ALBERG 37 INTERNATIONAL OWNERS

ASSOCIATION

C/O Tom and Kaye Assenmacher Box 32, Kinsale, VA 22488 (804) 472-3853

EMAIL: a37ioa@sylvaninfo.net

http://www.alberg37.org

VOL XI, NO. 1 (WINTER) 1 January, 2001

Happy New Year!!

WINTER RENDEZVOUS

Thanks to the efforts of Charles and Jane Deakyne, the Annual

Alberg 37 Winter Rendezvous will be held on Saturday evening,

March 3, 2001 at the Annapolis Yacht Club, Annapolis

Maryland. RSVP by February 24, 2001. See attached flyer

for details.

NEWS FROM MEMBERS

Lou and Jean Wayne stopped by Kinsale for a few days in

early November aboard PIKA on their way South for the

winter, escaping the cold northland of Rochester, NY. A most

enjoyable visit! PIKA is one of the few MK-I Alberg 37s with

the midship galley along the starboard side.

Lou and Jean have extensively refurbished PIKA’s interior,

and she looks great. They had planned to attend the Fall Rendezvous,

but last minute engine problems delayed their departure.

PIKA was the second of two A-37s on their way

south to stop by for a visit.

Cath Bridgen and Ian Cheeseman reported in early October

that ESTORIL (hull #245) is still in Trinidad, where Ian just

had the bronze cutlass bearing removed and found that the

housing is cracked. The Trinidad fellow who was helping him

called all over and couldn't get a replacement part. Ian contacted

us stating there were no markings of manufacturer or

part #. We made several suggestions as to a potential supplier,

however last word was they would try to repair the part if they

couldn’t find a replacement.

Elsie and Bram Smith recently sent an account of their summer

sailing aboard ALICIA II:

“We took Alicia out of the water on September 7,

2000 that gave us a cruising season of approximately 100

days, We put her in the water on May 31 at Sept-Iles, Quebec.

We left Sept-Iles on June 3 and sailed 124 nm overnight to

Harve St. Pierre spending 5 days in the Mingan area before

sailing up the north shore 41 nm to Ile a La Chasse. We spent

3 days at anchor in a small cove waiting out a gale, as luck

would have it we were in one of the few good protected coves

on the coast and this gale was a beaut, but our ground tackle

held. From Ile a la Chasse we made our way to Baie de

Coacoachou without incident. We anchored in this beautiful

protected bay for 4 days waiting for a window to the straits to

Bonne Bay. Our 124 nm overnight crossing was a bit rough

but we managed to get into Bonne Bay in the morning and

anchored in a deep cove at Lomond. The only incident being a

busted jib furler which caused us enter Bonne Bay in a 30

Knot wind under full jib. We finally got it furled using a pair

of vise grips. The repair consisted of replacing a few screws

which had worked loose during the night.

We stayed in the friendly confines of Bonne Bay for

6 days taking in the sights and hiking the trails of the Gros

Morne park. The next leg was up the northern peninsular to

Port Aux Choix. We had fog and high winds for most of this

trip. We got up to 40 plus knots on the trip from Cow Head to

Port Aux Choix and with the current in the Straits it was quite

a ride. We finally arrived in Flowers Cove on June 29. From

Flowers Cove we set our course back across the straits to Red

Bay on the Labrador side. We were doing ok with the wind

just about on the nose when our travelling buddy Maurice in a

26 Contessa radioed that he had engine trouble and couldn't

make head way against the current and large seas. We decided

to make for Forteau and check out his engine. We ended up

spending three days in the wide open (no shelter) harbour of

Forteau before sailing up the coast to Red Bay. By this time

we were getting a little bit fed up with the cold and the fog of

the straits. Our buddy Maurice was having serious motor

problems which necessitated us having to tow him out of Red

Bay.

We made the crossing from Red Bay to Ship Cove on

the tip of the Northern Peninsular in a dense fog. We spent

another 4 days waiting out a gale in ship cove before attempt

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ing to round the most northern tip of the Newfoundland Island

-Cape Bauld. We did this in fine style and dropped anchor in

St. Anthony on July 7. St. Anthony was another wait of 5

days in wind and rain before we left, again towing the engineless

Maurice out into the wind. We ran downwind for 55

nm to Hooping Harbour before anchoring for the night. Still

with the fog and cold temperatures. Then it was across White

Bay to La Scie and from LaScie the next day to Exploits (a

resettled community and the birthplace of my mother) we

spent a great weekend there in hot sunny weather-at last.

From Exploits Notre Dame Bay we went to Twillingate

and spent a few days sightseeing and visiting friends. It

was then on to Seldom on Fogo Island, this involved navigating

through the infamous Stagg Harbour Run which we managed

under sail with the Admiral (Elsie) at the helm. The trip

from Seldom to Bonavista involved our last overnight for the

summer. It was a brisk sail in 35 knot winds, with a full moon,

across Bonavista Bay to arrive in the well protected harbour at

dawn. We spent a couple of days relaxing before venturing

around Cape Bonavista into Trinity Bay. From Bonavista it

was an uneventful sail to Trinity, and again a two day stopover.

From Trinity we sailed on our last leg to Hodges Cove

Trinity Bay, the home town of yours truly.

We finished up our summer cruising the Trinity Bay

area with it numerous coves and great sailing before taking

Alicia out of the water on September 7. Great summer with

lots of lessons learned and a few rough times, but we enjoyed

every minute. Oh yes, a squall off Deep Bight Trinity Bay

managed to split our #2 genoa in the middle, it was in the

stitching and easily repairable. And Alicia's keel did not make

contact with the planet, knock on wood, all summer. We saw

lots of whales, icebergs and great people, can't wait to get

started on the south coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia

next year.

Total distance on the Garmin GPS was 1502 NM. We

ran the motor for 59 hours and drank 50 bottles of wine. When

We stepped ashore on September 7 and slept on the land it

was the first shore sleep for 99 days.”

Elsie and Bram Smith

Brian and Kathy Marsh report that they and TUNDRA are

now in Trinidad. In September, 1999, TUNDRA was knocked

over by hurricane Floyd in a boatyard in Titusville, FL. They

worked on her until the end of February, 200 and departed for

the islands via the Gulf Stream, exiting the U.S. at Lake Worth

(Palm Beach) and arriving in Lucaya. Tracking fairly quickly

for Georgetown, Exuma, found them in time to renew acquaintances

with old friends and greet northerners before

moving on to the Turks and Caicos island chain en-route to the

Caribbean. The Thorny Path provided quite a challenge as we

beat to weather in the 15 to 20 knot easterly trades. With our

late start they only afforded an overnight in the Dominican

Republic before sailing across the well respected Mona Passage

to Puerto Rico. Here Brian was successfully treated by a

Spanish doctor for dengue fever. They think Brian acquired it

from stagnant water in the boatyard in Titusville and were

finally able to get a correct diagnosis and treatment in Salinas,

PR Brian was a very sick man, but recovered quickly. They

began moving as quickly as possible to escape the hurricane

season below 12 degrees latitude and before July, they bee-

lined for Trinidad with short stops and fleeting glances at Culebra,

the Virgin Islands, across the Anegada passage to the

French Islands of St. Martin/St Maarten (Dutch), St. Bart’s

and Guadeloupe. Monserrat was experiencing a volcanic

eruption as they passed by. With tropical depressions starting

to surface, they tracked quickly through the Grenadines and on

to Grenada. Several days there were just enough to convince

them that they wanted to visit again soon. With only one more

overnight passage to make to Trinidad, they set off. That

night, in the deepest dark, their headstay broke loose and

caused general mayhem until they were able to lash it to the

shrouds and shackle on the secondary – an experience they

won’t soon forget! At present, TUNDRA sits in Piakes Marina

boatyard.

David and Carolyn Curley sent Christmas Greetings and are

now in their third year with CANADA GOOSE in the Western

Mediterranean. In 2001 they intend to move to the Eastern

Med. They mentioned that the “Alberg 37 continues to live up

to its fine reputation”.

Robert Graves recently sent an interesting account regarding

failure of one of the main shroud chainplates on PELAGUS.

Fortunately, he was able to immediately tack so didn’t lose the

rig. Seems that the chainplate failed due to corrosion at the

point where it penetrates the deck. Might be a good idea for

all members to check out those chainplates!

Tom and Rae Ellen Lee are seeking ways to re-insulate the

ice box of their 1972 sloop, THE SHOE (to reflect Rae Ellen's

soon to be published book about our move to the boat). They

have completed converting the pilot berth to storage area.

(Ed. Note: The original insulation on the MK-II's appears to

have been some sprayed-on foam of some type (probably

urethane), but there is a considerable gap between the foam

and the bulkheads, hull, etc. We bored some small holes in our

box, and "felt" around with a short length of wire. In some

places there appeared to be as much as several inches of free

space, so there is considerable room for improvement. Some

of the older MK-I's may have used some Styrofoam insulation.)

Henk and Wendy DeVries requested information regarding

construction drawings (sketch) of the A37 keel and rudder as

they hit some coral and need to repair keel and rudder shaft.

They are also concerned that in ….’heavy seas the bulkheads

at the chart table and aft of the head "creak” Is this normal

(bulkheads are well attached to the hull)? Also, the sliding

head door sits on the floor molding and flexes -does it need

support? Also, our opening ports leak – any source of replacement

gaskets? (Ed. Note: If the opening ports are cast

aluminum, they are probably Atkins and Hoyle ports. Replacement

parts are available at http://atkinshoyle.com/).

Lois Jacob / Merle Galbraith (INTERLUDE) report that

they sold their nearly new cockpit cushions to fellow members

Ian and Sally Dunn (VECTIS). Who says our “For Sale” advertisements

don’t get results!! Lois and Merle are currently

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in Trinidad and have discovered that the pocketmail system

(svinterlude@pocketmail.com) does not work efficiently via

international phone calls and have requested that their friends

not send messages to pocketmail.....unless they are reporting

illness or death in their family, or are planning an imminent

visit to them.

Frank and Linda Smart wrote in November: “We didn't

launch Brandelara at all this summer but left her on the hard in

a nearby marina where I've been giving her a much-needed

overhaul. The four years of heat, humidity and salt air in

Florida and Bahamas really took a toll on the old boat and she

needed a serious overhaul after so much living aboard. She's

looking pretty sharp now with new paint on the cabin roof (the

Mark 1's have no liner) and all the woodwork was sanded and

refinished with Epifanes Rubbed-Effect varnish. The teak and

holly cabin sole was completely stripped and varnished with 4

coats gloss urethane. By the time we got home from Florida

we had a pretty serious oil leak in the Yanmar 3GM30F diesel.

When I couldn't pinpoint the problem I pulled the motor and

found it was the rear oil seal. This motor was new in 1995 and

we had just around 2500 hours on it. I then discovered that it

had no compression and I could turn it over by hand using the

crankshaft pulley! I then pulled the head and found the valve

seats are badly pitted (not burned) and the ports are choked

with carbon from blow-by. Since the engine was on the cabin

floor I dropped the oil pan and have pulled the pistons and

rods out and they look OK but it is going into a shop next

month for a professional opinion. I really didn't expect anything

like this from a new engine but I've been following a

discussion on the "rec.boats.cruising" newsgroup and the consensus

there is that a cruising sailboat diesel won't give much

more than 2000 hours before a major rebuild due to the nature

of use it gets. Another nagging problem we lived with for four

years was a severe lack of thrust from our old 13" x 14 prop. I

had a new assessment made by Michigan Propellers and they

recommended a 16 x 10 prop. With the engine out I was finally

able to remove the entire drive train and I've enlarged the

prop cavity to take it. Any idea what the core of the Mark I

rudder is made of . it's a very hard epoxy-like tan substance.

Enlarging the aperture was easier than I thought it might be as

my pilot holes showed there was no metal anywhere near

where I wanted to go. Then I scratched a line representing the

desired shape into the gelcoat. I suppose a SAWZ-ALL might

work real well but I used a small angle grinder with very

coarse disks and it went through like butter. I used a medium

disk to fair a radius onto the edges. I then ground back the

gelcoat all round prior to wetting-out with epoxy then a couple

of layers of glass and epoxy. Now, the scary part about the

whole job is that this new aperture also requires cutting into

the hull a fair amount to the point where you have a fist-sized

hole right through! This hole would be a serious repair problem

if one didn't have the motor out (as I did) because I don't

think it should be filled just from the outside. The good news

is that the hull is about 2 inches thick here so I tapered the

sides to make a plug-shaped hole. I then got in under the fuel

tank (Mark I's have the tank under the cockpit floor) and

ground the hull smooth for a large area around the hole before

building it up with more layers of fiberglass mat and epoxy.

The tapered hole outside I then filled in with epoxy and fillers.

While working on the rudder cavity I discovered that

the middle "hinge" (gudgeon) was worn and allowed the rudder

to flex a lot. I've got it off now ..... it's a 2-piece bronze

fitting which clamps around a rod imbedded in the rudder.

Haven't quite figured out what to do with it yet ... any ideas?

The rod looks OK but the "clamp" has a lot of wear and needs

to be re-constituted somehow. (See Photo).

Incidentally the (pintle) rod imbedded in the rudder

for the middle gudgeon is only about 12" long! I was surprised

that it didn't run the whole length of the rudder. Similar to

your experience in removing the gudgeon most of the slotted

bolt-heads snapped off so I still have their removal to look

forward to. I think that if I reversed the 2 halves ... put the

starboard one on the port side ... I could then just drill new

holes. I think I'd like to have the gudgeons reamed out to a

"true" shape first then I'll try to find some Teflon or Delrin

shim stock of the right size. I've checked the play in the lower

shoe and it seems to be snug enough. Over the 30 years of the

boat's life there have been many new circuits added to the

electrical "system" and many breakers on my two little panels

were serving multiple purposes. A few years back in Florida I

found a brand new surplus panel with 24 DC and AC circuits

which I've finally had the time to install. The electrics on the

Mark I are mounted on a wood panel under the bridge deck

and mine looked like a piece of swiss cheese from switches,

speakers etc over the years. I've put in a whole new wood

panel and mounted the electric panel onto a drop down door –

a huge improvement. My wiring panel I found at a place in

Melbourne, Fla. called Boathouse Discount

(http://www.boat2100.com/). They were half way between

West Marine and E&B Marine on A1A so we often browsed

there first when outfitting in Titusville. They had dozens of

panels, all brand new, but mostly custom shaped and coloured

to fit some power boat. Mine was rectangular, black and about

24 x 8 inches. It had 12 breakers installed and cost $90. The

label on it showed it originally sold for $360! So, there's a

good excuse to take a trip to Florida this winter.

Other than that, the Wilcox-Crittenden head was

bunged up and its 1-1/2 inch plumbing was reduced to a 1/2

inch hole from salt buildup so that has had a complete overhaul.

All our salt-water taps in galley and head were corroded

and had to be replaced. The stainless hinges on all cabin lock

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ers were rusted to some degree and most replaced. The woodwork

in the v-berth area has always been oiled, not varnished,

and the bulkhead under the hatch was almost completely black

from exposure to sun and salt air. I presume the blackness is

from molds which I understand can grow in the oils. It took a

major effort with paint stripper and bleach to get back to clean

wood but its all varnished and looks great now.

We received the following Email from Ron Fisher aboard

WONIYA in mid October: “Hi Tom. I used to be a member of

the association but have had to let my membership lapse since

I moved aboard and have no mailing address and just this

pocketmail which I don’t believe can read Adobe!? Anyway,

have just left Annapolis and would like to maybe stop by your

place to meet you and rejoin if I am not already too far south. I

forget where you keep your boat and all my notes and mail got

left behind in Ontario in place of canned (rusting) goods.

Woniya is a 1973 Alberg37, hull number 117..I left Ontario

June 1999 and spent that summer and this one in Nova Scotia.(

left the boat there on the hard during the winter) Now I am

making my way south and hope to get at least as far as the

Bahamas but I am open to anything. Thanks for your

time...Ron Fisher. (Ed. Note: Unfortunately by the time Ron

got our response, he was already nearly to Norfolk – maybe on

the return trip he’ll stop by.)

We received the following Email concerning Greg Blair’s

proposed trip from Australia to Canada aboard TULLI (also

see article in previous newsletter): “Greg and his crew enjoyed

and endured 3 weeks of preparations prior to heading

north from Cairns. Unfortunately the wind was stronger, the

waves larger and the breakdowns more destructive than the

crew and even Greg bargained for. The result has been that

after getting up to Lizard Island they turned around and got to

Cookstown where the crew flew out. Greg is in process of

completing the repairs to make the final 100 miles by himself

to Cairns. He'll then investigate freighting TULLI one more

time and if this fails either list her with a broker or...??? At

any rate he seems happy and healthy and is looking forward to

coming home. He has now had enough ocean sailing or so he

said. (Ed. Note: We haven’t heard any updates to Greg’s

plans.)

We recently heard from the Julie and Rob Lee of Steamboat

Springs, CO who recently purchased the yawl, HERON (she is

currently located in Salem, MA): ‘We had a chance to visit

HERON at the beginning of October. The whole family loves

her and we managed a short day sail before the weather

turned. She's been hauled for winter and we're all anxiously

awaiting next summer. I have a question or two for the membership.

At the aft end of the boom the topping lift (wire) ends

at a thimble this is attached to a fiddle block. The fiddle block

is threaded with 3/16 line that runs to a small pulley that is

attached to a shackle at the boom end cap. The loose end of

the line runs out the side of the fiddleblock and to a cleat on

the boom. The arrangement is messy (not fair) and I expect the

line to be chafed through at any time ( thereby giving me a

major head wound) . I'm wondering if this is a type of jury

rigged "add on" allowing some control of the topping lift from

the cockpit (only when the boom end is over the boat ) or if

something is missing that would allow a fair run of the small

line. The 3/16 line seems a bit undersized considering that the

lift is wire with a 1/2 inch halyard at the mast end. If you have

any photos detailing the proper rig or any suggestions I'd

greatly appreciate them.’

Bill Horne and Deb Kinney wrote in early December: “We

left Ft. Myers on Nov. 15th. We didn't touch at all coming out

of the channel, we spent a few days out by the restaurant then

in the middle of the night we went out and anchored in the

river. Then we went to Sanabel for 3 nights and did an overnight

run to Key West (27 hours) spent a week there and are

now in Boot Key (Marathon) and have been here for over a

week, waiting for a good window to cross to Gun Cay.

“Hello from the Bahamas! We crossed over from

Marathon. Left on Sunday for an over night crossing. Seas

were at our bow the entire crossing. We spent Monday Wednesday

on the banks and then Thursday anchored at

Chubb Cay. Friday we checked in and stayed at the marina.

They charge you $25 to use the dock to check in and deduct

that amount if you use a slip. We'll be staying here a few days

and then heading to Nassau.

Happy Holidays Take Care,

Bill & Debbie Crew of the Wayward Serenade”

(Ed. Note: Thanks for the Photos!)

Tom and Agnes Westran recently wrote that “BRIGHTLINGSEA

II is all tucked-in under her winter cover. I hope

she's comfortable in the minus teens Celsius temperatures that

we are having. We had a very good, if a bit short, season this

year and are into planning for next season. I have to get at the

job list for the boat now that the latest phase of our condo refit

is completed. It's sure great to be free of construction debris

and drywall dust. The only "need-to-do" items on the list are a

cutlass bearing replacement and a starting battery replacement,

everything else falls into the "nice-to-have" category.”

The following is from Paul and Carol Dunne SOLAR WIND

#237 1985 sloop. “Paul has been busy this summer working

on the boat. A list of the things done:

•

New Main Sail - Genco

•

New head installed

•

New faucets and some plumbing

•

Made new companion way boards similar to originals

•

Installed Lewmar electric winch

•

Stripped top side teak and painted with marine Cetol light

•

New running rigging

•

Replaced coax RG-8U in mast

•

Installed lazy jacks

•

Upgrading electrical wiring and equipment (ongoing)

•

Designing S.S. tubular anchor platform to be fabricated

this winter

HELPFUL TIPS:

I had scalding hot water coming from the cold tap

when turned on. To remedy this problem, I turned down the

element temperature setting, thinking that the water was

steaming and building pressure causing it to back-up into the

cold water line. This did not solve the problem, so a timer was

installed in place of the switch. The timer is spring wound

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made by Intermatic model #FF6DM. Other similar timers are

available from different manufacturers but make sure it is

rated for at least 15 amps. The Intermatic timer is rated for 20

amps. It is a tight fit and you may have to file down the

mounting screws inside the electrical box as they interfere

with the timer, top and bottom. (NOTE: Intermatic or Nutone

timers for heaters and fans are available at either Home Depot

or electrical supply stores for about $25.00 Canadian. You can

get a model which uses the original stainless steel plate and

has a plastic overlay plate for the timer graduations. I installed

the model which is supplied with an aluminum silk screen

electrical box cover plate.) The timer allows a maximum of 60

minutes which I found 30 minutes was adequate for light usage.

The shorter time saves the element and reduces calcium

build-up and there is no need to remember to turn the switch

off as the timer will time out and save power. This resolved

the problem with the scalding water, but when I went to drain

the hot water tank there was no drain valve but found a check

valve. On opening this line up and removing the check valve, I

found calcium build-up in the check valve (one way valve)

probably causing the problem. In the spring I will replace the

check valve with a new one and add a 1/2'' copper T fitting

between the tank and the check valve. From the T a 1/2" gate

valve will be installed to drain the tank before filling with antifreeze

next fall.

To reduce power consumption, annoying cycling and

wear and tear on the fresh water pump and pressure switch, a

Jabsco accumulator tank (model #30573) was installed under

the L settee on the inclined side of the sole beside the pump.

The lines were connected just after the pump with 1/2" nylon

reinforced clear vinyl hose.

QUESTIONS:

Does anyone know of a source for deck fill caps in

particular, diesel, for a 1985 vintage Alberg? (Ed Note: Think

we have answered this question - Not sure who supplied the

deck fills on the later A-37s, but those on the 1975 vintage are

Wilcox Crittenden (I think). Take a look at their web site:

http://www.wilcoxcrittenden.com/ under deck hardware. Good

luck.)

Does anyone have a problem with loose spreaders?

The stainless steel spreader fittings attached to the mast have a

2" O.D. The round aluminum spreaders which slide over these

fittings, are 2 1/8" I.D. Does anyone have a solution to this

problem? I thought of using brass or stainless steel .030 shim

stock. Is this a related problem to the pumping of the mast in

some wind conditions (10-15 knots)? Searched manufacturers

of aluminum pipe and nothing is available with 2" I.D. with

5/32" wall thickness. My e-mail address is

dunne.cp@sympatico.ca . (Ed. Note: Regarding the "sloppiness"

of the tubular spreaders, I think that's the way they were

designed, in order to allow for some working of the mast and

shrouds. All that we've seen are about the same. I don't think

they really contribute to the "pumping" problem, as we had the

same problem on SHEARWATER. We try to keep our forward

lower shrouds a bit tighter than the aft lowers, and that

seems to help some. The pumping seems to be the worst when

the wind is across the beam (say while at a dock). We've not

experienced pumping while under sail or rarely while at anchor.

Also check the clearance/wedges where the mast pene

trates the deck (there's not much room on our boat for any

wedges or shims). I don't think it's worth worrying about.)

WELCOME TO THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS

Rick and Paula Humphrey, of Scarborough, Ontario, along

with their two sons, Trevor and Graham, stopped by Kinsale

in late October aboard the 1974 sloop CARELLEN for a most

enjoyable visit on their way south.

Rick and Paula are both school teachers who have taken a year

sabbatical to go cruising, and are home (boat?) schooling

Trevor and Graham. The Humphreys maintain a personal web

site at:

http://www.angelfire.com/sd/humpboattrip. Their website

includes some interesting photos of their passage through New

York City.

Jay and Leigh Zittrer of Houston, TX have recently purchased

TALISMAN (1987-#246) from Roger and Linda Gilmore.

They are looking forward to years of ownership of a

very fine vessel

FOR SALE / TRADE

Recent offerings include:

Clayton Cole is still offering the 1986 yawl RESOLUTE for

sale. Clayton can be reached at (616) 345-3222. RESOLUTE

is located in Michigan.

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Mike Phelps recently sent us an E-mail: “CHRYSALIS hull

#42 1968 Sloop Located St. Croix US Virgin Islands is still

for sale. Completed 7 year circumnavigation. Complete cruising

package: Aries windvane, Westerbeke 4-107, 7 sails, 4

man liferaft, awnings, windscoop, cockpit cushions, sleeps 4,

kero stove, VHF radio, stereo, knotmeter, 2 deep cycle batteries,

3 CQR anchors w/ rode, fenders w/ docklines, 11ft Avon

w/ 10 hp Johnson. Sandscrew mooring available in front of St.

Croix Yacht Club. Price: $34,000 USD”

Mike can be contacted at: chrysalis77@usa.net

Amy Frasher may be interested in selling her 1973 yawl,

DOLPHIN. If anyone knows of someone interested, they

should contact Amy at 804.798.2648 or katiedid@erols.com.

DOLPHIN lies in Ashley’s Cove, just off Dymer Creek near

Windmill Point, VA.

WEB SITES OF INTEREST

The ALBERG 37 Fall Rendezvous and a couple of A-37

photos were recently featured at the Good Old Boat Photo

Web site (http://goodoldboat.com/photos.html).

Rick and Paul Humphrey maintain a personal web site at:

http://www.angelfire.com/sd/humpboattrip. Their website

includes some interesting photos of their passage through New

York City.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Just

about everything you wanted to know about the weather.

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Wilcox Crittenden – On-line source for all Wilcox Crittenden

Products including head rebuild kits.

http://www.wilcoxcrittenden.com/

If any members find interesting/applicable websites,

please pass them on to us.

WEB SITE

We’ve just finished a major transition of the Alberg 37 web

site. With the help of Todd Clift, the former webmaster, we

have transferred the web site to a new server. The newsletter

editors (Tom and Kaye Assenmacher) have assumed the

webmaster responsibilities from Todd who is now Alberg 37less

and has moved on to a more demanding job. We have

modified the site a bit, and have removed several functions

which no longer worked properly, namely the “discussion

forum” and “sign the guest log”. We’ll attempt to get these

functions back on-line as time and learning curve permit.

A special thanks to Todd for his 2 years of work establishing

the web site and making it a valuable resource for all of us.

SPINDRIFT

by the Editor

The purpose of the newsletter is to provide a vehicle for the

exchange of ideas relating to our Alberg 37 experiences (good

and bad), maintenance tips, cruising information and to main

tain a roster of Alberg 37 owners. We suggest a donation of

$10.00 a year to cover costs of publishing the quarterly

newsletter, postage, Xerox services, and of course, maintaining

the web site. We also suggest to our Non-U.S. members

that they send an International Money Order payable in

U.S. dollars (a Canadian Postal Money Order works for Canadian

members).

You will notice a date on the label of the newsletter

mailing. This is a reminder of your responsibility to help

maintain the newsletter / association. For those receiving the

newsletter via Email, we ask that you honor your commitment

to the Association. The Association needs your help!

Also, you should be aware of our group's agreement

with BOAT U.S. whereby we get membership for half price

($8.50 vice $17.00) as members of a cooperating group.

Please mention that you are a member of the Alberg 37 Owners

Group and include the Cooperating Group number GA

83253 S when you join Boat U.S. or send in your annual renewal

of membership. Boat U.S. membership is no longer

required to make purchases from their stores or catalog, however,

membership is still required for the purchase of boaters

insurance.

We have A-37 IOC pennants available for $30.00

U.S. which includes postage. This is a very tastefully rendered

and durable pennant. The pennant cost increased

$1.00 with the last order.

If you have email, please use it to communicate with

us, as it will make assembling the newsletter much easier.

We continually need maintenance articles, cruising

tales, etc. for inclusion in the newsletter. Send us what you

have and if you can send it to us in digital format (via email or

on a diskette) so much the better.

For those members transiting the Chesapeake Bay,

please plan to stop by Kinsale for a few days (or longer). It's

only about 10 miles off the Bay (up the Potomac to the Yeocomico

River), and our area is very secluded, protected (good

hurricane hole) and quiet, and a very good cruising area, especially

in the fall. We'd love to have you stop for a few days.

Each fall we have several ‘snowbirds’ stop on their way south.

(Yes, we even have a hot tub!)

Please note our Kinsale VA phone number -(804)

472-3853 - leave a message if we aren’t at home.

If we inadvertently missed any of your correspondence,

just hit us again – we’ve been getting a lot of mail, especially

email.

Keep the letters and emails coming and get those

boats ready for spring launching / sailing!

Tom and Kaye Assenmacher

6

WHAT?

A-37 International Owners Association

2001 Winter Rendezvous

WHERE?

Annapolis Yacht Club, Annapolis, Maryland

http://www.us.net/ayc/

Directions: The Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) is located on the downtown Annapolis waterfront at the

foot of the Spa Creek Bridge.

(Parking is available in the AYC Annex lot just across the Spa Creek bridge (free), but not in the main lot at the Club House. If it is

raining or snowing you can drive into the main lot to discharge passengers, then drive across the bridge to the Annex lot.)

WHEN?

Saturday Evening, March 3, 2001

TIME:

1800 Cocktails (Cash Bar) at the Lounge (Second Deck)

1915 Dinner at the Main Dining (Third Deck)

Interested???

RSVP: Tom & Kaye Assenmacher before February 24, 2001

P.O. Box 32, Kinsale, VA 22488

(804) 472-3853

Email: a37ioa@sylvaninfo.net

Spend a fun evening with other A-37 Owners!

Swap sea stories!

Wish for summer!

Bring Photos!

Coat and tie for the gentlemen and compatible dress for the ladies.