# Alberg 30



## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

I don't know anything about sailing but I traded an 1997 Heritage soft tail Harley for a 30 ft alberg.

A friend said I should look into a roller furling system any idea what to look for on a budget.
Skipperdude


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## Cruiser2B (Jan 6, 2011)

I sail an Alberg 30 and i do not have a roller and probably wont ever have one. Just a personal preference. if the boat has a good selection of headsails than i would not bother. this was the case with my A30 when i purchased her. Just a note she can carry alot of head sail. I usually use a 140 for everything under 20kts and 160(No1) below 15kts, 15-20 140 jib and reefed main balances her out well for me. She is tender and I have always been told to reef early, and i usually do over 15kts, keep the misses happy and the sail enjoyable. Anything over twenty and she is very well balanced with reefed main and working jib. 
Good luck with your new boat!


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Thanks, untill I get to know what you are talking about I guess I will just sit by and copy the mail,be a lurker. cuz bro you are speaking greek to me.

I have only been on her long enough to start the motor and drive it to a place where it was hauled for the winter. 

Thanks for responding
SD


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Roller furling will make things easier to deal with esp if you're going to be shorthanded (ie sailing alone or with one other person).. but it's not essential - it's a convenience that has become de riguer these days.

Interesting trade.. 

Your plan to lurk and read here is a good one... check out sailing publications, google all the terms and procedures that make no sense to you now, by summer you can launch and put all that to use. Best of luck!

Welcome to the forum.


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## Cruiser2B (Jan 6, 2011)

I am sorry for talking over your head...I would invite someone who knows sailing down to your boat and check out your sail inventory and go from there. After that I would study up on sailing in general. i sailed many many years on a much smaller boat(16ft dailsailer) before my Alberg 30. Your Alberg is a very forgiving boat to sail but i would take someone along if you've never done it before.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

here you go SD! there are a mess of instructional vids on YouTube.


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## AllThumbs (Jul 12, 2008)

skipperdude said:


> I don't know anything about sailing but I traded an 1997 Heritage soft tail Harley for a 30 ft alberg.
> 
> A friend said I should look into a roller furling system any idea what to look for on a budget.
> Skipperdude


Don't buy anything until you have sailed it for a season or two. By then you will know what you need and what you don't need.

Eric


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

I don't have much time. I plan on learning as I go. I will be leaving this May. I will be traveling alone so I thought the roller would be the way to go.

As long as the motor runs I will be OK. I have no friends with sail boats.

I am just gonna go Till I can't see land and then decide.

Commercial fish boat capt'n in Alaska. Sold my commercial fishing permit. Gonna see the rest of the world.
SD


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

_Just loathes being invisible. _ Uh Yeah.. your welcome SD


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

deniseO30 said:


> here you go SD! there are a mess of instructional vids on YouTube.


Thanks for the link.
SD


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## MobiusALilBitTwisted (Jun 25, 2007)

BS, ok i said it. Done


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Been on the water 30 years. All power boats. No stranger to blue water or green as far as that go's. Just never ran a sail boat.


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## MobiusALilBitTwisted (Jun 25, 2007)

and the only thing you are going to ask is about a furling system, i stand by my last post in this thread. 

Fair winds, hope you make it someplace.


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Sorry just trying to learn how to use this site. Didn't mean to snub you.


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

That is just a start. I am not new to boats Like i said never ran a sailboat . When I got her the fellow said if you are going solo this is one thing nice to have especially if the sea's over 10 ft. I am not racing anyone and don't really care which way I am going. I figgure the wind will take me there. I am in the prince William sound right now. The boat is on Kodiak on the hard for the winter.
SD


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## MobiusALilBitTwisted (Jun 25, 2007)

learning the SN Forum system is fine, You need to learn to put more info into your Questions a bit of back ground, and planning will also help in getting you the answer you looking for, as posted before by another SN member you Do NOT have to have one, sure it can make it easier on you , but can you handle fixing the furling system when it fails, are you sure it is what you will need/want for the sailing your going to try to do? 

again Fair Wind and hope you make the port your aiming for.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Goodness.

Skipper, I agree with the advice to have someone knowledgeable in sailboats take a look at your boat and see what type of furling system you can use. Depending on the year of the boat, the previous owners could have done all kinds of modifications so it may not be to the original spec.

Furling systems are wonderful things but they are also one more mechanical thing that can fail. On the other hand, I think most offshore boats now come with them as standard equipment so the failure rate might be less than I'm imagining.

On the other, _other_ hand, raising and lowering a hanked-on sail in heavy seas and alone ain't fun either.

Good luck with your new boat and welcome to Sailnet (we didn't all get up on the wrong side of the pillow today).


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

If it is mechanical I can fix it.
My motto is if it can't be repaired maybe it shouldn't be on the boat.
AsI am not a born sailor I need all the help/info i can get right now as I said time is short for me.
Heck I need lots of thing. The boat doesn't even have a bow roller and just a wee bit of a danforth. Just a lunch hook as I see it.
Not looking to go all chain rode an nice spade with a combination rode will do.
As for the roller furling system. As I will be solo. I don't want to be running around on deck when the wind really comes up just to reef a sail.

When you work on a commercial boat you have to know how to fix things or find some other way of making things work especially when you can't get spare parts or even the right tool.
SD


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

skipperdude said:


> ... as I said time is short for me.
> ...
> SD


Just some words of caution: too-tight time schedules and hurrying can cause you to forget things, important things that may get you injured or worse later down the road when you're too far from land to do anything about it. Many have regretted sailing off on a schedule when mishaps occurred that otherwise should not have.

Unless you're running from the law or an ex (in which case don't wait for the boat, just get out), I would respectfully suggest that you slow down and take good stock of what you have and what you need. If you're this new to the type of sailing that you intend to do, you probably don't know all that you need yet.


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Thanks Donna. I am not a romantic Just tired of long long hours at the helm and the smell of fish. I've been working on the water most of my life. Just tired of it all. The wife died a couple of years ago. I have enough money so nothing holding me where I am Not as young as I used to be. Need a change.Tired of fishing I Don't want to haul net's no more. Just want to enjoy the sea and the wind. When you have more years behind you than you have ahead. It is just time to do something different.
SD


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Ah that's the beauty of it. I shouldn't have said spring but this year for sure.
and I am adept at provisioning for long day's at sea. Been doing it all mylife.
SD


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## nccouple (Jun 11, 2011)

Welcome Skipperdude.... Lots of good info on this forum and some good drama also.... Enjoy, can be entertaining.


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## chrisncate (Jan 29, 2010)

Welcome SD, Albergs are great boats. I recently did a little work to mine, some things you might want to check out are: 

1- Chainplates (the OEM ones are undersized and under bolted).
2- The deck core, to see what you have - either the fiberglass and pegboard sandwich (good), or balsa (not as good but still ok).
3- The mast step area (for compression outside, and to make sure you have a metal beam retrofitted inside).
4- The bilge (for 40+ years of funk and a possibly exposed stringer).
5- The toe rail and it's fasteners (leaks, rot, funk etc).
6- The rudder (to makes sure all is still ok after all these years - sometimes the fasteners turn to red mush).
7- The portlights (cast aluminum, check for cracks).

You chose a great boat, the best imo (I'm quite biased though). She's a real goddess chaser 

Might I talk you out of the furler btw?...


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Thanks for the advice
I looked at all the things you mentioned and then some. I actually did a little damage during my survey. I am a licensed marine surveyor with the State of Alaska. I Knew the boat I wanted and was lucky enough to find one. Just looking to out fit it a little better before I take off. 

I tried the Alberg site but it was a little funky and no forum.
I was hoping to find some Alberg Owners here that are using a roller furling system and could advise me on there prefrences.

I appreciate the input.


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

Skipperdude: you are one of my new idols. Just a guy who knows boats and seamanship pickin' up and going where the wind takes you. Gotta love it. 

And I think your friend was right to recommend roller furling for solo sailing. I don't like leaving the cockpit in heavy weather, especially when alone. I wouldn't worry too much about finding an "Alberg specific" or even "Alberg friendly" RF system. There really was no roller furling when your boat was made, so anything is going to be a retro fit. All the major manufacturers' wares will work for you. If you are going offshore, I would stick with the big names like Harken or Schaeffer. Don't forget that you will have to have your headsail modified for RF, so figure an extra $200 or so into the budget when working that out.

Best of luck my friend; please post your adventures.


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## chrisncate (Jan 29, 2010)

skipperdude said:


> Thanks for the advice
> I looked at all the things you mentioned and then some. I actually did a little damage during my survey. I am a licensed marine surveyor with the State of Alaska. I Knew the boat I wanted and was lucky enough to find one. Just looking to out fit it a little better before I take off.
> 
> I tried the Alberg site but it was a little funky and no forum.
> ...


I don't really care much for the Alberg 30 site or the association personally. Nice enough folks and all, but meh.. mothballs. The whole A 30 association and site needs a complete refit imo..

Anyway, did your A30 need anything refit when you bought her? What was the outcome of the survey (just curious..)? Any problems? Do you have a low hull number?

Regarding the furler, mine came with a Pro Furl - it never worked right but it was never really installed "up top" correctly either, so I had nothing but bad experiences with it. The one thing I noticed that _wasn't_ specific to my crappy furler was how heavy it was (the foil, the drum and the swivel). Surprisingly heavy in fact.

When it worked it was ok, I never liked rolling in as a reefing system though - the sail shape went to hell and the strain on the stay and it's components was substantial. Maybe a better furler and a better cut sail for said furler will yield better results, I dunno.

Post some pics of your boat!


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## KnottyGurl (Feb 8, 2011)

I single hand alot and have a good set of sails 3 head sails, 2 mains tri sail storm sail, so a furler in my opinion can be one more item to let go. Then have all lines lead to cockpit ie halyards, boom vang, lazy jacks, topping lift.
I'm sure you have a great set of foulies and boots, get some charts of areas you want to go to, a cruising guide or three, a good gps/plotter, VHF with DSC. 
Keep your plotting tools nearby, maybe a laptop with WiFi so you can Google places along the way and head over to active captain to do some charting and figuring on where ya wanna head out.
good luck and enjoy it


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Knotty gurl, I have all of what yu speak. 
I plan on hitting the Alutians first I have adog named Kiska and wanted to see the island of which she is named.GPS will work there but i would need satalite phone for the areas i plan on traveling.

Crisncate, the survey went well. The fellow that owned it was a real dock queen.
Fair weather only Not even a bow roller. No hawse pipe or chain locker.
All the sails are new. As well as most of the lines. Chainplates were all upgraded as well as some verry good fiberglass work. 
Atomic 4 powers her. Looks to be in good shape would have prefered a diesel but it is what it is.
SD


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## chrisncate (Jan 29, 2010)

No locker? A 30's have a factory tabbed in chain/rode locker though... ?

What's up front in it's place (as viewed from inside the V berth)? Also, the large bronze cowl vent was typically used as the entry point for a rode..

Hmm...


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

A cowl vent for a haws hole Hmmmm. 

I'll have to pick one up.
Like i said a bit of custom fiberglass work has been done.
SD


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## seabreeze_97 (Apr 30, 2006)

You should look up some of the info by this fellow:
30 Years with an Alberg 30
he's had his Alberg 30 for over 30 years.


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## seabreeze_97 (Apr 30, 2006)

Also an interesting take on adding aux power with an outboard.
Re-powering Jean-du-Sud


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## geehaw (Jun 9, 2010)

Well welcome to the forum. Did you get a slip with the boat? Or did you have one? I heard a 20 yr wait in Wittier. I am waiting for one in Valdez, 3 to 5 yrs there. I wanted to buy a little bigger then the 25 I bought. But slips are not transferable and need something to put on trailer anyways since I live in Fairbanks. Suppose to start on a harbor expansion this year in Valdez so might not have to wait as long. Well if ya do any early sails maybe we can meet up somewhere. Was planing on a mid April splash and week sail. Not positive yet though. Want to try to catch some kings down there. But I guess you have no interest in sport fishing! I was thinking of going to check the Coghill lake area. I can remember the name of the bay right now and would have to start Seaclear. But I think it is the bay East of wittier. Well mainly wanted to say Hi to another Alaskan. Greg


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## souljour2000 (Jul 8, 2008)

SD,

. I have a slightly smaller boat (Columbia 29)that weighs about the same and is of similar vintage (1966). If I ever put a furler on her I will make a dual headstay mount (and add a anchor roller to one side) and so I have two headstays..one that has extrusion and furler...one that don't. A roller furler is very useful but like has been said is just another thing that can go wrong( ever see one come loose in 35 kt gusts..? Lol...I felt like I was trying to lasso a tornado... If you get one I highly recommend you are careful to roll it up and tie off carefully. Good luck and keep us posted from time to time..Morgan


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

souljour2000 said:


> SD,
> 
> . I have a slightly smaller boat (Columbia 29)that weighs about the same and is of similar vintage (1966). If I ever put a furler on her I will make a dual headstay mount (and add a anchor roller to one side) and so I have two headstays..one that has extrusion and furler...one that don't. A roller furler is very useful but like has been said is just another thing that can go wrong( ever see one come loose in 35 kt gusts..? Lol...I felt like I was trying to lasso a tornado... If you get one I highly recommend you are careful to roll it up and tie off carefully. Good luck and keep us posted from time to time..Morgan


Furler failures are extremely rare these days, the original design problems and reliability issues have been well addressed over the past 20 year or so. For that matter forestay failures are equally rare on a well maintained rig.

Your twin headstay plan sounds like a bit of an issue to me.. Creating a workable situation like that would require that the stays be far enough apart to accommodate the bulk of the furled sail.. a loose furl would chafe heavily on the adjacent stay.

In addition achieving any kind of proper headstay tension becomes problematic on either stay.. and excessive sag on a furler is ill advised for various reasons.

Rigging a removable 'solent stay' well inside a furler headstay makes more practical sense, if you need the hanked on sail it's likely already windy and that makes for a smaller sail with a more central CE on the boat.


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## souljour2000 (Jul 8, 2008)

Faster said:


> Furler failures are extremely rare these days, the original design problems and reliability issues have been well addressed over the past 20 year or so. For that matter forestay failures are equally rare on a well maintained rig.
> 
> Your twin headstay plan sounds like a bit of an issue to me.. Creating a workable situation like that would require that the stays be far enough apart to accommodate the bulk of the furled sail.. a loose furl would chafe heavily on the adjacent stay.
> 
> ...


Yeah..thanks Faster..I think that is probably the way forward with regard to an extra headstay...going with solent stay like you suggested I mean...but won't the solent stay cause the furling headsail to be unable to tack without fouling...I have been wondering about solent stays...I dont see how they dont foul the primary headsail..when they arent being used unless it is a temporary type stay arrangement...? Dont wanna hijack the thread though...so I'll do me a bit more research as I can bring this up on another thread if need be...


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

I'm no expert on the Alberg 30, but from what I hear thay are excellent boats which can take you anywhere. In fact, there is a book from a noted authority, John Vigor, called "Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere". The Alberg 30 is the first boat on his list, described as "A Legend In Its Own Time". So congratulations.

As others have stated, I suggest that you sail a while before fitting a roller furler, or making too many mods. Roller furlers are very convenient, no doubt; but many long-distance sailors prefer to have hank-on sails, because of the high windage on a furled headsail. So I would classify it more as a luxury than a necessity. 

I second Faster's comments about a solent stay - but I think a discussion with other A30 owners would be a good idea, as you need to be sure of what you are doing before you potentially change the 'balance' of the boat.

It sounds like you have covered the basics well; enjoy wailing her for a while, save your money, and when you are sure sailing is for you, and you have familiarity with you're boat, then you will be able to spend your money wisely. Enjoy! I am excited for you.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Nice!


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

souljour2000 said:


> Yeah..thanks Faster..I think that is probably the way forward with regard to an extra headstay...going with solent stay like you suggested I mean...but won't the solent stay cause the furling headsail to be unable to tack without fouling...I have been wondering about solent stays...I dont see how they dont foul the primary headsail..when they arent being used unless it is a temporary type stay arrangement...?


That's the beauty of the solent stay.. they are intended to be attached with an easily removable/reconnectable fitting like a highfield lever or pelican hook.. when you don't need it it's stowed back along the mast and/or shrouds. So your foretriangle is clear when using the furler, and the sail on the solent is well inside the furled headsail and easy to tack with its short J measurement.

The suggestion to consult other A30 owners is a good one!


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## byr0n (Apr 6, 2009)

skipperdude said:


> A friend said I should look into a roller furling system any idea what to look for on a budget.
> Skipperdude


As an Alberg 30 owner myself, I can say that in my refit plans I too pondered a roller furling headsail but decided against it based solely on the fact that i have always had hank-on sails and am confident in my ability to handle them (also I have 5 decent headsails with hanks already  ). If I was refitting for comfortable coastal cruising, then I would have placed it higher on my list of wants, but I feel that for my primarily offshore boat, there are other priorities which make more sense to invest in. In my list are things like:

* Boom Gallows to lash down that 16ft boom
* Cockpit drain enlarging, and reduction in overall size (enclosed raft storage in cockpit sole)
* structural improvements/replacements (such as the mast step support)
* chainplates (as mentioned)
* self-steering installation
* powermaking and watermaking

Alberg 30's have some well documented weak spots, which all need addressing.

If you are planning to get out there sooner rather than later, and working on a budget, my opinion is forget furling gear.

The unit price, + new sails, + inspection/replacement of the masthead, + potential replacement of all the rigging (it happens), + labour and you are into thousands of dollars. Personally, 5k or more would go a long ways towards other things which would make being offshore in a 30 by 9 boat more safe and comfortable...


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

Damn - Byron nailed it. Especially Self-steering - I'd say essential for a solo sailor - and if offshore, consider both wind and electric. And something to generate power which isn't the engine (solar/wind). Yeah, I'd put roller furling well down the list. 

You may want to put together a list of Must Have, High Want, Nice To Have, and Other. Byron's priorities are "musts" for offshore work. Roller furler - "nice to have".


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## wescarroll (Jan 9, 2005)

Ok, so it begins and you'll enjoy it too. I have a Hood 707 on an Oday 30, and am very happy with it , just make sure they send you enough of the extrusions, they are pricey individually. I paid a bit over 6 hundred for the system and installed it myself 7 years ago. As to the comment about not knowing enough to as the correct questions, bulls^&t, you should just keep asking and asking untill you have enough answers you know all there is to know about sailing, I've been doing it since 1974 and still don't know it all like some here. If you have been bluewater powerboating extensively, you really just need to learn a bit of the mechanice about the boat, seamanship is pretty similar to both sailing and powerboating. Don't do much more than good weather daysailing for a while( take her out 10 0r 20 times), then expand to a bit of local cruising and grow your cruising as your confidence grows, imho.


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

I've been a power boater a long time.
I won't be doing day trips.
I will load up as much fuel as I can and go.
Be motorsailing untill I figgure it all out.
I have no schedule. Just want to be out on the water. 
If I was to try to learn to sail it would cost me a year shore bound.

I have gotten some good advise and a lot of stuff that I have no idea what is being talked about.

If I make it to Dutch harbor by fall I will winter there. 
If not I will just anchor up in a nice little cove and do a little hunting and fishing for food.
I will be heading back to Kodiak This weekend so I don't suppose I will be on this forum after today.

As a X-power boater I would wish you all calm seas but I know you like a bit of wind. So I will just say Farewell.

The Skipperdude.


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

Fair Winds, Skipperdude.


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## kellyp01 (May 4, 2001)

*An Adventure Ahead of You*

A Heritage soft tail Harley is quite a bike - you made a great trade because a sailboat is a way of life.

Before you start worrying about things like roller furling, get some knowledge. Take a US Power Squadron course - learn navigation and the rules of the road. Learn to sail your boat with a small jib and main, Learn how to control your boat under power and sail and learn how to make a docking or pick up a mooring safely. Learn how to sail from point A to point B. Move aboard if you don't have a wife (few wives see fun in being dirty, wet,seasick and cold; girlfriends tolerate this - until they become wives; then it's throw away the bait after the fish is caught).

Then start worrying about upgrades - like roller furling; that lets you manage the headsail from the cockpit.

With an Alberg 30 you can go anywhere - Yves Gelinas sailed one of these around the world (search: Jean du Sud Around the World). Learn all you can - sailors are eager to share knowledge and there's a brotherhood among sailors (just like bikers). So congratulations.

As Henry David Thoreau said (Walden): "I've learned this by my experiment, at least: that if one proceeds in the direction of his dreams he will meet with a success not expected in the common hours. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

If this means anything to you, you will meet with a success and change your life. If it means nothing, I predict that you'll be selling the Alberg and looking for another Harley!

I traded an 1997 Heritage soft tail Harley for a 30 ft alberg.

A friend said I should look into a roller furling system any idea what to look for on a budget.
Skipperdude[/QUOTE]


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## chrisncate (Jan 29, 2010)

deniseO30 said:


> Nice!


Drawings don't do them justice.. 

Mine (almost, but not quite done yet):


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

Ditto what the other Alberg owners have mentioned, especially the core rot and mast step area. They built these with core under the mast step which is famous for compressing. You can do with or without a furler. My 35 has one but would have been just as happy with hanked on foresails. They ain't as fast as modern hulls with skimpy keels but you'll like how she handles the sea.


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

skipperdude said:


> Thanks for the advice
> I looked at all the things you mentioned and then some. I actually did a little damage during my survey. I am a licensed marine surveyor with the State of Alaska. I Knew the boat I wanted and was lucky enough to find one. Just looking to out fit it a little better before I take off.
> 
> I tried the Alberg site but it was a little funky and no forum.
> ...


The questions being posted by this "Licensed" Marine Surveyor seemed somewhat elementary for someone with his qualifications and then I remembered .... There is no such thing as a "Licensed" Marine Surveyor


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

Correct, but you have to have a license with the state to do business as a Marine Surveyor. #928961


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

skipperdude said:


> Correct, but you have to have a license with the state to do business as a Marine Surveyor. #928961


Thats a "business license" not a "Marine Surveyor License".


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## skipperdude (Feb 29, 2012)

I agreed with you. What is the problem?


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