Shed

In 2010 my buddy Zoran, my son Rob and I erected a temporary building over the boat.  I could not justify a complete enclosure for several reasons, but this one keeps off rain and sun.  I designed the shed so that almost no lumber would be cut and wasted.  Only the trusses required some 10' to be cut to 9'.  A 24 x 44' truck canvas tops if off and plastic plumbing pipe and truck stretchers hold it down.  If the wind blows too hard the canvas just jumps up and comes down immediately.  Two summers now and all is well.

The canvas comes down 4' on either
side giving lots of shade and rain
protection

Home

At this point in the acquisition process I began to keep an accurate record of my costs.  With the purchase price, cradle, transport and tax I was already down over $11,600.  I figured that a new engine would cost me around the same amount.  All in all I figured a total restoration cost between $30,000 and $35,000 not including my labour.  At the time of purchase these boats were selling in the $70,000 range  but with the recession of the last four years (it is now 2012) boat values have dropped.  A37's still demand about $50,000 in reasonable condition.  This one will be like new and have an upgraded interior from the normal production boat.

I also started a restoration plan.  I knew that I would only have about 5 months each year to work effectively.  I estimated that it would take about four years to complete the project.  2012 will be my fifth year, but the boat is coming together nicely if slowly.  

The boat will have a new 44hp Westerbeke engine, all new electrical and electronics, new plumbing, brand new linear polyurethane paint on topsides and deck, new bronze ports instead of the standard plastic, all new woodwork, new galley and a renovated and upgraded interior.  In addition the boat has a heavy duty transport cradle and completely refurbished bottom.  Other additions are a Lewmar windlass, brand new Harken ST46 winches and a host of other improvements.

Moving Home

By November 1, the new cradle had been delivered from Marine Cradle Shop and my carrier was ready to bring her home.  The loading of the mast and boat took almost four hours.  The trip home was quick (120 miles), but backing her into the place I wanted was a bit tricky.  The driver was very knowledgeable and set her up very nicely near my shop.  She hasn't moved a bit since.  So far I had $7,000 plus tax for the boat; $250.00 to load her on to the transport; $1100.00 for hauling and $1900.00 for the cradle totaling $11,600.00 before I even had it home.

About 300' feet from the house, but close to my shop which was not large enough to take her.

Alberg 37 Survey

ALBERG 37

MY PURCHASE SURVEY

 I was aware that I was considering a junker, so I was looking at finding 'dealbreaker' problems. 

Hull

The hull has been repainted.  Do not know what paint was used.  Application is white and of average application quality.  There is a small amount of marring below the boot stripe on the port side.  There is also a 1.5” chip in the bow just below the roller.  Both are repairable.

The topsides are reasonably fair.  The hull below the waterline appears to be in excellent shape.  Rudder appears to have been rebuilt as fitting are clean and rudder perfect but about 4” short.

Speedo transducer spins ok.  There is a zinc located nearby.

All in all the outer boat appears in very good shape below the sheerline.

There is water weeping from the bottom of the keel with some white flux in it.  I am making an assumption that there is a crack in the glass.  This could be serious but given that it is fiberglass it should be fixable.

I inspected as much of the inside of the hull as possible checking for hull tabbing and past injury.  Everything was normal.

Deck

I attempted to flex all of the stantions and the bow and transom pulpits.  They are extremely strong with no flexing as they all have metal plates backing them.  However, there is some gelcoat cracking around most of them with a 1” tear in the first layer of glass next to a front stantion leg.

The lifelines are in average shape.  The teak handrails on top of cabin are very rough.  Complete replacement.

Jib tracks have surface rust on them, clean.

Toerail.  Some very severe damage on the port side about 7’ from bow.  There is substantial breakage for about 2’ just aft of the bow.  Will need replacing in that section.

There is one #20 halyard winch.  No traveller and no evidence of a main sheet blocks.

Very new Harken genoa winches are 2 speed  ST 46 self-tailing harkens.  Probable value used $1,500 each.

There are 6 Gray Corp. plastic portlights.  They are junk.  Complete replacement.

Coaming--varnished and ok.

Seats--need new wood inserts.  Major work.

Lazarette hatch--Replace teak plywood.  Major work.

Richie 5” compass and housing.  

Wheel--36” wheel with integral ST4000 autohelm and bi-data instrument ST 60 Wind mounted on guard.
Steering is Cinkel.  Wheel solid but needs cleanup

Teak floor grate--rough, will need work.

A new Concept One Lewmar electric anchor windlass installed with bow roller.  Appears new.

The deck appears to have been redone.  There is no physical non-skid having been replaced with paint non-skid.  Deck is even and does not flex.  The whole deck will need removal, sanding, priming, painting, etc.

Interior

Brand new Blue Seas 16 breaker AC/DC panel with Ammeter and Voltmeter.  13 DC breakers present
Contains an AC main and 5 breakers.
Icom 502 radio with remote mike


The whole interior is dull but the woodwork is solid and structurally sound.  It is in need of a good cleanup and oil or varnish.  The cushions are in excellent shape and a mattress for the forecastle bunk is in good shape.  There are no broken hinges, cupboard doors, etc. but to get the standard I want the entire galley will have to be replaced including the stove/oven.  Floorboards are in good condition with the exception of two which will require some new veneer or complete replacement.

Ice-box has refrigeration driven by a engine mounted compressor and DC compressor which is still intact.  Still showing pressure.  No idea if it is viable but it is old and replacement of everything is probably in order.

Stove is propane with 3 burners and oven.  Shipmate.  Rough
Dual propane tank in cockpit in appropriate container.  The propane tanks are junk but the tanks bin is probably fixable.

Interior bulkhead tabbing looks original.  No defects could be found.

I removed the waste tank which is fiberglass and appears to be ok.  The bilge is currently full of water where it normally resides.  The head is complete and in good condition but extremely dirty.

Main port and starboard windows cracked or worn and need replacement.  Aluminum frames OK.

There is a hot water heater using the engine for heat supply.  All that needs replacing.

There are Marelon thru-hull valves in the boat.  Some person who knows nothing about boats put them in.  Very dangerous.  Complete replacement with 2 1/2" bronze valves $500 at least.

I completed a moisture test of the boat and found three areas to be wet.  Two are around the jib tracks and the third area is on the starboard side of the cabin next to the mast.  I also found the reason for the water ingress.  The sink drain was attached to the cockpit and scupper drain.  The sink hose was removed and the scupper valve closed below it.  This forced all water on the port side to drain into the boat.  I just closed the valve and pumped the boat.  When I got the boat home I found a 1/2” drain in the hull and this completely drained the bilge.  I suspect there is a break somewhere in the bottom of the bilge where a tiny bit of water is leaking out through the bottom.  To be determined.

The mast and boom were in excellent shape although the rigging suffers from a very light pall of rust.

 

Purchase Part II

I decided that my first task was to do an evaluation of the hull.  It was obvious that the hull had been painted and an average job at that.  The real question was whether it was a one or two part paint.  From the quality of the paint job I guessed it was a one-part.  None-the-less it looked pretty good.  As my good buddy says, “A man on a galloping horse can’t see......”  As I looked more carefully I found a small chunk out of the bow below the roller and three of those scuff marks I referred to earlier.

Next I walked around the topsides trying to get the sun to reflect so as to note any lack of fairness or repaired damage.  However she was reasonable fair.  I took digital photos as I walked along just to have a record.  Finally I came back to the rudder.  It was definitely a replacement.  I had looked at pictures of other A37’s out of the water and this rudder was definitely shorter.  The propeller looked good but I was more interested in the cutless bearing housing and the bearing itself.   

The hull was full of water and it only made sense that it was leaking from above somewhere from rain.  The fellow who brought the ladder told me that he had pumped it out once and that it had refilled so obviously it was coming from the deck somehow.

I then moved on to the cockpit and deck.  In the cockpit was a 6” Richie compass (perfect condition) mounted in the binnicle (SP) along with brand new Raymarine wind, depth, speed and Raymarine 4000 autohelm, both nestled in fiberglass hubs on the guard.  I never did find the teak cockpit table.  The cockpit was also equipped with full teak grates and two brand new Harken ST46 winches.   On the down side was a broken fiberglass propane locker with two very rotten propane tanks and of course the aforementioned hatches.

Reflecting the ad the engine had been removed and as I later found out it was a Volve IIc. The interior was complete but tired. It wasn’t broken or smashed; just tired.  There were some areas that needed complete replacement (the galley) but I didn’t see anything that couldn’t be repaired or replaced by myself.  The upholstery was in excellent condition as was the full 8” mattress in the forepeak.  There was also a brand new Blue Seas AC/DC panel that sells for $800 after discount.

Photo taken in the Port Credit yard

The water in the bilge was a simple matter of turning off a ball valve inside.  The sink was set over the engine, but disconnected.  No one had ever shut off the drain which was connected to the cockpit drains.  Every bit of rain came directly into the boat.  Mystery solved.

With my survey (see below) completed I made the trip back to the office and told Michelle I was interested if the price were right.  She immediately went and retrieved the boss.  He didn’t mince any words.  He wanted to sell the boat as they really had no plans to install the motor or fix it up.  He indicated that he had bought the boat unseen on the word of the customer and had paid much too much for it.  In fact he told me that believing the boat to be worth more, he had paid Barney's Marina in Erieau to sandblast the hull, apply five coats of epoxy barrier and apply VC-17 bottom paint.  That explained the scuffing.  The sanding wheel had simply gone to high and struck the white paint below the boot stripe.  I actually took the barrier coat story with a grain of salt but as he wanted to get rid of the boat I made an offer of $6,000.  He countered with $8,000 and within one minute I had bought it for $7000.00.  With winter approaching the yard would be filled with storage boats in a few weeks.  He gave me three weeks to arrange for transport.  To do this however, I needed a cradle.  I immediately drove up to Marine Cradle Shop and they promised to deliver a finished seven point cradle to the yard within two weeks.  I ordered the heavy transport cradle; not a simple storage cradle.

Addendum 2008:  Visited Barney’s Marine in Erieau and verified that they had indeed sandblasted the hull and applied the interprotect and VC17.  Cost $4500.00 courtesy of Anchor Yachts.  Also heard much more about the history of the boat.

Purchase Part I

During early October of 2007 I was perusing the internet and looking at boat ads for entertainment.  As usual I was looking at Alberg ads.  We already have a very nice Alberg 30 complete with executive interior (a Whitby option); but I have always dreamed of moving to a 37.  In fact my wife and I made a three day trip to Michigan and Wisconsin from our home near London, Ontario a few years ago just to look at some 35’s and 37’s.  The prices were right, but the boats were not.

My surfing came to a halt when I found an A37 in Toronto listed at $52,000.00 with a new Volvo engine to be installed.  I found this approach to be a little curious and while not the least bit serious I decided to call.  The salesman indicated that the boat was really a project boat and as yet did not have the engine.  The existing engine had been removed.  He further indicated that the boat could probably be had for around $17,000.00.  At this point I really knew nothing about the boat except the content of the ad which follows:

Alberg 37 - 1976     New engine being installed Spring 2007: 3 cylinder Volvo diesel, keel stepped mast, wheel, compass, teak cockpit table, furling jib, Main (2000), cruising gennaker/drifter (2000), main sail cover (2006), new depth, knotmeter, wind speed, water temp display,  Truecharge20 battery charger,  Raymarine Autohelm, Raytheon Wind & Bidata,  VHF, CD player, stove.  $52,500.00

My curiosity was peaked so I asked for an appointment.  He said that he was headed to the Annapolis Boat Show, but if I wanted to see the boat someone else in the office would see me.  I phoned a week later and set up an appointment with a Michelle who was also a salesperson.  Upon arrival at the yard I decided to have a look around before going to the office.  The boat was sitting near the front gate and after passing the security gate I approached her from the port bow.  The boat was very big and very white and was being supported by jack stands with her keel on ten inch wooden blocks.  Suspiciously I walked around her trying to figure out what this boat was about.  She looked pretty good from the ground.  There were a few scuffs below the boot stripe but the bottom looked good and sported an unused coat of VC-17 that looked recently applied.

I began the quarter mile trek to the office and introduced myself to Michelle.  After the pleasantries were over I asked her if she could tell me much about the boat.  She said that they had taken the Alberg in as a trade on a new Beneteau.  “We bought her unseen”, said Michelle; “she is really a project boat and you can probably buy her for about $10,000.00”.

If my curiosity had been peaked before, it was really cranked this time.  However my Scottish instincts told me that she must have other problems than a missing engine.  Dealers don’t push the price down unless they really want to get rid of a boat.

Michelle arranged for a ladder and left.  At this point I really had no intentions of buying the boat and I wasn’t prepared to do a real survey of the boat.  However if the boat was worth considering I could come back and do a thorough evaluation.  I am no expert but I have rebuilt my A30 from stem to stern and consider that I have a passing knowledge of Whitby boats.

I walked around the hull again.  It had been raining when I first arrived and had since dried up.  I noticed a wet spot on top of the rear supporting block immediately in front of the rudder shoe.  Was this a left-over from the rain or a problem.  In addition I noted that the rudder was about three inches short at the bottom but otherwide ok with a 13”  left-hand three blade prop still in the hull.  My conclusion was that the rudder had been damaged and replaced because the pintle/gudgeon arrangement did not look to be a Whitby creation.  None-the-less it looked stronger than the original.

I climbed the ladder and began to see why the dealer considered it a project boat.  The lazarette hatch and seat inlays were peeling and the drop boards to the cabin were in very rough shape.  Below I discovered that the boat was literally full of water.  Water was within 8” of the salon floor boards, but I could not figure out where such a quantity of water was getting in.  The boat was dry otherwise and the cabin was in good shape at first glance.  The cushions were all stacked in the foreward cabin and were dry.  I did some basic checks of the bulkhead tabbing and decided that I was interested if the price were right.

I went back to see Michelle and told her that I would like to do a complete inspection later in the week.   I knew that a thorough survey would take me five or six hours and I would need a moisture meter.  A few days later I returned with a borrowed moisture meter and set to work.  I put on my work pants and took a few tools and my digital camera and prepared myself for an interesting afternoon.