Albin 36, what have I done?

[Fish53]

Well me and my lovely partner have just bought a 1980 Albin 36 to cruise and live aboard. We're both retired and in our mid sixties, our intention is to wander north from Florida in the spring to my mooring in Rockport Maine and then back to Florida in the fall. I'm not new to boats at all but I am new to pleasure boats and Albins, suggestions and observations from fellow forum members would be of interest.

 

[Ski in NC]

Have fun! Sounds like a good plan. Just seek out 80F (or your favorite temp). If you wake up and it is colder, go south. If warmer, go north.

Fall on the east coast can be awesome as you go south. Here in NC, sept through nov can be really nice, our favorite time. Just have to pay attention to cold fronts and hurricanes. The fronts can be nasty, but a few days after it is nice again. Hurricanes are a whole 'nuther topic.

Spring here can be rather raw. If it is warm, it is blowing. If it is not blowing, it is cold.

So you might head north later than you think, and come south later than you think.

 

[Fish53]

Good advice thank you. I'm from Maine and worked for years in Alaska so I'm used to cold and wet but heat and hurricanes are a bit out of my personal experience. I've been in hurricane force winds in the Bering sea numerous times but it's not something I chose to court in our Albin. We have no set schedule so a slow meander up and down as suits our comfort level is the plan, knowing what to normally expect in your neck of the woods is great info and I appreciate it.

 

[rgano]

Yep, you've done it now and really stepped into IT! You get to deal with all the smaller, rec vessel rated pieces of equipment like AC cooling pumps and heads and god know what else which breaks on a daily schedule.

 

[Fish53]

And here I was assuming those things were just part of the joys of pleasure boat ownership? That being said I can hardly wait to experience the wonders of repairing a vacuum toilet. A day may come when I actually miss having an engineer aboard.

 

[Comodave]

Congrats on your new baby. Now we need photos...

 

[rgano]

VF toilet fixed right is not one of the items with which I am NOT personally having a problem.

 

[Fish53]

Congrats on your new baby. Now we need photos...

Let me get her home and cleaned up pretty first and I'll put some up, I only bought her yesterday.

 

[Fish53]

I was hoping for some insight into the mysterious inner workings of the VF toilet, my biggest fear is that it may decide to transform from a vacuum to a pressure toilet!

 

[Ski in NC]

You can always just carry a five gallon Rotella bucket.

 

[dhays]

Congratulations on the boat! Sounds like a fun adventure.

 

[Fish53]

You can always just carry a five gallon Rotella bucket.

After 40+ years of commercial fishing my posterior is well acquainted with the plastic throne, my lady however suffers from more delicate sensibilities.

 

[Fish53]

Congratulations on the boat! Sounds like a fun adventure.

Thank you, I'm excited by the knowledge I won't be spending my retirement in a recliner watching reruns of Jeopardy on the tube.

 

[Oldersalt]

Spend a few bucks right now and replace that troublesome VacuFlush with an electric Raritan SeaEra toilet that uses fresh water. Easy to use, comfortable, very reliable, eliminates smells (which apparently mostly come from dead critters in standing seawater in the hoses). The amount of fresh water it consumes is very small, and well worth the other benefits, which include a much happier first mate (or admiral, depending...). And not too costly, either.
No commercial connection, just a happy consumer.
Of course, I'm sure you already know that owning an older pleasure boat really simplifies your life--no more concerns about any spare time or any spare money!!!
Enjoy!
Oldersalt

 

[Fish53]

Spend a few bucks right now and replace that troublesome VacuFlush with an electric Raritan SeaEra toilet that uses fresh water. Easy to use, comfortable, very reliable, eliminates smells (which apparently mostly come from dead critters in standing seawater in the hoses). The amount of fresh water it consumes is very small, and well worth the other benefits, which include a much happier first mate (or admiral, depending...). And not too costly, either.
No commercial connection, just a happy consumer.
Of course, I'm sure you already know that owning an older pleasure boat really simplifies your life--no more concerns about any spare time or any spare money!!!
Enjoy!
Oldersalt

Thanks for the information, I hadn't actually intended my post to initiate a discussion of marine waste management however it is nonetheless part of the boating life for many. I would at least like to give the vacuum system a chance to disappoint me before disposing of spare money to replace it. I appreciate your input however I have my eye on a new radar/plotter setup for my money disposal chores.

 

[Datenight]

I had a Vacu Flush for 16 years on previous boats. Never had a problem with them. The one I had the longest was purchased second hand. Always reliable for me.

Rob

 

[wkearney99]

I had a Vacu Flush for 16 years on previous boats. Never had a problem with them. The one I had the longest was purchased second hand. Always reliable for me.

Likewise, they're not terrible and if it's working now I wouldn't put it anywhere near the Top 10 of things to upgrade/replace any time soon.

When you're considering chartplotter changes, don't let yourself get pinned in by the limits of what you think will fit where the last one was located. There's all kinds of clever ways to set up that kind of gear.

 

[OldDan1943]

I was hoping for some insight into the mysterious inner workings of the VF toilet, my biggest fear is that it may decide to transform from a vacuum to a pressure toilet!

LOL
Just remember to put the duck valve back in correctly.

 

[Fish53]

LOL
Just remember to put the duck valve back in correctly.

I'm sure somewhere in my near future I'm going to encounter whatever the "duck valve" is, I had no idea what vast horizons my toilet would open up for me.

 

[Fish53]

Likewise, they're not terrible and if it's working now I wouldn't put it anywhere near the Top 10 of things to upgrade/replace any time soon.

When you're considering chartplotter changes, don't let yourself get pinned in by the limits of what you think will fit where the last one was located. There's all kinds of clever ways to set up that kind of gear.

That's where I'm lucky, the existing stuff is junk and I can clean house and arrange things to my liking. Fortunately the space available is compatible with my available funds.

 

[Dwk]

"Fortunately the space available is compatible with my available funds". We had the same thinking when we bought our boat. Hell Yea we wanted larger, more comfort ,newer who doesn't...we made our choice that fit our pocket book. Enjoy!

 

[OldDan1943]

I'm sure somewhere in my near future I'm going to encounter whatever the "duck valve" is, I had no idea what vast horizons my toilet would open up for me.

I understand.... get a tech/someone else to rebuild it for you, watch and ask questions.
Duck valves - 2 rubber insert that look like a duck beak

I suspect there are many videos showing how to rebuild the vacuum pump.

 

[IRENE]

I have my eye on a new radar/plotter setup for my money disposal chores.

Congratulations, that should be an enjoyable boat! Some family friends had one with a single FL120. I recall the very pretty flare in the bow.

What flavor electronics do you have your eye on, please?

 

[READY]

Dont fear the marine head

Congrats on your new purchase. I have had multiple makes of heads. None are perfect and yes they can fail but the VF is a pretty simple system and the infamous duck valves usually last a long time. Just enjoy the boat and the cruising!

 

[PM]

Congrats on the new boat and Welcome Aboard. I also have a 36 foot Albin, just a little older. It has pump toilets but I have plumbed tank water for flushing. It uses far less fresh water than it used to use sea water. I am "over tanked" on fresh water anyway and here on the Great Lakes there is literally "water, water everywhere", most fit to use for dishes and flushing if not for drinking, although many do.

Single F.L. 120 which I love in spits of having to spend some recent $$ on it. It is now good for at least 10,000 hours.

Boating advice ? Fix the leaks as you can find them, keep up on the teak if you can, run it a lot, they really run best on fresh fuel.

pete

 

[Cigatoo]

Well me and my lovely partner have just bought a 1980 Albin 36 to cruise and live aboard. We're both retired and in our mid sixties, our intention is to wander north from Florida in the spring to my mooring in Rockport Maine and then back to Florida in the fall. I'm not new to boats at all but I am new to pleasure boats and Albins, suggestions and observations from fellow forum members would be of interest.

Congrats on your new Boat. Good to see you back on the forum. Brought ours back from Lyman Morse in Thomaston Maine last August. Still going to get you to sign that picture some day.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I wouldn't replace it until it becomes a problem...There are more pressing needs like updated electronics,etc. Congrats and best of luck!

 

[catalinajack]

Or, get rid of that complicated, space-eating vacuflush mess and replace it with a Raritan Marine Elegance electric head. Maintenance every five or ten years. In the meantime, flush and forget.

You can always just carry a five gallon Rotella bucket.

 

[Fish53]

Congratulations, that should be an enjoyable boat! Some family friends had one with a single FL120. I recall the very pretty flare in the bow.

What flavor electronics do you have your eye on, please?

I'm thinkin' a Furuno GP1971F with a DRS4W radar for the lower station and I'm still thinking about the upper.

 

[Boat]

I clicked your name yesterday 'cause I haven't seen you post in a while. Good news, congrats.