ALBERG 37 INTERNATIONAL
OWNERS
ASSOCIATION
C/O
Tom and Kaye Assenmacher Box 32 , Kinsale , VA
22488 (804) 472-3853
www.alberg37.org
a37ioanospamr@sylvaninfo.net
(remove “nospamr”)
(May take several minutes to download)
VOL XVI, NO. 3 (SUMMER – 2006)
7 JULY, 2006
Alberg 37 Annual Fall Rendezvous Plans
Make plans now to attend the 14th Annual Alberg 37 IOA Rendezvous at the
Assenmacher Dock in Kinsale, Virginia over
the weekend of 14-15 October, 2006.
This weekend immediately follows the Annapolis
Sailboat Show (Oct.
5 - 9, 2006),
and allows those planning to attend the Boat Show a chance to also attend the
Annual Fall Rendezvous. This is (normally)
a very nice time on the Chesapeake Bay, and we have room
for several boats. Our branch of the Yeocomico
river is also an excellent anchorage. For any Southbound Snowbirds, it’s a great
staging point also (we may be going with you this fall). For the latest info on
the Rendezvous, lodging and area information, and a
view of previous rendezvous, please check the Website. Mark
your calendars!!
Welcome Aboard the New Members
Karen and John Duggan, of Beaverbank,
Halifax, NS, are the owners of the 1978 MK-2 Yawl MARA 1 (“Mara 1 means ‘of the sea’ a Gaelic word, which sits great
with John who was born and raised in Ireland, and I with my Scot/Irish/English
descent”). Their boat is berthed at the
South Shore Marina, Chester, NS. They sent the following synopsis of their
boat:
“The boat
was initially owned by Roger Gordon Conant and his wife Frances Leonora. He was a Judge and they were from Greenwood,
Ontario.
They called our boat "Leonora IV". They purchased the boat July 25,1978. It was then sold to Scott Swanton and Deborah
Lang on July 10th, 1989,
who at the time resided in Oakville, Ontario. I believe Roger sailed the boat to England,
and Scott and Deborah took her to the Caribbean.
Somewhere in
the history, she was hit by Hurricane Bob, and her original mast was destroyed
and a new one was made...not sure if it was because of a hurricane, but it was
because of a fire. She also got a new
Volvo engine put in I believe in 1990...could have been in 1994...John will
have to check. It was Scott and Deborah,
who in 1990 renamed the boat to it's name today: Mara
1.
The boat was
then sold to Raymond Davey of Mississauga, Ontario. He was a British fellow, and he did not
register the boat. Scott and Deborah had
redone the countertops inside the boat and repainted the interior. I believe they took great care of her. Ray, I
believe did not put much work on her, other than make her a lovely dodger and
bimini cover, and Mara 1 spent a few years on dry dock. John and I rescued Mara
1 from Ontario and we've put a
lot of loving care into her. We purchased
her from Ray in April 2000, and she arrived in Ottawa
Oct 2, 2000. We then did a
huge hull clean up, fixed the steering, bought endless supplies and John and
crew sailed her from the Thousand Islands, in Ontario
and up the St. Lawrence, around Gaspe, down to PEI, under the Confederation
Bridge, thru the Canso canal, and then to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2 weeks June
2002.
While on dry
dock in Bedford, Nova Scotia
for 1 year, she was hit by Hurricane Juan.
She took a hole to the hull as she was thrown across the boat yard while
still on her cradle. We found her laying on her side after the hurricane, luckily dry as a
bone inside. The teak toe rail was
ripped off the bow, and lots of hull scratches.
We had her repaired in Metaghan, N.S. at Therriaults boat yard (they
repair all the Canada Coast Guard vessels), and she's back to looking just
fabulous with a lovely new hull and paint job, and she's got her port of
registry, Halifax, on her stern.
She now
resides quite happily at the South Shore Marine in Chester,
N.S., an hours
drive from our home in Beaverbank. We
plan to give her a new deck overhaul in a couple of years, and sail her down the
Atlantic Coast
and around to Manzanillo, Mexico
in 10 years. She needs electrical work,
but other than that she's had a fantastic survey. We just replaced 2 frosted windows on either
side of the cabin, redid the wood work on the seats of the cock pit, she's received
a new hatch over the v-berth, new teak toe rail, new electrical bilge pump and
other numerous upgrades.” (Ed.
Note: We had no prior knowledge of MARA 1 in our 15 years of “tracking” Alberg
37s. It never ceases to amaze us that we
are still “finding” A-37s out there!)
Mike and Lisa
Rostron of Bellingham, WA,
are the owners of SABRE II, a 1970 MK-I
Sloop (Hull # 59) recently
purchased from Tom & Mary Ellison. The boat is berthed in Bellingham.
Mike recently wrote to us the following:
“I recently bought SABRE II, that has had
its rig “improved” by the addition of 2 furling headsails. I wish to go back to the original
configuration. I am thinking of getting
rid of weather helm by adding a small bowsprit.
I don’t like my small mainsail much.
I am also interested in any information you or other members may have
regarding the possibility of changing her from a sloop to a cutter.
We sent Mike
a few photos of SOUTHERN CROSS which
has added an inner forestay. Mike
followed up with the following comments: “I think in general it is usually a better
idea to move the sail area forward rather than reducing the main area to get
rid of weather helm - or at least reducing the main sail area as radically as
it has been done on my boat and other A-37s.
At least one A-35 has had its rig improved with the addition of a short
bow sprit. Most experienced riggers will
tell you that the performance under sail of many if not all boats can be
improved by the addition of a bowsprit.
A short bowsprit also makes the handling of ground tackle easier and if
done correctly will not detract from the lines of the boat.
This is the
direction I am heading at the moment. If
you do the math it is easy to see that even radical reductions in the area of
the main do not result in reduction of weather helm nearly as quickly as small
movements of the jib forward, and one needs the power of a large main in
critical spots for controlled maneuvering in the event of engine failure in
light air (or for engineless sailing if that is your thing). As you can tell I am interested in the
potential of the A-37 as a sailing machine, not to race, but to extract her
maximum sailing potential in all conditions.
With all the
focus on interior improvements and redesigns, nice dodgers, refrigeration, and
so forth on this site there is surprisingly little information on how to get
the best sailing performance out of the boat.
It seems most people just rely on the engine and settle for a compromised
sailing performance. This is sad because
the A-37 has incredible potential. I do
not mean to be critical of this web site.
It is truly a great resource, but I wish there was more information on
sailing performance. There are plenty of
sites out there with information on electronics, engines and boat maintenance
which apply to any boat, but where is the specific information on good rigging
modifications for this or any Alberg design?
I suspect Alberg's original sail plan with its large main and hanked on
jibs is probably better than the modifications people are making on the boat
these days, as all the furling headsails and diminutive mains are detracting
from light air performance. That's fine
if you like to motor, but some of us prefer to use the noisy "iron
wind" as little as possible. Sorry
to go on such a rant, but it is frustrating not to be able to find such basic
information on a boat that has been around so long. I guess if I was on the east coast it would
be easier... Mike”
Any A-37 owners who
have made the conversion to cutter are invited to contact Mike at: mrostran_nospam_@seanet.com
(please remove _nospam_ before sending the email).
Bill Kellett recently
wrote us that his 1969 MK-I Sloop WANESA
was severely damaged by
Hurricane Dennis in 2005 and was declared a total loss by the
insurance company. You may remember that
WANESA survived Hurricane Ivan with only minor damage
in Gulf Shores, Alabama
in 1994. Our sympathies go to Bill on
his loss.
John Hughes
of Barrington, RI
recently wrote of work being performed on his 1970 MK-I Sloop (#60) SARAH:
“I'm working on replacing the Westerbeke 4-107 with a
4-108 that got removed from another boat at my marina a year or two ago. It has
the advantage of being recently rebuilt, and I got a decent deal on a HBW-150
transmission to replace the paragon on the 4-107.
The bad news is that there's a 2.5 inch drop between
the crankshaft and output shaft of the HBW-150, which means altering the engine
mount, the stern tube, etc. I was planning on some of that anyhow, but ... Anyhow, I'll take pictures for anyone who's interested.
Also considering converting the old alcohol stove
burners with propane. But the tank storage continues to worry me. It seems as
if the conventional tanks for home barbecues might be ideal, if only because
they're so readily available. But where to put such a
thing???
Finally, I'm rewiring the mast this year; some sort
of animal got in and chewed up bits of insulation two winters ago, and it's
definitely time to do something about it now.”
News From Members
Ron and Cindy Strahm
of Independence, MO
recently launched their 1970 MK-I Sloop ENVY
at Indiantown, FL,
and sailed (mostly offshore) to the Chesapeake Bay, and are currently “on the hard” at the Port Kinsale (VA) Marina. They will leave ENVY on the hard until early fall when they plan to return from Independence
to begin working on ENVY. It’s amazing,
but there are now 4 Alberg 37’s in the Kinsale, VA area (PIKA, ENVY, SHEARWATER, and FLORENCE GRAY)!
We’ve had several ‘get togethers’ at the Assenmacher Dock in Kinsale
within the past few weeks.
Jon and Helen Kuhl of Camden
Maine report several projects for their
1968 MK-I Sloop SPIRIT: “A new
1" shaft, balanced prop and new packing gland. Other projects almost
finished are: a Dutchman Mainsail system and fully battened main, a bimini, and
I am almost finished with a drop-leaf salon table to
replace the folding table. For the
latter I may submit the project for info to the newsletter along with appropriate
photos of course”.
Joran Gendell of
Williamsburg, VA
wrote recently that he was planning on departing the Chesapeake Bay
on June 19 bound for Bermuda aboard his 1984 MK-II Yawl,
ELIXIR. Joran plans to return to the Chesapeake
Bay in late July.
Jack and Gerna St. John recently
sold their 1973 MK-II Yawl, FIGMENT to
Simon Foster of Wales UK. They have
recently purchased a 25’ Friendship Sloop.
Jerry Senecal recently
sold his 1969 MK-I Sloop DRY BEAN.
Sonny and Petra
Power recently sold their 1976 MK-II Custom Cutter KANDACE ROSE. The boat will move to Sorel,
Quebec near Montreal.
Mark and Debbie
Crowe are currently in Grenada
aboard their 1973 MK-II Yawl SEA CYCLE . They plan to leave their boat there, return
to Toronto, and resume their
cruising later this summer. We hope to
soon publish a
log of their travels on the Web Site.
Ralph Turner has recently sold his 1974
MK-II Yawl MYA to a couple from California
who previously owned an Alberg 30. Ralph
said he received about 50 inquiries from the For Sale posting of MYA on the Alberg 37 Web Site. He did not advertise elsewhere.
Rose Hansmeyer and
Tom McMaster left Lake Superior aboard their 1985
Sloop SOJOURN in mid June, 2006 to
the east coast (NYC and south) this fall.
They wrote: “We are wondering if
you would mention this in the upcoming newsletter as we would love to meet
other Alberg37 owners as we proceed south. We thought that maybe we
could hear from them via sailsojourn _nospam_@yahoo.com
(remove _nospam_ prior to emailing them
please) if they are close to the coast”.
We recently received the following log of their trip:
“Greetings - Rose and I left Superior
WI. on Monday,
June 12th to start our trip. We motor sailed to the Apostle Islands, approx. 50
nautical miles, taking about 9-10 hours to get there. We spent 3 nights
(almost) at anchor waiting for the wind to blow from a direction other than
east, as that is the general direction we are heading. The wind was forecast to
switch to the south on Friday so we got up at 0-dark thirty, (Friday 0230) and
left for the Upper Entrance to the Keweenaw waterway and the Houghton-Hancock
area. The boat was inundated with black flies, 1000's of them. I've never seen
anything like it. You'd think we were a garbage scow or something.”
June 20, 2006
“We left Grand Marais, Michigan
@0530 headed for Whitefish Point approx. 55 nautical miles, about 10-12 hours.
Weather permitting we will probably lock down out of Lake Superior
onto the St. Marys river on
Friday. Will spend a day or two in Sault Ste. Marie MI. & ONT, Canada to
slow down a bit and obtain some immigration forms that will make it easier to
clear back into the USA. We plan to spend some time in the North
Channel and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron (Canada),
probably a week or 10 days anyway, before heading south to exit Huron.”
Rose and Tom will attempt to
update their website as their trip progresses – check it out at: http://spaces.msn.com/sojourn-a37/
Bill and Debbie Horne, the former owners of SERENADE, recently wrote that they “really miss ole SERENADE” , and state that they may get back into boating before too
long as they “really miss the boat life”.
Could there be another Alberg 37 in their future???...
Dan and Betty Stuermer of Falmouth,
MA, plan on enjoying the local waters
around Cape Cod and the Islands
this summer aboard their 1975 MK-II Yawl JOYOUS.
Jay Zittrer recently sent the
following: “I've been busy making improvements lately to SHARED WATCH, our 1987 Yawl. I've got a new main ordered from
Neil Pryde. The original main is still usable but ...well it's almost 20
yrs old now so it's time. I've been using the current sail loose footed
and it really makes adjusting the out-haul so much
easier. The new one is being built as a loose footed main with the top
two battens full and the lower being 1/2 battens. I also added a 155
Pentax Genoa to my inventory.
It was built for my friend's Hinckley 38 (that he
recently sold) It fits perfectly, spreader patches in the right
place etc. It's a big sail and only works with the swivel and furling
drum removed on my Harken RF. I had the boat out
yesterday with this new #1 genny in about 13 or so true we
showed 17-18 apparent on the anemometer. With a single reef in the main
we were running about 5.7 to 6 knots going to weather and were perfectly balanced.
We reached in at 7+ with the reef still in the main. I have also ordered
the Strong Track system for the mast and hope this makes raising/lowering and
reefing the main easier. Having just added 4 new bronze slides to the
original sail and seeing how much they bind up as the sail goes up and down I
couldn't fathom having a new sail with all new slides to bind so opted for this
set up. I'll report back when its installed.
I am also on the hunt for a newer more modern boom. I seldom keep more
than one reef line led on the sail due to
the clutter. I did change the outhaul on the current boom
to something like 8:1 purchase all internal and it has
helped. However, I'd like something with internal reefing lines so I
can keep two reefs led and also have the reef lines led to the mast rather than
mid boom. I find it difficult to reef the boat on a port tack. For cruising
it 's not that big of a deal as you can just put her on a starboard tack and go forward and
reef but with the racing we've been doing on SHARED WATCH it doesn't make
sense to tack when you don't need to. I'm considering single line reefing
led back to the cockpit but probably won't do it. At any rate, we continue
to enjoy our little yawl.
We plan on
moving from Houston to Clear
Lake in the next few months so my
drive will be only 5 minutes to the boat as opposed to the 45 minute drive I
have now. ...should make for the neglected things like varnish work etc.
to be almost enjoyable…. Jay & Leigh Zittrer.”
Pat and Wayne Jobb of Sherwood Park,
Alberta recently wrote: “Pat and I were out
to the coast for the annual haulout for BRANDELARA
II (1970 MK-I Sloop, Hull # 66
– possibly the last MK-I built), and are happy to report that ‘all is
well’. We are looking forward to cruising the San Juan Islands the end
of May and early June, and then ‘Up Island” (Vancouver) in August.”
Robert ‘Andy’ Larsen, writes that the
newsletter and website have been very helpful on concerns with his 1973 MK-II
Yawl ALDEBARAN. “I am currently underway to having a new steel
cradle built to replace my ageing wood cradle. However, the builder I have been
discussing the project with is not familiar with the Alberg family as far as
having any sort of builder's plans available. I can easily take the lines and
measurements off my existing cradle for a pattern for the new one, but I
thought if there was a way to obtain a copy of recommended plans, that would be
the best bet. I'm wondering if in your discussions with other owners/members
you have ever come across a source for these plans (or even if they exist) or
if you have any recommendations that you know where I might be able to look for
them. The current cradle is an eight pad support, which I would like to drop
down to six for the steel one (also, the pads will be adjustable so I can back
off the pads for painting the bottom, waxing the hull, etc). I'm also having it
considerably overbuilt, having it constructed for a boat of double the weight
(an insurance policy I figured was money well spent). Any information you have
on this topic would be greatly appreciated”.
(Ed. Note: We don’t know of any existing A-37 cradle plans, and since
down here on the Chesapeake Bay, we don’t use cradles,
we couldn’t be of much help other than stating that a cradle should have at
least 3 pads per side, and one pad for the bow, as that’s the way we block
boats here. However, after we had responded to Andy’s question, we received our
copy of the July/August Good Old Boat in which there is a
good article by Jim Hawkins titled “Build
Your Own Cradle” – check it out if you need cradle information!)
Chris Nichols
of Mashpee, MA,
the owner of the 1970 MK-I Sloop ARION, invites members to check out
his website at: www.catislandrentals.com
. He invites any Alberg 37 owners sailing to the Bahamas
to stop in if sailing to Cat Island
(Bahamas) –
“there’s deep water out front!”
Removal And Reinstallation Of PIKA’s Perkins
4-107 Engine
1967 MK-I Sloop (Side Galley Model)
By Lou and Jean Wayne
Because the
port rear vibration mount had come askew it was necessary to lift PIKA’s engine
in order to replace this mount. Since
all four mounts seemed too firm from the time they were installed six years ago
I decided to replace all four. And if
the engine was to be lifted that far it made sense to remove it completely in
order to address the numerous oil leaks which had developed over the years. Our
host, TJ (Tom Assenmacher) not only gave permission to use his dock he also
contributed help, tools and having been a shade tree mechanic for many years
before having set foot on a sailboat, he added tons of knowledge and insight.
Disconnecting
all hoses, wires and cables took the better part of a day. The vibration mounts were then unfastened
from the engine bed, this being easier than trying to turn the big nuts atop
the mounts. The boom was supported by
the main and spare jib halyards at a point directly over the companion
way. A two ton chainfall was attached to
the boom near this point.
Perkins 4-108
Parts Book Now Available
For those A-37 owners who have
the Perkins 4-108 engine, we recently acquired a digital (scanned) copy of the Parts Book for
the Perkins 4-108 engine, dated April 1975. It appears that there is much commonality
between the Perkins 4-107 and the Perkins 4-108. The book consists of approximately 54 pages,
and includes part numbers and illustrated parts breakdown (IPB)diagrams. This document
would be of great value to those needing to do work on these model engines. The
document does not include transmission IPBs or part numbers. The document is in .TIF format and is quite
large (nearly 7 MB. If anyone wants a
copy, I can burn a CD and mail it to you (please send $5.00US to cover the cost
of the CD and postage).
A-37s For Sale
(Please check the Alberg 37 web site (A37's For
Sale/Wanted) for the latest postings.)
(Ed.
Note: 4 Alberg 37s have recently changed hands – so there are people out there
looking for these great boats.)
Current offerings include:
TIME PASSAGE 1980 Alberg 37 Sloop (hull #210)
Fully equipped fresh water cruising boat located in Toronto,
ON.
Includes #1 and #2 furling head sails, #2 and #3 with hanks, spinnaker pole,
and mainsail. Very clean boat with many extras.
Upgrades/updates: 1999/2000 - Awlgrip hull and deck, electric windlass, SS 3
blade prop
2002 - engine rebuild, new head, new cradle
2004 - screens added to full enclosure, new starting and house batteries, all
lines, exterior teak painted
2005 - new sheaves and halyards, rebuilt alternator, new exhaust
Current owner regrets leaving sailing and plans to switch to power.
Price $74,000 CDN
Contact Dave Ord by email at dave_nospam_@ord.ca (remove _nospam_)
GONZO - Hull #110. Immaculate 1973 Alberg 37 sloop lying in Port Colburn, Ontario, Canada (Lake Erie). Spent the last 18 months in the Caribbean Sea and the previous 30 years in the Great Lakes. Lovingly upgraded for a planned circumnavigation - our plans
changed, so we returned to Canada, but you can take advantage of all the improvements
for your own sailing dreams. Email Mitch at Gonzo_Sailing@yahoo.com (or call: 519.859.6129) for a detailed inventory
list or answers to any questions.
(Click
here for Inventory)
Yours for only CDN $72,000
ELUSIVE 1968
Alberg 37 MK-I Sloop (Hull #40)
Sleeps 6+, 3 jibs, mainsail, pole, new rigging 2002,
new bottom paint 2002, Ampair wind generator, Raymarine Autohelm, VHF radio,
digital depth sounder, refrigeration, marine 12000 BTU air conditioning,
CD/am/fm Aiwa stereo with Bose speakers, 2 anchors w/chain, pressurized
electrical freshwater system w/60gals water, electrical marine head, inboard
Westerbeke 4-107 37hp, new dinghy may 2004, 2.5 w/outboard, bimini, dodger,
BBQ. ELUSIVE is a documented vessel
527394, located in Puerto Rico.
Asking $33K U.S.
Contact Captain Papo at (939)645-0282, (939)940-9756
or negronrafa@hotmail.com See photos at www.sanjuansailing.tk
MAROONED
1981 Alberg 37 Sloop, Hull # 217
Lightly used Great Lakes only,
single owner. Lying at Whitby. US$52,500.00. (Click
here for photo)
Contact Frank @ 647-223-3536
Or franklavalley@hotmail.com
TEVAKE
1970
Alberg MK-I Yawl, Hull # 63
She
has just been recommishioned, and sailed up from St. Thomas to Newport RI. Much
standing rigging has been replaced and fresh bottom paint. Would
like $40,000 US.
If
she doesn't sell we will sail her back to the Caribbean this winter.
You
can contact me ( Chris Anderson) at captainanderson@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Team Chris s/v TEVAKE
Alberg 37s Wanted
Looking for Alberg 37 Project Boat.
Possible swap for acreage located near Sugarloaf Ski resort in Maine.
Phone
(207) 293-3479
Email hindemith7@yahoo.com
Web Site
We are always looking for articles (cruising, racing, maintenance,
etc.) and photos of your boat for inclusion on the website and newsletter. Send the articles via email attachment in MS
WORD and the photos in .JPG format if possible.
Web Sites of Interest
http://www.pearson35.com/projects/projects_by_roscoe1.htm
Some interesting projects courtesy of the Pearson 35 Association.
Racing Corner
GOOD NEWS Competes in “Shoe Race”
GOOD NEWS, a 1975 Alberg 37 Yawl, Hull 144, skippered by
Ashley Walker and crew, competed in the 24th annual “Shoe Race” on
Galveston Bay in May, 2006. Entered in
the “Classic Class”, GOOD NEWS
was in first place after the first two races on Saturday, but surrendered the
lead and dropped to third place after the wind died on Sunday. The “Shoe Race” is an annual race sponsored
by Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas where GOOD NEWS and Jay Zittrer’s SHARED WATCH are berthed.
The race is called the “Shoe Race” because the first place crews in each
class are awarded boat shoes from Sperry.
Second place crews received sandals, and third place crews received a
pair of socks labeled “port” and “starboard”.
Though disappointed with the final results of the race, GOOD NEWS received many compliments on
and off the water as being the prettiest boat on the bay and is shown below
crossing the finish line in style and also charging to the start line of the
next race along with an Ensign, another Alberg design.
GOOD
NEWS Charging the Starting Line
GOOD News Crosses Finish Line
Alberg 37 Sail Plans Available On CD
Thanks to the COMBINED efforts of Roy Carter, Bruce McFarland and Wayne Bower,
both the Alberg 37 Sloop and Yawl Sailplans are now available on CD-ROM for the
nominal cost of $5 USD (Canadian
Postal Money Order works best for Canadian requests) to cover postage the cost
of the CD. The sailplans graphics are
very high quality, and if printed on high quality photo paper, are suitable for
framing. The CD contains both the
sloop and yawl configurations. Check the Home Page of the Alberg 37 Website for
details and ordering information, or send your request to:
A-37 IOA
C/O Tom and Kaye Assenmacher
P.O. Box 32
Kinsale, VA 22488
PIKA Southbound III
(Third Trip South to the Bahamas – Continued from Last Newsletter)
By Lou and Jean Wayne
Lou and Jean have completed their third trip to the Bahamas
and were at the Assenmacher dock in Kinsale,
VA until 5 July when they hauled PIKA at
the nearby Krentz’ Marina, where she
will remain on the hard until September.
She will be back in the water shortly thereafter and will be present at
the Rendezvous in October. Planned work
while out of the water will be a new prop shaft (replacing the old bronze 7/8”
shaft with a 1” SS shaft), stuffing box, stern tube an
