Prospective A27 FC Buyer

[PaxRiverBoats]

My wife and I got to look at a 1985 Albin 27 Family Cruiser last Friday (12/2) , located about 2 hours away from where we live here in southern Maryland. The boat was on a lift, it had been shrink wrapped, and the elderly owner is motivated. The shrink wrap had a zippered door, and while we could not see much of the deck forward of the pilot house, we could see the cabin sides and the hull from the waterline down. We had full access to the cabin and engine spaces, and the fwd and aft cabin cushions had all been removed and stored ashore. The boat is cosmetically challenged, reflecting the owner's advanced age, but it has not been neglected. We were given a copy of the boat's winterization repair order, and told that we could call the company (specialists in diesel engines) to ask about the boat's maintenance history. In my mind, this is a good sign. The engine spaces and the original NISSAN diesel were spotless; the wiring, through hulls, and all machinery looked very good. There is no hour meter, and the broker told us that the elderly owner used her only locally, as the boat was on a lift at his house; and that's where we went to go and look at it. The boat has a good story, it seems low risk, and the price is pretty reasonable.

The brightwork (not anymore) needs a lot of work, but that is not a show stopper. I have read articles in this forum about how well these A27s respond to compounding and waxing due to generally good/thick gelcoats. The bottom, keel, rudder, and rudder shoe were in excellent condition, without MANY layers of thick bottom paint. There were a lot of positives with this boat, and it has spent the last 20-25 years on the same creek, hauled by the same yard, and maintained by the same people, and more importantly, by the same 2nd owner.

The big problem is the time of year. My wife an I need to discuss at length, but I like the boat enough to make an offer to hold it, but I'm trying to figure out how to delay the final deal until next spring when we can really take a good look at her. Just some thoughts here...!

I hope that everyone has a healthy and happy holiday season!

Best regards,

Ted & Marci Turner
Hollywood, MD

[rnummi]

There are plenty of 27FC folks in your neck of the woods....I'm sure anyone on the board would be willing to come with you to check her out. Essential reading in preparation is JT's publication on the ins and outs of the A27. If you have the specs on what the owner has done post em here. Pretty much the world experts on the A27 live on this forum.