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.