New Member on the Chesapeake

[verit]

Hello Fellow Boaters and Albin Owners,

I am a relatively new power boat owner. Been a sailing and navigation instructor for about 8 years in Manhattan but we now live in Millers Island, MD surrounded by relatively shallow water. Just purchased a 1997 A28 TE that will be delivered sometime toward the end of March.

Last season, I bought my first very inexpensive Wellcraft and by the end of the season managed to flood the engine with seawater. I got an education about risers, manifolds, engine blocks and cracks.

I'm hopeful, that with diligence and good maintenance that future educational costs can be minimized.
The real silver lining is that I am now the proud owner of an Albin!

Hope to meet some of you out on the Chesapeake!

Tom
Millers Island
Maryland

[DesertAlbin736]

Welcome aboard! Wow, you're way up there in the north Bay! We had our boat down by Solomons & Cambridge a few years ago, but don't expect to be back any time soon. Be that as it may, diesels are the only way to fly! Have a great spring & summer! Your sailing experience will come in handy knowing the tricks of the trade in maneuvering a single screw diesel, that's for sure. Chesapeake does have a lot of skinny water, especially down on the Eastern Shore. Good news is it's mostly mud & not rocks.

[DCatSea]

Welcome to a great group. Nice to see another Albin on the Bay. Hope we see you at the Chesapeake Reunion this year (whenever that may be).

[verit]

Hi Doug and Georgia,

If you're ever looking for a backup (parts boat) to your 27 Albin, McCluskey's Marina in Sparrows Point, MD has one sitting on the hard. I spoke with the owner, Mark McCluskey, last year about it. He wanted $10k but the engine was out of the boat being worked on. He said it was a Caterpillar diesel. Aside from that, it had a rear cabin and overall looked like it needed quite a bit of work in the cockpit. Nevertheless, it might be work having it for parts.

Hope see you at the Chesapeake Reunion if it happens!
Cheers,
Tom

[verit]

Hi Desert Albin,

Thanks for the kind welcome.

I did reply to your post a few days ago but for some reason I don't see it posted in this thread.

Sounds like you like desert/lake sailing. If the lake is big enough, I suppose it could be lots of fun!
I once had a chance to go to the Phoenix Open (for business) and it was the most amazing golf tournament that I ever attended. It was like going to a rock concert with 100,000+ people.

I plan to visit Solomon's this year. I heard great things about it. It's probably about a 4 hour cruise (averaging 15 knots) from here.

Cheers!
Tom

[DCatSea]

Thanks Tom, that's a good bit of info. Actually I wouldn't mind finding a 27FC that is breaking. You occasionally see notices on CL for other marques, but never an Albin.

We've been to a couple of Chesapeake rendezvous, and they are well worth attending.

[DesertAlbin736]

Sounds like you like desert/lake sailing. If the lake is big enough, I suppose it could be lots of fun!

It is during fall/winter/spring months. Not so much in 115 degree summers. But we've kind of outgrown it except for getting together with our sailing friends, since this is my 20th year sailing & boating on the lake. Only so much you can do on a lake that's 2 miles wide by 4 miles long. That's why we stay with a trailerable sized boat that we can take where ever, when ever. 25 feet is the Goldilocks size & displacement. Big enough and seaworthy with galley, enclosed head, and cabin head room for long duration cruising, not to mention awesome fuel economy, yet small enough with 8' 6" beam to tow with a pickup truck & no need for wide load permits.

[Sprig1]

Hi Verit are you located near Hart Miller island? I'm just across the bay in Worton creek? Maybe we will see each other on the bay this year. Have you heard anything about the new Bay bridge coming by you?

[verit]

@ DesertAlbin736 Now I get it. A trailer-able 25' makes perfect sense!

I remember one summer coming out of the airport in Phoenix and feeling a breeze that felt like I was standing behind a bus in Manhattan. They call it dry heat but it's still stifling . I wonder why settlers ever stayed there without AC? Maybe they're like me, I love the heat!

[verit]

Hi Sprig1,

I am a very short boat ride away from Hart Miller Island. I'm even closer to Paradise Island and the Craighill Channel Lower Rear Lighthouse.
Warton Creek looks like a good close place to visit on the eastern shore for a day trip or a quick weekend. Do you recommend any restaurants/bars/marinas there?

[Sprig1]

Hi Verit to tell the truth I have never really been to your part of the bay. I just got the boat in the water last September. I went to the Magothy once,Rock Hall the Sassafras and Chester Rivers. Hopefully this year a little more exploring.
Worton creek has a nice little restaurant at the head of it. The Harbor House. There is Great Oak on Fairlee Creek that can be a zoo at times.
Betterton has a restaurant Barbra's on the bay you can dock at the public slips. They aren't very good in high winds. Or you can go up the Sassafras to Georgetown there is the Granary restaurant. That seems to be hit or miss on quality. I hope to catch up with you sometime.
Good luck chris

[JFaberMD]

Hello Fellow Boaters and Albin Owners,

I am a relatively new power boat owner. Been a sailing and navigation instructor for about 8 years in Manhattan but we now live in Millers Island, MD surrounded by relatively shallow water. Just purchased a 1997 A28 TE that will be delivered sometime toward the end of March.

Last season, I bought my first very inexpensive Wellcraft and by the end of the season managed to flood the engine with seawater. I got an education about risers, manifolds, engine blocks and cracks.

I'm hopeful, that with diligence and good maintenance that future educational costs can be minimized.
The real silver lining is that I am now the proud owner of an Albin!

Hope to meet some of you out on the Chesapeake!

Tom
Millers Island
Maryland

Tom,

We have a 28TE and we are down in the southern bay. We keep her on the Wicomico River and are a short 15-20 min cruise to Tangier Sound and then out into the Chesapeake. We took a weekend trip up your way last year for a wedding. We have friends on the Bodkin so we docked her there. Hope to see you on the Bay one day.

Josh

[DesertAlbin736]

Josh,

The name sounds familiar. By chance did you ever dock at the Cambridge YC back around summer of 2015?

[verit]

Howdy Josh,

Thanks for the welcome!

Many years ago we visited Tangier Island via ferry. It was an interesting place. A bit of a throwback in time because they didn't have TV or other types of media communications. I think they spoke some type of Elizabethan English and were famous for their orange cake.

I'd like to go back just to refresh my memory. They've probably all have cell phones by now.

Hope to catch you at one of the local Albin meetups!

Cheers,

[JFaberMD]

Josh,

The name sounds familiar. By chance did you ever dock at the Cambridge YC back around summer of 2015?

DesertAlbin736 - No we haven't ventured to the Cambridge Yacht Club yet. We have friends that cruise there all the time and were planning to make that a stop this summer. Our Yacht Club on the Wicomico has some sort of a relationship with them. We may be moving for my work so we may not make it this year. We may even have to sell our Albin. Should know for sure what's going on by the end of this week. One way or another, hope to see you out on the bay next time you are down this way.