Trailering an A27

[11kolive]

Hello,

We are new to the forum but not new to Albins. Our first diesel cruiser was an A-25 that we cruised Puget Sound, Gulf Islands and Princess Louisa Inlet. We are currently planning to downsize from our Grand Banks 36 and always thought we would go back to an Albin. As we begin shopping I am wondering about towing an A-27. Are there any permits needed since it is over 8'6" wide? We have a 3/4 ton Chevy Diesel that we would be towing it with. The A-27 seems to fit our needs quite well and we are excited for this next phase. We live in WA State and will be towing it over a mountain pass to launch in the Puget Sound/Salish Sea area.

I am currently going through the forum reading everything I can find on the A-27's. I am curious about the headroom in the pilot house and the front cabin. Does anyone have measurements they could share. I am also very open to hearing about any issues I should be looking for before we take it to survey.

Thanks,
Keith Olive

[Jay Knoll]

Hi Keith

Welcome.

I'm 6'2" and can stand in the pilot house and the head, but everywhere else I'm hunching over or sitting down!

[11kolive]

Thanks Jay! I am 6'2" as well. Are you close to standing upright in the front cabin? We had a hatch in our A25 that allowed me to stand up when in the galley area or at the sink. It worked pretty well for me.

Keith

[Beta Don]

Welcome to the forum - Always good to hear that someone is interested in rescuing one more A27. They usually seem to be project boats, so if that doesn't interest you, try to find one that someone else has poured the time, sweat and money into which made it a desirable, reliable boat

I've never looked into getting any permits to tow mine - Towed it home from Phoenix to Biloxi when I bought it and towed it back from Jacksonville to Biloxi just before I sold it. I built myself a custom gooseneck trailer for it with a pair of 6,000 lb axles using 10 ply load range E tires. The boat is around 7,500 to 8,000 pounds (mine weighed 11,000 pounds all decked out and ready to cruise) and the trailer is about 1,500 to 2,000 more, so it's quite a load, but if you have a good trailer, it's very doable

The headroom is just a bit over 6 feet - I'm 6' tall and never had a problem with it, but if you're much taller than that it might be a problem

Several issues to look for, all well documented here on the forum. Leaks around the plastic portlights would be the #1 issue I think. The leaks caused rot and removing them, fixing the rot and reinstalling them can be quite a job. If the issue hasn't been addressed by a previous owner, I would guess 90% of the A27's out there have portlights which are still leaking. The pilothouse glass was poorly installed and many (probably most) boats suffered from extensive rot in the balsa cored walls of the pilothouse. The hull to deck joint is very fragile, done with a plastic strip and pop rivets. Any semi-hard landing against a piling will crack or break the deck half of the joint - Check carefully for damage under the rubrail

The early boats ('83 & '84) came with a Peugeot/Lehman engine and they can be hard to find parts for. The later few years came with a Nissan 6 cylinder engine (same one used in the diesel Maxxima) and the manifolds & marine specific parts (exhaust riser) on those are prone to rot and are currently almost impossible to find replacements for. Later boats came with Westerbeke or Isuzu engines and it would be well worth the extra cost to find one of those if you want the powerplant to be trouble-free

There are owners her of all versions of the boat - When you find one you're thinking of buying, someone here can help you by telling you what to look for on the particular version you're looking at

Don

[Jay Knoll]

If you haven't seen it yet, this might help you out

viewtopic.php?f=40&t=8539

[11kolive]

Jay, it says I do not have access to read posts in that forum. I just donated today to become a supporting member so maybe that will clear me to read those posts soon.

[11kolive]

Beta Don,

Thanks for this info. The trailering sound easy enough. Rebedding portlights is doable for me too as I just rebedded 5 aft cabin Windows on our GB. Hopefully they were not put in with 5200 and there is not a moisture issues. Some projects I am fine with except major structural integrity issues. Thanks for the feedback!

[coolchange]

Hi...I tow a 27FC fully loaded (9400 lb plus trailer 2K??..if weight is an issue travel with less fuel and water and fill up at launch ) with a 6.0 F250 from the Portland area to either Puget Sound (Swantown) or Bellingham ...except last trip I used the sling at LaConnor (they were a little challenged by the weight but got the job done) I have never gotten oversized flags nor have I ever been hassled....I have been towing boats on this route for 15 years ...all with 9'6 beams....traffic has been getting worse every year no matter what time, day or weather...patience is a virtue.

RE the height...I am 6'3...and have found ways to stand at helm, in galley and head...a wide stance does the trick...I fit the rear berth but due to shoulder pain have to use the v-berth (no problem)..I did get new canvas for the stern and had the mfg. make it with a "step-up" so I can stand (narrow stance) back there.

Happy hunting....and when you get one keep an eye on the Northwest Rendezvous for next year...not sure where but many of us use it as jump off for longer trips north...great group!

[11kolive]

Thanks Coolchange. I will be tuning here regularly and looking around the country for possible boats. There is one in Michigan on YW that looks interesting.