sea keeping of Albin 25

[Porch]

Dear Albineers:

I am not an Albin owner. I've built and owned several deep draft
commercial fishing boats, a couple sail boats with full keels and of
course, the usual run of skiffs. But I have never owned a semi-
deplacement trawler.

Such a hull has enviable traits, known best by all of you: low fuel
consumption given speed, low displacement [light weight], shallow
draft etc.

This note is to ask, please, for real life confirmations of her sea
keeping ability. Like many of you, I live on inside straits [an
inlet just off Chatham strait in SE Alaska]; both Chatham and nearby
Icy Straits are tidal and given to quick and nasty changes in
conditions, with steep seas- especially in winter, of course.

I have been in touch with a single Albin owner, who told me she always
"picks her weather". This is a somewhat discouraging response as none
of us are likely to deliberately go out in deteriorating conditions;
but picking weather in winter in SE is like the unfortunately familiar
"box of choclates" metaphor. You really can never be sure what you
are going to get by time you reach half way across strait.

So question is this:
can experienced owners please advise about, comment on or suggest ways
to cope with the sea-keeping ability of Albin 25 in foul steep seas,
nasty cross-chop, generally nasty conditions.

Several of my boats have required due vigilence, I have had to
constantly be taking care of the boat in weather. As I age, I would
prefer a little lee way: that is, a boat who will, should i experience
the occaisional lapse of vigilance, help to take care of me.

Is the Albin 25 the sort of boat that will, in coastal sailing-
barring foolishness and bad luck- be able to disregard a few mistakes
and still get you home? Or is she a summer sailor, fair weather
boat?

Thanks for any response.

[Keith Olive]

Good Morning Porch,

 

I have not been in extremely bad seas with my Albin 25.  But crossing the Strait of Georgia w .ehave encountered 6-8' seas, combined with 15 -20 knot winds and our boat, "Leighway" did wonderfully.  We did quarter through as often as possible and tried to pick our weather for safety's sake.  Following seas were not our favorites.  I must say I never felt that the Albin would not take the seas.  She always did great for us, and her ability to cruise in rough conditions was one of the reasons we first chose this vessel.

 

I think you'll get several posts regarding this.

 

Good Luck on your boat hunt.  We just recently sold our "Leighway" to a woman on Lopez Island.  A sad day to let her go, but she went to a good home.

 

Keith Olive

Cowiche, WA

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[hira reid]

Porch,

While I did say I liked to pick my weather, I have done significant foul weather cruising in my Albin25. The Snake and Columbia River Gorge can pack a wallop with short stacked and multidirectional waves and wind of great size40+, forcing many boats to seek shelter.The Columbia river gorge is know for its winds and waves and is the Wind Surfing Capital of the World. I have talked with many a boater of greater sized boats who said they would never return. I wouldn't hesitate to make those runs again in Shatoosh. I have been on short stacked 10 ft waves going downwind on the Columbia River's Cape Horn in which I was surfing down the front sides at over 9 knots.

On the Pacific ocean this past summer at La Push we went out for an hour in terrible weather but returned, as did the whole La Push fishing fleet, but the next day we rode well over 10-15 ft swells on our port beam. When I returned to port at La Push, I did so not because Shatoosh couldn't handle it, but rather to wait for a better day without rain and wind. 

As a new owner,  I thought the Albin was tender with beam and aft qtr seas I grew to realize that she is quick to recover and always snaps back to her balance point. I feel that the Albin is really a very safe boat in heavy weather and I am highly impressed. I apologize for not making myself clear on the previous time I sent an email.

The thing that I have always been concerned about is the fact there is not a scupper system for the cockpit and if a big wave was ever taken on board into the cockpit area, it would cause devastation.

It would be nice to hear from the owners of Albins in Alaska and the north sea.

Best wishes on your  next boat

--

Hira

http://shatooshandpashmina.blogspot.com/

http://reikireid.blogspot.com/

[Porch]

Dear Keith and Hira:

Thanks indeed to both of you for responding.
Very helpful to hear about Leighway's performance on Georgia; and
Shatoosh's on Snake and Columbia River gorges [I had no idea these
gorges experienced the conditions you describe, thanks], and the seas
outside of La Push are not to be trifled with-

so again, grateful to you both for taking time to respond- first-hand
experience from boaters in nearby waters: nothing more valuable.

Any more comments are welcome, please, but it's getting pretty hard to
get around the idea that the Albin 25 may be my next [last?] boat.
I'm also looking at LM 27 and Albin 27- but both of these boats are
less available and far more expensive to buy, maintain and run
[prohibitively so, in my case];
also [as have probably many others], I've found that smaller boats
tend to be used more often and more happily. Especially if they are
forgiving to an aging sailor.

Thanks.