovery on an Albin 36 (Journey with Dennis Spain). Lot more stable, more room, love the upper helm etc. etc.

But: Oly to Friday H. is at least a two day trip (one way)..do the math for further north. We anchor out a lot but slip fees are much more of a burden than in the 27...all in all I think you would need to have a major mind change to enjoy this size change from your current travelability. 2cents.

[ppmeis]

Honestly, (this from Northern Wisconsin) Just plan on $500.00 per month, add another $500 per month for the first year or two of ownership. Probably more..