Launching An Albin 25

[two happy]

Hi All, Am curious about launching an Albin 25 under different circumstances, including steep launch, slippery launch and super busy launch with impatient weekend warriors. We currently have a 2013 brilliantly made and beloved Ranger Tugs 21 EC and are only considering an Albin due to size of cabin and cockpit as compared to a Ranger Tugs 25 which has a very small cockpit as we progress to having more personal times for northern cruising to Alaska and need a boat that is safe doing so. We just can't get past the small cockpit size of the Ranger 25. We are spoiled with our 21 EC's spacious cockpit and build quality and understand the Albin is quality as well. My concern, having had larger trailerable boats, is stress involved in launching due to windage, time to get her ready to leave the dock, etc. All stressful things that our former larger, up to a 26' trailerable boats, including a heavy 24 footer with a fly bridge caused us to experience whereas the 21 goes in like a dream, is easy for an aging woman to handle and start at the dock while hubby puts the truck and trailer away. We have a 3/4 ton Dodge Cummins tow vehicle, non 4x4. Any thoughts are appreciated as we explore Albin ownership.

[Tom Un]

I tow an Albin 28 with a 1998 Dodge Cummins no problem. I do put it in low 4x4 when pulling the boat out of the water so the torque converter clutches dont have to slip so much . With the 10' beam I had to get a wide load permit. Changed to towing mirrors. I have the boat sitting very low on the trailer in front to help with easy launching without having to back so far into the water and from having a long tongue on the trailer so towing is easier too.

Tom

[coolchange]

seems like your issues are the same whether its a 25 a 27 a 21 etc, When the wind is moving boats cross section is everything..not counting deep keel stuff so make a choice as to which side of the dock based on your comfort..I like to have is blow me off the dock so I can use lines to hold it (rather than having to push it away from the dock) My 27 needs to basically float on and off...I literally use less than a foot of slack to hook the bow strap...but that means I have to get the truck in the water just to the rear tires....but at a tide affected ramp you need to factor that in...and not take too long (at Swantown and Port Orchard I have had to launch based on tide tables..too low is the problem) As far as "weekend warriors" add fishermen during a run...and plan your launch accordingly...or get in line, take your turn and don't let others cause you to screw up...take the time you need and you can always ask for a hand (but never trust anyone else with tying you up)

[dkirsop]

The Ranger 25 and the Albin A25 are two very different boats. The Ranger is modern, semi-displacement vessel and on plane has about 3 times the maximum speed of the Albin. It is also very likely that a Ranger 25 will also come equipped with a thruster and therefore be more maneuverable in tight quarters. The Albin is mostly old technology but with the strong point being that it was designed with fuel economy in mind. It is comfortable and well suited to travelling with small children as the centre cockpit provides a high level of security. Fishing with an A25 is best described as awkward, it's strong point is cruising.

With the Albin being a single screw full displacement vessel it can be challenging to maneuver in tight spaces. I suggest you look at a few and compare it to a Ranger if your budget allows for the more modern vessel.

With respect to trailering, I tow and launch my vessel using a VW Touareg equipped with a 6 cylinder diesel and have had no issues. The vehicle has 4 wheel drive. You need to be able to float the vessel off the trailer if using bunks so the trailer tongue must be long enough and the vessel sitting low enough to achieve this with the rear wheels of the vehicle just touching the water. Roller bunks allow a little more latitude in this regard and this is how my trailer is rigged. I also have electric over hydraulic disk brakes on my trailer which provide additional control when backing down a steep ramp. In my opinion a 2 wheel drive vehicle might have problems if there is a lot of marine growth on the launch ramp. I have personally witnessed a 2 WD pick up truck sliding backwards into the sea with it tow as the owner tried desperately to drive up the ramp. So if you keep your truck then I would say have your trailer equipped with electric over hydraulic disk brakes on all 4 wheels.

Best of luck in your search.

[DesertAlbin736]

Hi Two Happy,

We just can't get past the small cockpit size of the Ranger 25.

I can't get over the difference in cost of Ranger 25 vs Albin 25. I wish I could afford a Ranger 25!

Otherwise I have to agree with Dave (aka dkirsop) in all respects. But you have to bear in mind that Albin 25 is a center cockpit/aft cabin boat, not an aft cockpit boat like Ranger, Nordic, or C-Dory.

This is what the seating area of the cockpit looks like.

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Here's what the helm station looks like between the sitting area of the cockpit and the forward cabin. You'll find some variation in the driver seat arrangement. This is the stock two person bench seat, but given that these boats range in age from 40 to almost 50 years old most have be modified and customized in various ways.

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Not to mention it's just about impossible to find an Albin 25 that's less than 40 years old as they went out of production & ceased to be imported in 1980. But while the A25 is a slow cruising boat in the 6 to 7 knot range it cannot be beat in terms of fuel economy. You'll notice my signature at the bottom of this post mentions my boat being powered by a Yanmar 3GM30F diesel. That's a 24 HP continuous rated engine. We average between 0.4 to 0.5 gallons per hour at 6.5 knots. Trailering depends a lot on what trailer you have. We also tow with a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel, but with 4WD vs 2WD. Many times I've been glad to be able to shift into 4-Low & walk up the the ramp without spinning wheels. And yes, we've trailered...a lot. At home we keep our boat dry stored on the trailer & during cooler weather like now we launch & retrieve each time we go out on our local lake. But that's fresh water, a lot less wear & tear on the trailer. Although this fall I'm busy catching up with a lot of TLC and preventive maintenance projects so we're not doing much on the water this season. But we've also trailered from Phoenix up to Washington four times now, twice launching from Bellingham and twice from Blaine. I don't find the A25 particularly difficult to handle at the ramp. In our case there's a bit of an issue getting the boat to center on the trailer, but that's specific to our setup.

This is our rig, photo taken at an invasive species inspection stop in Oregon on the way up to Washington this summer. Which by the way, our route took us up through Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and up Rt 2 to Wenatchee which ties into I-5 at Everett. I have to be meticulous about keeping up our bottom paint due to going through these AIS inspections, not just in Oregon, but Idaho & Washington too. Some of the things I like about the Albin the most is the forward cabin layout. Traditional style settees that easily convert to a spacious V berth with 4" thick foam cushions & also can be set up to dine with with a center table. Also has handy shelving along the sides. 5' 9" headroom is not quite tall enough for me to stand up straight in the front cabin, but the cockpit area has 6 foot head room. With the aft cabin it's a good weekender for a couple with two small children, but for extended cruising two's company & three's a crowd. We've cruised aboard for up to 46 consecutive days afloat & never felt cramped or uncomfortable. We use the aft cabin for storing luggage & other gear. The only thing we lack is hot water & on board shower. Our fresh water tank is 14 gallon capacity, fuel capacity 20 gallons, and in our case a 20 gallon holding tank for the marine head. The 20 gallon holding tank is not stock, it's a mod I added to replace the previous 9 gallon holding tank.

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Now if your budget allows you to consider a Ranger 25, then a C-Dory 25 is something else to consider as well. This 2007 model is for sale in Renton, listed on Seattle CL. Similar layout as Ranger, but a fast boat with a 135 HP Honda outboard and Yamaha 4 stroke 15 HP kicker & about 1/2 the cost of a Ranger or Nordic. According to the C-Dory factory site, towing weight, boat + motor+trailer+fuel is 6,340 lbs. Not much different than the Albin 25. There are things I like about a C-Dory 25, others not so much. Things I like are being a faster boat with sheltered inside steering, build quality. Obviously speed costs, so you're not going to get the kind of fuel economy the Albin does. Not all that crazy about the salon layout which is similar to a Ranger, that is single seat helm station, galley, and head compartment to starboard, smallish dinette to port of which the front dinette seat can flip from aft facing to forward facing. It does have opening side windows & the center section of the windshield can be opened for flow through ventilation. Although the salon/'doghouse' has 6' 1" head room, the forward V berth sleeping compartment is a cave-like sitting headroom affair. Inside lounging would be limited to sitting at the dinette, but the aft cockpit could be comfortable with use of folding chairs & if equipped with bimini & side curtains for hot or foul weather. Also carrying a dinghy would be essentially limited to stowing on the cabin roof. In the Renton listing example they have a crane installed for lifting a dinghy up onto the roof. Of course with shallow draft and tip-up outboard you could beach or anchor in the shallowest waters. One of the guys in our sailing club owns a C-Dory 25, so I've seen them up close inside and out.

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