Please tell me about "the ride"

[Brother Albin]

Sorry for asking so many questions but it's getting close to decision time.

Many of the posts and articles that I've read speak to how well the Albin handles rough seas. I think the term that John used in the Soundings article was "shook them off'. I swore that I'd never buy another planning hull and here I am considering buying an Albin. I do a lot of boating on the CT river and the LI Sound. The weekend traffic on the river is pretty heavy and wakes generated by some of the larger boats can be quite severe. I stopped taking my boat out on the weekends because we were just getting pounded in both our 20' Chris Craft and 24' Chapparal. I'm going for a sea trial on Friday but I was wondering if some of you would share your thoughts and comparisons about the ride of the 28TE. Thanks

Steve

[RicM]

I went from a Pro-line 251 (25") Walkaround to the 28TE, and it was like going from a Chevy Cavalier to a Volvo or Audi A-6. The immediate impression is of solidity and heft. I believe the 28TE is considered a semi-planing hull design. You can most certainly get it "up" in calm water, but you can run it very efficiently and comfortably at hull speed in a confused chop. I would rate the 28TE in the top 5% among similar size boats for ride, stability, and comfort. It's not a high speed sports car, but it is safe and comfortable. Truly a "grown up" boat. What other boats are you considering?

[Brother Albin]

Thanks Ric. I'm considering a Holland 32 lobster boat. I went for a ride on one a few weeks ago and I was just blown away by how smooth that boat rode through boat wakes and the chop at the Old Saybrook light at the mouth of the river. It's a great handbuilt boat but it would be unafordable to me if it was equipped like the 28. It's also probably more boat than my wife and I need at this point in our lives. I've been on a friends 31' SeaRay and that's no better than my smaller boats in the chop. I've been convinced that the only way to get a comfortable ride was to go with a semi-displacememt hull. The Albin hull is a planning hull but most people say the same thing you do about what a comfortable boat this is. There is one on the hard near my house and I just keep looking at the hull to try to understand why it works the way it does. It would be great to hear from someone that had experience on both types of hulls.

[SpaceCoaster]

I've spent a bit of time on a Mako 22 and had a Key West 19 both center consoles before the Albin. These are substantially smaller boats and much lighter than the 28TE. The Mako was a nice ride, but could bounce around quite a bit due to chop and other boat wakes as you mention.

You should notice a marked improvement in ride quality over your previous boats (my opinion). I just don't think the 28te just bounces around like other boats. This weekend I was offshore Port Canaveral fishing with a neighbor of mine who designs 50+ feet sportfish boats for a living. He was very surprised at the stability of the 28TE. Although we were in pretty calm seas.

[Cape Codder]

Brother,
The planing hulls I've owned have been good, but there was always a tendency to "pound" when moving too fast in steep chop or tough head sea conditions. They did make up for that with pretty darn good following sea behavior. Downside.....lots of fuel.
The true displacment hulls are smoother in head seas if the forefort is sharp enough to part the steep chop or large waves. But, many of the displacement hulls are just aweful in a following sea. That sharp entry is "searching" back and forth, sometimes 'digs in' causing uncomfortable pitch and roll, and that terrible tendency to feel like the stern is 'coming around'. However, pretty darn fuel efficient.
The 28 TE is a 'perfect' compromise. Excellent in a head sea, and no pounding. Darn good in a following sea, with no tabs, and VERY controllable. Tracks very true if you DON'T try to correct it every second....it corrects itself remarkably well.
In a following sea you don't get the feeling of pitching and rolling. It runs very well AND is fuel efficient.
Perhaps a downside, (my opinion) is the boat is wetter than the planing hulls. This does not bother me in the slightest. With the enclosure is never a problem.
All this, AND more useable cabin space that any other 28 I can mention.

Enjoy that test ride!!

[mhanna]

Steve as Im sure you know every boat has its pros and cons. I found my original posting from last year and it gives some ideas of what I found as well as many comments from others.
I found a captain in Greenport NY who charters his 28 and we did a full day of fishing (spending most of my time checking the boat out) and found that I liked it. I think the only way to really feel comfortable is to test drive it yourself though..
My old boat was a modified V and I could not stand the banging any more, I think I was getting shorter, so I hear you when you say you are looking for a steadier platform.
Good luck in your search....

http://albinowners.net/aog/viewtopic.ph ... ight=#4803


Matt

[RicM]

In comparison to a 32' lobster boat you are not really comparing apples & apples. As you add length you also improve the ride in chop. Other things being equal, the longer the water line the the smoother it will ride in bigger chop. Adding 4' is a considerable increase. Weight is also a factor, compare displacement as well.

[jcollins]

Steve,
Our last boat was a Sunrunner 266 aft cabin. Very typical family cruiser. My wife and I called it the clorox bottle. I/O with a nice cabin and no cockpit to speak of. We had to pick our days becuase she was not into getting "beat up". We had just about stopped going into Middle River because of the boat traffic, wakes, and confused seas.
When you take the Albin for the sea trail look for the wakes and run into them. Hopefully you will have snotty weather. That's the best time to do a sea trail.

You will be surprised. (pleasently)
By the way...ask all the questions you want. That's why we are all here.

[Brother Albin]

Thank you all very much. This has been enlightening. Please keep them coming. I was especially suprised by the concensus of how well this boat does in a head sea. The bow looks blunt so intuitively I thought that would be a source for the pounding to begin. The lobsterboat that I am considering is only about 1500 pounds heavier than this boat. That's mostly because it is pretty spartan with regard to accomodations. I'll have to follow up with the fellow that took me out regarding it's behaviour in a following sea but I think that is mitigated by the fact that is a semi-displacement hull rather than a true displacement hull which is notorius in a following sea. I had first hand experience with that in my sailboat many years ago. That one incident probably turned my wife off to sailing forever.

[rt11002003]

Owning an Albin 27 Aft Cabin I can't address the handling of the A28TE. However, I'm very familar with displacement and planing hulls, both sail boats and power boats.

I've sailed both planing and displacement hull sailboats for somewhat more than 30 years. With a well designed hull and a balanced rig, neither of those hull designs were inherently unstable down wind nor in following seas. With less than good hull design, both hull types were a handful.

My experience with power boats is similar.

I believe the only way to determine if a boat will perform the way you want is to try it under the conditions that are of concern to you. Asking questions of this group runs a real close second for gathering info. Combining the two sources is hard to beat.

I'm impressed with the handling of the A27 AC. I haven't had it on a plane, but have had it surfing under complete control with a following sea.

My wife hated the pounding of our SeaRay and refused to ride on it after about three trips. She loves the A27 handling and will even pilot it.

Gene

[Mariner]

The Albin's hull is surprisingly stable and smooth in chop and swells. I really can't find anything to complain about other than that it seems to take a lot of power to truly plane (ours won't).

[Jack28]

I just bought a 2001 28te comming from a 42' Bertram. With 30 hours on it so far I feel its is a great sea boat. I also boat on the CT river and the sound. I fish offshore, I have fished often on a 38' Libby and a 35' Carolina Classic so I know what it is like to be in a seaway. As you know the CT river is a issue on some days, but the 28 handles it great. It should keep the wife happy.

[jcollins]

It should keep the wife happy.

That is one of the most challenging parts of owning a boat. I can handle the fuel expense, repairs, maintenance, etc. But, don't loose the Admiral to a rough ride. She may never come back.

[gerygarcia]

Good low center of gravity makes for a very stable ride.
It's been said above and in other posts. I think the greatest
selling point of the Albins (in general) are it's sea keeping ability.

It's no speedster in any way, but it will get you home safer
than most boats out there. The design makes for a wet ride, but
thats what the pilot houses (and soft tops) are for

[Brother Albin]

As you know the CT river is a issue on some days, but the 28 handles it great. It should keep the wife happy.

Jack,
It's great to hear from someone that's actually sailed the same waters. There were days when we looked around from our 20' Chris Craft Speedster and saw nothing but a wall of water. That's when I lost "the Admiral" to John's point.

It looks like Friday might provide some rough water for my sea trial. That is, of course, if my generous host still wants to go out. It sounds like Albiners are a hearty bunch so I suspect he will. I'm staying optomistic about mt sea trial so I am already preparing my next post which will cover all of the quality issues that I have collected from reading this board and asking if you guys will add to the list that I give to the surveyor to check out.