# Alberg 37 Pros and Cons?



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I came across an older Alberg 37, interested, no sails listed, has a number of things I like, and some questions, says to being redone, wont know unless/until I call, 

pros and cons on her ? 

My interest would be for a cruising live aboard.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Do you post a thread about every boat you look at??? You've posted on Endeavors, a Pearson 39' CB, a couple of glass-hulled wooden boats, and had a thread asking about production bluew water boats...

Have you actually stepped aboard any of these boats, or are you just looking at their specifications?? _If you haven't stepped aboard any of them, you might want to step aboard a few and get an idea of whether you like the boat or not._ Any boat you don't like off the boat...is probably one that you shouldn't even be asking about.

As for living aboard... I am not familiar with the Alberg 37 but do know of at least two families that liveaboard on Alberg 30s., which I am fairly familiar with... so I don't see that being a big problem. You might want to read this, this, and this.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

C'mon, SD, lighten up a little.

Jake, we had an A37 in a neighbouring slip some years ago, the owner was very fond of her. His was a sloop, they were also offered as a yawl, I believe. Like all Albergs they have nice lines and full underbodies.

Relatively narrow, they will have less liveaboard space than more current designs.

The major negative for these types of boats is that they will be nearly impossible to back up in a straight line, and close quarters maneouvering will be difficult. Whether this is a big factor will depend on your moorage situation and your intended usage.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Alberg 37*

Hey SD

good to have you here, if I lose track of which ones I consider I can just check with you.

To answer your question, yes, some, others are about half a continent away, it seems logical, even reasonable to ask on an open forum for input on them. I have been researching them as I go along, and develop perceptions on them, I'd rather not just go with that and the brokers statements for my only input. Before I do any surveys I will be first ruling out any that wont work for me, and once I have some reasonable sounding ones I'll go look at them. Seems reasonable to me. As all are a day or mores driving minimum it seems logical to get all the input that I can before making a several days trip.

This IS an open forum isnt it ? It IS about buying a boat isnt it ? Anyone who doesnt want to respond has no requirement to.

Or did I miss something here ?

Anyhow, thanks for your input, it is appreciated. It really is.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

SD
those first two links I had, the 3rd one is the kind of stuff I am looking for, I have gotten some owner input: as the zincs being very dificult to reach, preferring to cruise on a 20 degree heel, etc, trying to build up more, once I buy its not going to be repeated for a long time, 

there is several things on that 3rd link that are seriously what I want/need. Thanks.

Fwiw, my previous inquiries and the responses have helped me to rule out a number of boats that I wouldnt have been happy with.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Personally, I've always like the Alberg designs for traditional full-keel monohulls...but they're too slow for me... so I don't normally sail on one. I crew on one fairly often though... 

Glad to help... 

The real reason I asked whether you had stepped aboard any of the boats in question, is that I had a co-worker who spent two years researching boats...and bought his "dream boat" after whittling the selection down... never stepped aboard the boat before he bought it...and ended up hating the boat... even though the cabin layout looked great on paper—it wasn't right for him and there were a lot of little things on the boat that drove him crazy. He ended up selling it about two months later... frustrated as h3ll and back on the hunt. 

When he asked me about what to do next...I said... did you ever sail, sleep, or even get aboard the boat before you bought it... specifications and drawings are nice and all...but they won't tell you if the boat sings to your heart. If the boat irritates you...or there are major things that just bug you about a boat, like the layout of the galley... don't get it. Changing some of those things just aren't cost-effective in many cases. The boat I have now, I sailed on five or six of her sister ships before I bought mine... and I loved sailing on them all, even the mutant one with the extra tall rig.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I understand what you're saying, long before I sign on the dotted line I will sail on it and her close relatives, right now I am more looking for possibilities but mostly ruling out those that wont work, a lot of my time coming up this spring/summer is going to be sailing on the several makes I finally get narrowed down to.

I have read a lot of good things on the albergs, and their close relatives, one disadvantage that I have is being far inland from the coasts although some are here on the Great Lakes, but having a blue water boat on the GLs is a bit like having a ferrari running around the town square. 

I have ruled out several makes just on comments offered here, and several others from things brought up in some of the surveying/inspecting and cruising books I've gotten, its a slow process.

I am on several owners lists now, and gradually getting information there, 

frankly the alberg sounds the best so far although there are a couple interesting pearsons, and one old boat thats a one off I think that keeps drawing me back to her. We shall see what will be.

My goal is a good boat for cruising that can get me around the Caribbean and maybe down to the Galapagoes.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Quite a few of the Pearsons are actually Alberg designs...so I'm not particularly surprised that you are looking at a few of them. A blue water boat isn't completely out of place on the Great Lakes, especially if you've seen the weather they can throw at you in November or so.

Faster's point about the Alberg full-keel designs being fairly uncooperative when it comes to reverse gear is very much spot on. It is possible, but it takes a fair amount of practice.


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## Goodnewsboy (Nov 4, 2006)

Alberg 37s are classic sailing vessels. A little narrow, nice ends and sheer, easy motion at sea, and so forth. As has been said, you must find out if it meets your needs. Probably not an all-out racer.

As far as backing under power, even large single screw ships don't back straight. In most cases, turning while backing must be done by briefly hitting the rudder with propwash (a pulse of forward gear.) It takes patience and practice but it can be done.


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## Gary M (May 9, 2006)

A couple who are good friends of mine bought an Alberg 37 ( Tigger) back in the late 70's. They headed south from Lake Huron about 1980 and have been seen in places like Tahiti and New Zealand. If they ever come back I will ask them how they like their boat. 

An Alberg 37 is just what it looks like and older but well built design that lasts and lasts if cared for. Narrow but adequate for 2.
There is one, one berth over from me that looks great and this owner has had it for 30 years. 

Gary


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## TAK (Jul 14, 2003)

If I were looking for a classic to rebuild from the keel up the A37 you be high on the list but I (meaning me..) would not take it for extended cruising tho many, many have ..


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## CBinRI (May 17, 2004)

JakeLevi said:


> Hey SD
> 
> good to have you here, if I lose track of which ones I consider I can just check with you.
> 
> ...


IMHO, this is exactly what this forum is for. If people do have responsive knowledge, 95% of posters are happy to show it off. Do not hesitate to ask these questions.


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

might want to take a weekender to chicago, i just did a search, came up with about 30 boats, not all blue water, but what the hell its a good way to waste a sunday.  there seems to be a broker with a bunch of sail & power listings, I don't know, or know of them, but give 'em a call, tell them you want to crawl over some at the docks, maybe they'll let you.


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## dream4ever (2 mo ago)

Does anyone here know the berth lengths on the Alberg 37 Mark 1 or MK I. My wife and I are in the market for one. We are both tall at 5'10" and 6' respectively. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

The Alberg 37's were built with quite a few different layouts. The layout shown on SailBoatData has approximately a 6'-0" length to the forward berth (as measured from the center of the head of mattress at the bulkhead to the center of the mattress at the foot at the bulkhead. The other issue with that layout is that the forward berth has been pushed very far into the bow if the boat so there is very little width at the foot end of the bunk (less than 2 feet). In other words, due to the short length of the berth and the narrow width, you are more likely to be kicking each other during the night. 

When I was designing boats, the normal convention is that the berth centerline (measured as above) should be 6'-8" and the width at the foot room should be 15" for each berth (i.e. 2'-6" width at the foot). 

Carl Alberg tended to draw 'apple cheek' bows (full and rounded bows). While this really hurt motion and performance, it did result in a little more shoulder room in the vee-berth than some of his contemporaries. 

Jeff


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## dream4ever (2 mo ago)

Jeff_H said:


> The Alberg 37's were built with quite a few different layouts. The layout shown on SailBoatData has approximately a 6'-0" length to the forward berth (as measured from the center of the head of mattress at the bulkhead to the center of the mattress at the foot at the bulkhead. The other issue with that layout is that the forward berth has been pushed very far into the bow if the boat so there is very little width at the foot end of the bunk (less than 2 feet). In other words, due to the short length of the berth and the narrow width, you are more likely to be kicking each other during the night.
> 
> When I was designing boats, the normal convention is that the berth centerline (measured as above) should be 6'-8" and the width at the foot room should be 15" for each berth (i.e. 2'-6" width at the foot).
> 
> ...


Thanks Jeff. I tried finding those specs on sailboatdata.com, but I couldn't make out the numbers on the dimensional image. I appreciate your comments above. Cheers!


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

You are welcome.

I will note again that there are some pretty big variations in the interior layouts on the Alberg 37. For example; 
-Some had enclosed heads, and on others the head was across the passageway.
- Some had a U-shaped galley to port, some had a straight galley on the starboard side, and some had an L-shaped galley on starboard that crossed under the bridge deck and across the companionway. 
-Some had a hanging locker/bureau in the forward cabin on port and starboard aft of the Vee berth, and some only had one hanging locker/bureau on port and still others had neither of those but a locker in the passage across from the head. 
In other words, The boat that you are looking at may have a different layout than the one shown on SailboatData.
.
I will also mention how I came up with that lengt5h of the berth. I dropped the image from Sailboatdata into my drafting program, blew it up to scale, and took a quick measurement. That is should produce a reasonably accurate measurement but not perfect.

Jeff


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## dream4ever (2 mo ago)

Jeff_H said:


> You are welcome.
> 
> I will note again that there are some pretty big variations in the interior layouts on the Alberg 37. For example;
> -Some had enclosed heads, and on others the head was across the passageway.
> ...


That's pretty badass that you were able to do that on a drafting program. Yes, I did notice that many of the Alberg 37s online are of different layouts. Kind of interesting actually. My goal is to add a second fuel tank to bring the tankage to at least 70 gallons. The boat we are looking at already has a watermaker.


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

I could not live on an Alberg 37. It'd be like living in a toothpaste tube.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

dream4ever said:


> That's pretty badass that you were able to do that on a drafting program. Yes, I did notice that many of the Alberg 37s online are of different layouts. Kind of interesting actually. My goal is to add a second fuel tank to bring the tankage to at least 70 gallons. The boat we are looking at already has a watermaker.


It's amazing how easy that type of thing is to do. After measuring the Alberg 37. I was curious about the dimensions of my own boat's vee berth. So I did the same measuring for my boat. And did both while eating lunch, and still had time to type the post. 

Jeff


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