1984 Alberg 29 looks very nice. What am I missing?

[EarlWer]

I want to buy a pocket cruiser before winter and work on it over the coming cold months. I have some sailing experience and good mechanical skills.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...98369444601305

This 1984 Alberg 29 is now $12,000 (it was $14,000 last month) looks very nice but:

Yanmar 2GM needs work. Owner has quote for $1,900 to replace injectors and I don't know what else. I could probably get a copy of the quote.

I need to move boat about 540 km (340 mi).

Most of the paint and any interior work I can do myself.

The plan would be to get it sailable and safe, and then make improvements over time.

There are a lot of Alberg owners around, so that's an advantage.

The current owner bought it in 2017, moved it 1200 km (745 mi) and ran out of steam. I have a copy of the survey from that purchase.

Comments?

[psk125]

Would you be moving the boat over the road, since it's getting chilly (and dangerous) for sailing? 540km would not be fun with an engine that "needs work" in any case, even in summer. The pictures look nice, but they don't tell you about things like leaks, bouncy decks, or frayed rigging. A lot can happen in to a boat in three years, so the survey may provoke interesting talking points, but needs to be taken as obsolete. Be sure to budget at least $600 for new cushions, please.

[roverhi]

With an iffy engine the price is too high by at least $5,000. You'd be lucky to get by for less than $5,000 if the engines needs more than new/rebuilt injectors.

I bought a Sabre 28 with an under 100 hour 2gm20f, a forepeak full of sails all in good condition and 3 new, and good canvas for $9,000. It looked like crap because the owners died and it had sat for years with to TLC. All I had to do was replace the batteries, replace the running rigging and buff the gelcoat.

[EarlWer]

Yes, the boat was originally moved overland and I will have to do the same. The PO mentioned he paid $5,000 to move it, 3 yrs ago. It has a cradle but no trailer.

Cushions: Fortunately, I have no problem sewing ;-) I used to make furniture (part-time), so that's probably the simplest repair. Yes, they do look very ratty.
My cost would be the fabric, foam and zippers.

So, I'll give it a wait for now. In the meantime, I'll try to find an indoor place to store and work on it (or similar). It gets very cold up here in the winter...

[Cheechako]

Just make sure the engine is really operable. It looks to have sat with no belts etc for quite a while. Sails are big ticket items, check them. Old boats often have tank issues, check that too.

[n5ama]

Originally Posted by EarlWer

Yes, the boat was originally moved overland and I will have to do the same. The PO mentioned he paid $5,000 to move it, 3 yrs ago. It has a cradle but no trailer.

Cushions: Fortunately, I have no problem sewing ;-) I used to make furniture (part-time), so that's probably the simplest repair. Yes, they do look very ratty.
My cost would be the fabric, foam and zippers.

So, I'll give it a wait for now. In the meantime, I'll try to find an indoor place to store and work on it (or similar). It gets very cold up here in the winter...

If you have a usable cradle and a truck that is up to the haul, a large trailer can be rented for less than $100/day and haul the boat yourself. I recently hauled my Cape Dory 25D from Lk Superior to Galveston, TX. I put a Cruisers Forum writeup of the trip describing the trip and preparation. I enjoyed the trip except for the drive through Kansas City and Oklahoma City.

Good luck