As Garrison Keillor says: “It’s been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon”, well, it’s been a “Quiet quarter for the Alberg 37 International Owners Association”. Guess with all the late Summer and early Fall Hurricanes, folks have been sort of “pre-occupied”. This may be a short newsletter.

HURRICANE SEASON

The Fall Hurricane Season has been a trial for all of us on the East Coast, especially Florida and of course the cruising grounds of the Bahamas. Reports from Indiantown and Titusville indicate that NO Alberg 37s were damaged thus far this fall, although numerous boats were damaged/toppled over while on the hard at these two locations. For a closer look at a large number of hurricane photos, check out this web site (http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/charley_frances_photos.asp) Those of us who are located on the Chesapeake Bay only faced the remnants of the major storms, with only heavy rain and very little wind – we were lucky!

(A few photos of the damage in Titusville are posted on the Web Site.)

2004 ALBERG 37 FALL RENDEZVOUS

The 2004 Annual Fall Rendezvous was held at the Assenmacher dock on the Yeocomico River, near Kinsale, VA on the weekend of October 2-3, 2004. The weather more or less cooperated so that outdoor activities were possible. “Boat Talk” and photo ops of the attending boats was the order of the day. Pot luck breakfasts, lunches and dinners were enjoyed by all. The following Alberg 37s were present: SHEARWATER – 1975 MK-II Yawl (Tom and Kaye Assenmacher, Kinsale, VA); PIKA – 1967 MK-I Sloop (Lou and Jean Wayne, Rochester, NY); IOLANTHE – 1984 MK-II Yawl (Wil and Paula Hewitt, St. Inigoes, MD); ELIXIR – 1984 MK-II Yawl (Joran Gendell, Williamsburg, VA).

Other members attending were Wayne and Sherrill Bower, Bowie, MD, (TEELOK – 1977 MK-II Sloop); Bill Horne , Lansing, MI (SERENADE – 1968 MK-I Sloop); Ron and Kaye Surley, Dallas, TX (MY GIRL – MK-II Ketch); Bill Beaver and Heather Bernhards, Annapolis, MD (HALCYONE – 1972 MK-II Yawl); and Becky Long and Jerry Knop, Reisterstown, MD. Bill Horne rode his 1983 Honda Gullwing bike to the event from Lansing, MI for the event, and Ron and Kaye Surley flew in from Dallas.

Our special thanks to Karen Larson of Good Old Boat magazine for providing 2 gift subscriptions of their great publication for the Rendezvous Raffle.

Rendezvous photos have been posted on the web site.

MOLLIKETT WINS THE INAUGURAL MACKINAC TO MANITOULIN YACHT RACE
By John Rilett
1981 Sloop MOLLIKETT, # 218

MOLLIKETT took part in the inaugural Mackinac to Manitoulin yacht race July 21 - July 24, 2004.

The idea for the race originated by the Little Current Yacht Club as an economic development plan for the region. They are hoping to entice boats taking part in the Port Huron to Mackinac race to continue on to Gore Bay and Little Current.

The race started at Mackinac Island. The first leg was 100 miles to Gore Bay. We experienced south east winds of 10 to 20 knots, fog, rain and a thunder storm. The wind backed to the southwest just before entering the North Channel at False Detour. We were ideally situated to take advantage of the wind shift going from a beat to reach. The wind shift allowed us to catch and go ahead of 3 other boats. We reached along the north shore of Manitoulin Island through the night at speeds up to 7.4 knots. When the first leg was over, we were 1st over all in the cruising class.

The 2nd leg of the race was from Gore Bay to Little Current. This leg was 30 miles long and started with a beat in 10 to 15 knots of wind but the wind changed to light and variable once we rounded the north end of Clapperton Island. We were unable to set the asymmetrical spinnaker because of fouled lines on the snuffing stocking so we continued to play the winds the best we could with our main and 130% jenny. We actually caught up to other boats and passed some of them. We finished the 2nd leg of the race in first place and ended up winning overall in the cruising class.

Much of the credit for our great performance goes to Chuck McLaughlin. Chuck was my only crew for the race but his sailing and racing expertise more than made up for the my lack of experience. For those who follow sail boat racing, Chuck campaigned his yacht, AGGRESSIVE, up and down the East coast and the Caribbean in the 80's.

I have to admit, MOLLIKETT's performance surprised me. She points better than most other boats. Her light air performance was nothing short of fantastic. She had a rather generous rating of 204 but really didn't need it. We were 3rd over all in the cruising class on elapsed time.

Additional Race information can be seen at:

http://www.lcyc.ca/Race/index.htm

ALBERG 37 BUILDER’S PLATE

Is the builder's plate on your Alberg 37 faded by time and sunlight until it's no longer readable? Is it missing? (It should be mounted just below the companionway, above the bridge deck). You're in luck. You can order a new one, courtesy of the Alberg 30 Association.

The cost per builder's plate is $12 U.S.

To order a plate, contact Mike Lehman (ALBERG 30 Association) by EMAIL (sail_505@hotmail.com).

He'll need your serial number (it is something like 3775157 – length + year + hull number) and mailing address. He will stamp the plate with your hull number and mail it to you along with an invoice and payment instructions. Payment must be in U.S. dollars only. Non-U.S. payments should be by check drawn on a U.S. bank or an international money order. Check out the plate and ordering instructions on the website at:

http://www.alberg37.org/Builder_Plate/A-37WhitbyNameplate.htm

NEW MEMBERS

Ken and Anita Tillotson of London, Ontario are the owners of the 1975 MK-II Yawl JOINT VENTURE (#147). JOINT VENTURE is currently berthed in Whitby, Ontario.

Terry and Karen Cronburg of Coventry, CT recently purchased the 1968 MK-I Sloop FREYJA (#28) and is berthed in Harpswell, ME. She was previously named OPTIMIST, and was owned by Bill Pike.

Dave and Tanya Ord of Brampton, Ontario, recently purchased the 1980 Sloop TIME PASSAGE (#210) from Linda Main and David Arbuckle. TIME PASSAGE is berthed at the Lake Shore Yacht Club (LSYC) in Toronto.

2005 ALBERG 37 RENDEZVOUS BEING PLANNED

Wayne and Cindy Milroy (LEEWAY II) have tentatively agreed to host the 2005 Rendezvous in Whitby, Ontario. Cindy writes: “We're going to meet with the Marina manager to see what we can work out with respect to dates, etc. We have a beautiful new clubhouse building that just opened this year and it would be a fabulous venue to host an event. We'll keep you posted.”

A-37 2005 ANNAPOLIS SAILBOAT SHOW
GET-TOGETHER

There has been some interest in affording A-37 IOA members a chance to get together at the 2005 Annapolis Sailboat Show (6-10 October, 2005). If there is sufficient interest, we will try to coordinate such a get-together. Please contact us via Email if you are interested. This is only a preliminary survey to determine interest!!!

ALBERG 37 “T” SHIRT

Would anyone be interested in an Alberg 37 “T” shirt? We have had several inquiries into the feasibility in making such an item available. One possible design would be a line drawing of an A-37 sloop or yawl, similar to what’s on the coffee mug, on the back of the shirt, and the A-37 pennant (as a logo) on the front of the shirt. We would try to keep the cost down to approximately $12 plus shipping. Please contact us via Email if you are interested. This is only a preliminary survey to determine interest!!!

NEWS FROM MEMBERS

Bryce and Suzanne Inman have recently sold their 1982 MK-II Yawl, TIDINGS. Suzanne writes: “The new owner is just right for TIDINGS! It was meant to be! (Yes, Bryce is grieving).” TIDINGS is one of a few A-37s which were never equipped with a wheel, retaining the original tiller steering.

Wayne and Cindy Milroy are repowering LEEWAY II this year with a Yanmar 3JH4E 40 hp, and are now trying to match a new prop to the engine. “We are considering a Luke feather propeller but when I submitted my information to them on their website they suggested a 16" prop with 11' pitch. This seems too large to me. Do you know of anyone having such a prop?”

Richard Border recently wrote that he has changed the name of his 1969 Alberg 27 sloop from TANIA AEBI to RA. He also wrote: “I built new spreaders for my boat. It was a simple build, $43.00 of White Oak, and $12.00 for the aluminum at the mast ends, I reused the metal from the outer ends of the spreaders. I took about 1 hour to get them down, about 3 hours work in my shop, and 1 1/2 hours putting them back. I feel much better now in a strong wind.”

We received the following from Joran Gendell after he attended the Rendezvous and also the Annapolis Boat show later that week: “Well I’m back from Annapolis and my wallet is substantially lighter. I went to the boat show on Thursday and Saturday, and in between, I spent money at the used equipment consignment show as well as at Weems & Plath, and Fawcetts.”

Jay Zittrer is beginning a planned interior renovation of SHARED WATCH. “I will most likely add a teak and holly cabin sole to Shared Watch later this year or early next. I like the look and feel of wood down below. I have been thinking of adding some teak veneer to the cabin sides and a drip rail. I have seen this on the Whitby 42 and it looks nice. This will all be done the same time the headliner is painted. Has anyone seen an A37 done this way?”

Jack and Gerna St. John recently sent some great photos of their 1973 MK-II Yawl, FIGMENT under full sail, including the mizzen staysail. If only all Alberg 37s looked so good!!

Additional photos of FIGMENT under sail are posted on the Website.

A-37 COFFEE MUGS AND PENNANTS

A-37 Coffee Mugs are available for $15 U.S. which includes postage (within the U.S.). Please allow at least 3-4 weeks for delivery, as we have them made up individually.

At this time, we no longer have any A-37 Pennants available (we sold out). Since the minimum (cost effective) order for pennants is 12, we are a bit reluctant to place a new order, since the $$ involved is considerable, and we feel the “market is just about saturated”. If there is enough interest, we can place a new order, although we can’t guarantee that they will be available for $30.00 U.S. which includes postage (within the U.S.). If you want a pennant, drop us a letter/email/phone call, and we’ll put you on the pennant list. This is a very tastefully rendered and durable pennant.

For those ordering mugs and pennants outside the U.S. please add $5.00 for additional postage. We can only accept payment by check drawn on a U.S. bank, OR an International Money Order (for Canadians, a Canadian Postal Money Order works best.)

GEAR FOR SALE/WANTED

For Sale – Spintek Model Triumph 2000 Roller Furler

Scandinavian design, California built. Previously on an A-37. Can fit boat up to 50’. Excellent condition, works very well. $900 US – located in California, can ship it.

(http://www.spin-tec.com/triumph2000_gad1.htm)

Call (510) 388- 2113

E-mail : naoned@earthlink.net

Canvas Winter Cover and Frame for sale. Three years old. Made for Alberg 37. Excellent condition. Comes with zippered door and is split in center with zipper for easy handling. Made by Top-Shop (www.topshop.on.ca) $1250.00 CDN Located in Ontario.

Call 519-448-1194

E-mail: dunne.cp@sympatico.ca

Wanted: A-37 Stanchion Bases. I have a Morgan 34 which has the same stanchion base as a Alberg 37 and I need a base for a boarding gate. Would one of your members have a spare to sell? Thanks, Bob Fouts (906) 789-1905

Wanted: Hand crank for a Volvo MD11C. Does anyone have one? Contact Joe Griffin @ 704-296-9066 or joe.griffin@att.net

WHEREABOUTS OF ALBERG 37 MOLDS

Does anyone know if any of the Alberg 37 molds still exist? The last known owner Bill Boyle Jr., who was from the Charleston, SC area. Several attempts have been made to contact him, but to no avail (we heard that he had passed away). Several members have expressed interest in determining if they exist, and if so, their location. If anyone has any information, please contact the newsletter editors.

DISCUSSION FORUM CURRENTLY OFF-LINE FOR MAINTENANCE

We’ve been experiencing posting problems with the Alberg 37 discussion forum, and have temporarily taken it off line. We hope to have it up and operating sometime in the near future.

WEB SITES OF INTEREST

(Disclaimer – A-37IOA has no financial interest in any products listed.)

Canadian Metals/Martyr Zinc Anodes (Prop shaft anodes).http://www.martyranodes.com

Jamestown Distributors Decoder (Lots of useful boatkeeping and woodworking information).

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/decoder_index2.asp

Meridians and Parallels Weather (Numerous weather related links).

http://www.meridians.us/weather/weather.htm

ALBERG 37 WANTED

(We often get inquiries regarding A-37s for sale.)

Vlad is looking for a good “Dry” hulled A-37 on the East Coast or Great Lakes. Please contact Vlad at 770-216-9980 or take5mail@bellsouth.net.

David and Barbara Rogers of South Haven, MI currently own a 1973 Pearson 36, and are looking to trade up/down for an Alberg 37. They may be contacted at: 317-758-5088

A-37s FOR SALE

(Check the Website for further details and photos as we often get inquiries regarding A-37s for sale.)

Recent offerings include:

De ZWAAN

1969 Alberg 37 Sloop. New Phasor 37.5 HP engine with less than 200 hours. Excellent condition fresh water boat. Casey says – “It will be hard to see her go – our kids grew up on her!”

Contact Casey Kerkstra at (616) 457-2958

MAROONED

1981 Alberg 37 Sloop. Hull # 217. Lightly used Great Lakes only, single owner. Lying at Whitby, ONT.

Price reduced to US$52,500.00. (Click here for photo)

Contact Frank LaValley at 647-223-3536

EMAIL: franklavalley@hotmail.com

ENVY

1968 Alberg 37 Yawl, equipped for cruising. On the hard at the Indiantown Marina, Indiantown, FL. Owners narrative: “This is a good yawl, w/roller furling, new headsail and good main & mizzen and 2 extra sails, cabin air conditioning, 3 burner gimbaled propane stove/oven, 12V refrig/ice box, twin stainless steel sink, Autohelm 4000, Volvo Penta diesel, updated helm wheel, pedestal w/nice chrome 6” Ritchie compass, new fuel tank, 2 anchors, chain rodes, and lots of rope rodes, mast steps, 8’ hard-shell dinghy, etc., etc.”

$34 K U.S.

Contact:

Ron and Cindy Strahm

2820 S. Crenshaw Road

Independence, MO 64057

Email: rstrahm228@aol.com

TEL: 816.228.6325

FAX: 816.229.6100

MYA

1974 Alberg yawl. Hull #129. Lying in Squamish, British Columbia. USA documented vessel. Well equipped for cruising w/wind generator, solar panels, watermaker, windvane (Cape Horn), wheel pilot (Simrad), radar, anchor windlass. Engine and standing rigging replaced ca. 1998. Additional upgrades and many spares. Includes inflatable dingy (West Marine) and outboard (2000 Mercury 5 hp 4-stroke).

[See photos]

US $48,000

Contact: Ralph Turner at rrtgeo@direct.ca or (604) 815-8219

ALBERG 37 EQUIPMENT AND CONFIGURATION SURVEY COMING SOON

We have been developing an on-line "Alberg 37 Equipment and Configuration Survey" which we hope to have up and operating in the fairly near future. Several members have expressed and interest in conducting such a survey, and hopefully, we will have good participation. The Survey will solicit technical data about your boat, and will be divided into several parts (such as “General Information”; “Engine/Electrical System Data”; “Prop and Shaft Data”; “Sail Inventory”; “Deck Equipment-Ground Tackle”; etc. etc. The survey should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete, and the results will be automatically forwarded to us here in Kinsale. We plan to assemble the data into some sort of spreadsheet format for eventual posting on the web site.

MK-II PROVISIONING DIAGRAM

Seems like as we get older, we cannot always remember where we “put things” in our 1975 MK-II Yawl, SHEARWATER. This spring, in anticipation of the 2004 sailing season, we developed a “Provisioning Diagram”, with all (probably only most) of the “nooks and crannies” numbered on a scanned interior plan of the MK-II (from some old sales literature).

We have been keeping a "spiral binder" notebook in which to list items of inventory and their location. However, this system could be easily converted to a database or spreadsheet format and kept on a laptop or PDA if desired. We have found it quite helpful to keep track of "boat stuff".

A downloadable version of the Provisioning Diagram is available on the A-37 web site.

WEB SITE

We are always looking for articles (cruising, 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

WHERE TO PUT PROP SHAFT ZINCS ON ALBERGS

By Gord Martin

MAGGY FIELDS IV

EYC Toronto

On my previous boat, the A30, there was very limited space to put a zinc anode on the shaft, in fact not enough room for a standard collar (donut) zinc. My solution was to clamp the collar zinc to a 7/8” round bar, chuck it in my lathe, and undercut the ends. This allowed enough clearance to get water to the cutlass bearing (very important). As very few people have a metal working lathe at home, read on, there is a much better solution.

When I got the A37 there was even less room on the prop shaft, so the above solution was not an option. At the World Cruising Club in Toronto last fall, we had a presentation by a corrosion expert, so I popped the question, “Where the heck do you put a zinc on an Alberg 37?” The speaker was not aware of the lack of room on the shaft, and asked if anyone else had a solution. Another A37 owner said, “Prop nut zincs sold by West Marine”. This sounded like a good idea, so I did some investigating on-line and ordered the kit through my local chandlery. The brand name is Martyr and they are manufactured by Canada Metals (http://www.martyranodes.com).

.There are 8 sizes to cover any possible shaft and prop nut size. See West Marine’s 2004 catalog, Pg. 485.

The prop nut zinc kit consists of a bronze castellated nut with the “castles” ending in a platform drilled and tapped for a ¼” socket head cap screw which holds the zinc anode.

The hollow bullet shaped zinc covers the whole nut and the streamlined shape should microscopically enhance performance, in theory at least.

My boat has a 7/8” shaft with 5/8” thread so the complete kit is PN: CMPNBZC11, and the replacement anode is PN: CMPNZB. The West Marine price for the kit is US$36.49 and the replacement zinc anode is $13.29. My A30 also had a 7/8” shaft, unless my memory has failed me once again.

For Canadian Alberg owners, the prop nut zincs can be ordered through Mason’s Chandlery. Speak with Mike Paulssen in case other staff has not heard of them. Mason’s is at 905 278 7005. Their C$ price was good in relation to West Marine; it should be as it is a Canadian product. The Martyr, Canada Metals product seems to dominate the zinc market so I’m sure any marine store could order them.

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, and cruising information and to maintain a roster of Alberg 37 owners.

We suggest a donation of $10.00 U.S. a year to cover costs of publishing the quarterly newsletter, postage, Xerox services, and of course, maintaining the web site.

We 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 best for Canadian members.

You will notice a date on the label of the newsletter mailing, reminding you to help maintain the newsletter / association. For those receiving the newsletter notice via Email, we ask that you honor your commitment to the Association. The Association appreciates your help!

The A-37 IOA, participates as a cooperating group with BOAT U.S., and members receive BOAT U.S. membership for half price ($9.50 vice $19.00). Just mention 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

If you are transiting the Chesapeake Bay, please plan to stop by Kinsale for a few days (or longer). It's only about 12 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 always have a couple of open slips.

Each fall/spring we have several ‘snowbirds’ stop on their way south/north. 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 like to receive correspondence, especially email, as it’s the grist that makes the Newsletter interesting. REMEMBER, THIS IS YOUR NEWSLETTER!

Have a great Alberg Winter and keep the letters and emails coming!

Tom and Kaye Assenmacher