Alberg 30 Lora Begins a Circumnavigation

[@ackack612]

Such a pretty boat. Fair winds.

[@stuartsutherland7664]

This is such a good conversion, especially the outboard cut-out, the composting toilet and the super simple stove. Brilliant work!

[@brucekratky7993]

I love Lora! My grand dream on her way. Best wishes.

[@Happ465]

Love the Bow Sprit and the Reflex Furler!

[@jamestaylor3075]

Wow! Cool! Bon Voyage!!! From S/V Bellwether: A 1970 A30, hull number 421 (a liner boat), based in Baltimore. Cheers James Baldwin!

[@BullyHayes1977]

really good interview - thanks

[@thosoz3431]

Another wonderfully inspirational video James. Sailing around the world is a missed train now...but other adventures lie ahead. I'm just back from a month in South America. The beauty of the fjords of Patagonia is beyond imagining. Landing on Cape Horn a dream come true. Back to the real world of the the old fibreglass yacht refit, your video pushed me back into it. Thanks

[@RiggingDoctor]

Very awesome endeavor! We’re just sticking to the Atlantic for now. When we get back to the states, I’ll be working on the Refit of our Alberg 30

[@atomvoyager]

I've enjoyed the Rigging Doctor channel and looking forward to updates.

[@doppler3237]

hey I know you guys, wink, wink . small world huh

[@RiggingDoctor]

doppler it sure is a small world :)

[@leov4187]

Great video! I have an Alberg 30 and will repower the boat next year. It will not be the outboard well. Your current circumnavigation is an inspiration to me , I’m looking forward to hearing of your progress.

[@MrA1582000]

So enjoyed this and will definitely be following his journey.

[@adamstevens3304]

I owned a Pearson Triton...it was absolutely bulletproof.

[@ironhorse3497]

Very interesting, informative tour. Thanks for posting!! Fair Winds and Following Seas on your Adventure !!

[@SuperBullyone]

i-sailor from France - it is great. It is the most accurate charting system I have used. By the way, This guy is in the Pacific Islands! WOW. Good for him!

[@paulcupach9930]

Great work

[@SailingNervous]

just subscribed...have learned alot from some of your past experiences. Thanks for doing this youtube channel thing-- will be watching along with you- Vin

[@atomvoyager]

Vin, I had a look at a few of your videos at Sailing Nervous. Lots of good content there that sailors should check out.

[@MoosePantz]

Superb workmanship! I need you to tackle my boat!

[@triplesweeney]

Awesome James, cheers from Brisbane au. Ps. I’ve made myself a 12v hookah with fish pump. Nick

[@JEBrink]

He picked the best\worst time in history to circumnavigate. Godspeed

[@JEBrink]

He left Fiji on June 2nd 2021 expecting 40 days or so at sea till he reaches Indonesia. What a man👍

[@danielhattaway3734]

What does that mean?

[@SOLDOZER]

@@danielhattaway3734 Go live in your truck in the driveway for 40 days and you will understand what that means.

[@kevanggates]

I own a Paceship 30, basically an Alberg (same hull) but a Yawl rig. Looking at making some changes. Appreciate the walk through.

[@roadboat9216]

I refitted an Alberg 35. Lived aboard and cruised for 6 yrs. lost her in Hurricane Andrew. Good job there!

[@Fuhugawagah]

Glorious! I want one. :)

[@rubennavegante3491]

Thanks for the video

[@BreezyRider66]

Wow, such attention to detail & quality of workmanship. I'm getting my Bowman 26 ready for some longer voyaging over the next year or so, I'm not sure she'll end up as nice as Lora though. Fair winds to Jason...

[@kcouche]

Lots of common sense ideas for safe and cheaper off shore sailing. Liked the design additions...

[@brandonboand]

Very nice work!!!!

[@dw4956]

what most people don't know is that you can rub any flat surface with a high quality car wax wich has a good UV protector. I learned that from my grandfather who used to wax the window frames of his house every spring. The paint on the sunny side would last 9 years.

[@mtsvcc]

Will you do a new discussion / interview about the positive and negative aspects of the boat modifications and the things he desired but couldn't have during his journey now that he has returned from the circumnavigation?

[@atomvoyager]

Jason visited me a few days ago. I asked him about what worked and didn't and heard he was mostly happy with the modifications. He just bought a used Tohatsu Sailpro 6hp to replace the old 2-stroke motor he picked up in Indonesia and seems happy with that size motor. He may replace his mast that was bent and straightened after a knock down. He switched from Isailor software on his tablet to Navionics that he likes better. The Norvane windvane self-steering required replacing its plastic bearings and bushings every 10-12,000 miles. He knew the bearings were going bad again after the Virgin Islands stop but carried on hoping they'd hold out, then they caused the windvane to malfunction a few days from home. He will either rebuild it or might buy a new Monitor. One annoyance was the Newfound Metals portlights began leaking in the Pacific and required rebedding a few times. Also, the chain plates leaked eventually because we used polysulfide Lifecaulk sealant on them and that bond only lasts a couple years in many cases so I advised him to seal them with butyl tape. He was very happy with the AIS transmitter and mentioned that nearly all ships saw his signal and altered course for him without needing to hail them on the radio. He is going back to his old office job for awhile and asked me assist him to do some maintenance and upgrades to Lora at some point so he can set off for another circumnavigation on the same boat. Since most of his trip was during covid lockdowns he didn't get to see all the places he wanted and hopes to see more next time. I'll try to interview him here before the next trip and ask him more. Meanwhile, you can ask him questions on his facebook page.

[@mtsvcc]

@@atomvoyager Thank you for your reply

[@jacktyler7599]

@@atomvoyager James, thank you for sharing Jason's short debrief. I'm sure many of us would welcome an interview at a later date....but this walk-thru video was a real treat to watch and very instructive. Your channel's practical and tutorial nature is a wonderful resource.

[@mboyer68]

You do impeccable work as far as we can tell from the video! The outboard well is an incredible design. Thinking about failure modes and especially possible catastrophic failures when offshore, the sail drive power design scares me. If you knock that thing off, you're sinking! There's a certified incident where a cat got a line wrapped up in the prop which was tied to a cleat in deck. It broke the sail drive unit and sheared the engine's motor mounts, causing flooding of the hull. Also they can have catastrophic seal failures although there are no certified reports that I know of where that situation caused a massive leak. So it's rare but possible, and I like to reduce risk! Even though outboard motors are not chic, they're easy to repair and replace, parts are ubiquitous, and they're extremely reliable, some newer units are even air cooled. Your design is excellent! Just thought I'd another benefit...you could possibly share the ob motor with your dinghy! YOU'RE A GD GENIUS GUMP!!

[@atomvoyager]

Thanks for your comment. One of the advantages about this design is the outboard well is located within the stern locker which is sealed with a bulkhead from the boat's interior so there is no chance of sinking the boat because of the motor and no fuel or oil to get into the bilge.

[@SuperBullyone]

James work, and Mai's, is incredible. How many people can do 50 or more different sailboat projects at an expert level? I don't know of any others. He has to figure out what needs to be done, design it, engineer it, and then build it.

[@MrBluoct]

A Great video on many levels! Thanks to both So It’s June … 2022 Any update from another Marylander ? As of the second quarter 2022: Your top 5 vintage stout 30ft and under boats assuming select modifications/ improvements would be ….

[@atomvoyager]

Jason is currently in Indonesia preparing to depart soon for South Africa via Reunion Island: facebook.com/JasonandSVLora/ Hard for me to narrow down a list to 5 boats but the A30 would be on it as well as the Cape Dory 27 I'm currently refitting, although I'm finding the fiberglass hull liner on the CD27 is awkward to work around for access and modifications. But that's common to many boats built after the 1960s. My classic small cruisers list is at: atomvoyages.com/planning/classic-small-cruisers-list-html/

[@SailingSalsa]

Wow James, the videos get better and better, and somehow, so do the boats!!! -Kirk / Salsa

[@atomvoyager]

Thanks Kirk. Great to see another Alberg 30 following in Salsa's wake.

[@jamesmoseley7141]

Beautiful blue water boats as I'm looking at a couple at the moment to sail south America an so on

[@rodpaget9796]

Sleep with one eye open. You will be aware more and yet rested. As a shift engineer for boilers I discovered that rest is needed in the eyes more than other parts. Thus one eye open and you can feel somwhat rested. Cheers. I own a Alberg 30 number 519

[@SOLDOZER]

Dude has been sailing since he was 10. He does not need your armchair advice.

[@rodpaget9796]

Late starter eh?. One eye open....dude who will try it one sleepy night shift. @@SOLDOZER

[@awuma]

4:18 The support beam looks to be substantial. Very important, since the A30 is unusual in not having a support post under its mast step. 13:13 Wonderful Code Zero setp. The 170% genny on my Grampian 30 had a similar setup, but the furler foot attachment was behind the headstay, and the top swivel rode on the headstay, hanging a few inches below it. Old-fashioned, but I loved it. In a blow, I would furl the sail and drop it, with a working or storm jib conventionally hanked on the headstay. Unlike a "modern" extrusion furler on the headstay, the off-headstay furler didn't give a good shape partially furled, bu the hanked-on reefable working jib was extremely efficient. My only concern with the "Lora's" setup is that the bowsprit does not have lateral stays to port and starboard. How much sideways pull will the Code Zero generate?

[@atomvoyager]

Lora has completed her circumnavigation and used the sprit pole many times with no issue due to side loads. I built and used a similar sprit pole on my own boat and some other boats many times, even having the rail under in gusty winds and it handles the loads fine. There is a fiberglass backing plate under the deck as well. The mounting sleeve is 9" long with three bolts that spreads the load well. The bobstay takes most of the load anyway. As for lateral forces, I kept the pole short enough at 20" beyond the bow and used 120. wall tube to resist bending to the side, which has proven to be sufficient. If you look at the much longer poles available from Selden and others on big modern boats they look much weaker to me but still seem to handle the loads. Here's a video with more details on the sprit pole installation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pprbdaqoeJJ1kK8

[@Mme.Swisstella]

Am i correct in understanding that Alberg 30s were delivered with a rolling boom that could furl the mainsail?​@@atomvoyager

[@atomvoyager]

@@Mme.Swisstella Some did come with roller reefing booms that were popular in the 1960's. Maybe it was an option and some boats did not have it. Seems a good idea but doesn't work all that well so most of us have converted them to slab reefing. It's possible to disable the roller mechanism and use the same boom.

[@jjernigan1972]

Thanks so much for everything! The video is great, really liked seeing her sailing with the code 0. I'm going to have to try to take some more videos while on the trip.

[@atomvoyager]

Great to see you had a good passage to Spanish Wells and looking forward to updates from distant seas.

[@МишаНехорошев-х6ж]

And now happy Jason can ride on beauty Lora long time)

[@paulcupach9930]

I would love for you to refit my Ranger 33 like this.

[@josephlai9759]

Thank you for sharing your project. I love your outboard motor well. May I ask how do you determine the right horsepower for this 30 footer Alberg? Appreciate the education.

[@atomvoyager]

One rule of thumb is the more experience and passage planning skills you have the less horsepower you require. That said, most sailors on an A30 size boat would appreciate the 9.8HP option as I laid out in this article: atomvoyages.com/articles/the-improved-outboard-well/

[@billarwood1996]

Dude, you do yeomanship level work!

[@fissh29]

Good stuff as usual...what is his wife gonna do for 2 1/2 years? LOL...I went back and watched that refit, very useful for me. Keep up the beautiful work...cheers and favorable winds.

[@vincentaa7825]

seaworthy boat and great looking setup. my only question is will the solar panels not obstruct airflow over the self steering vane?

[@atomvoyager]

Although it looks like they might disturb the airflow, in practice they don't affect it because the wind just flows over and around them. Maybe a problem if you tilted the windward one nearly vertical and facing forward when close hauled but no need to do that. I sailed with the same setup on my boat from South Africa to the US and had no problems.

[@chainanalyst639]

Jamee I keep coming back to your videos for inspiration. Thank you. Did you need to raise the boom to fit the bimini under it? I didn't think the traveller behind the tiller would allow for that. Thought it must be moved on top of the companionway.

[@atomvoyager]

Thanks for the comment. We didn't need to raise the boom because there was about 5'10" clearance under it in the cockpit as it was and we made the bimini frame 5'8". The traveler for end of boom sheeting works as long as you keep the bimini frame far enough forward for clearance. It does have the potential for snagging the main sheet if you don't guide it across during a gybe. If we installed a 9.8hp motor instead of the 6 we would need a larger hatch opening and could not use the traveler. In that case we use three point end of boom sheeting with a double block on the boom and a single block on deck either side of the motor lid as on another A30 Voyager Edition we did.

[@chainanalyst639]

@@atomvoyager Yes I remember seeing that in your other video. I guess that's a.k.a german system? Truth be told I'm absorbing all your design ideas to one day refit an old Alberg up here in Lake Ontario. I'm a big fan of the outboard well. Think its just briliant. But I'd probably go with an 9.8 hp hoping the extra weight is not an issue to the boat's sailing charactristics. Thanks for sharing your gift with the rest of us.

[@jonathanblanchard6480]

I have a SW30 and wondered how the Dawn Treader is going? This KZbin is better than monthly periodicals.

[@atomvoyager]

Brian and Debbie are currently sailing in the Chilean canals not far from Cape Horn. I last heard from them two months ago when they were at Puerto Williams and waiting until the lockdowns eased to continue their trip: share.garmin.com/BrianHarper

[@pjorgerod522]

H, great recovery. So beautifull. Can you give an idea of the cost and person to contact? Regards

[@atomvoyager]

We are currently not taking on any more work.

[@clairephaneuf6437]

Wow!

[@rubennavegante3491]

Thanks

[@joshinnc9882]

Really cool concept with the tilting outboard motor, but I’d be terrified of a boat that size with that small of a motor. It just seems so under powered, get into a channel where you can’t sail and are fighting a strong current and that’s trouble. Am I wrong?

[@atomvoyager]

You're not wrong but how well it works depends on the sailor's skills and expectations. It's not the current so much because 6hp pushes the boat at 5 knots and you are not likely to get more than 6k from a larger motor. It is when there is current plus headwind and chop that progress slows or stops sooner. I sailed this boat with this motor down the east coast with a detour on the ICW from Norfolk to Beaufort with 4 days of motorsailing and no problem. Here's an article with the full explanation of of the pluses and minuses: www.atomvoyages.com/articles/improvement-projects/395-the-improved-outboard-well.html

[@SuperBullyone]

who sells the wood frame for the foot pump - it makes it look finished.

[@atomvoyager]

I made that myself out of Teak "L" Molding, 1 3/16"H x 1 3/16"W from West Marine.

[@SuperBullyone]

@@atomvoyager nice work

[@SuperBullyone]

@@atomvoyager if you have anymore L molding I will pay you to make one for my boat

[@macktotman]

I see she is registered in Maryland. What do you think of the sometimes common perception that coast guard documentation is better for world cruising? Huge fan. Thanks!

[@atomvoyager]

I don't know if Lora is USCG documented as well as state registration. Some states want local registration for taxing purposes even if documented. I sailed for many years to 30+ countries with only state registration and no problems. In todays over regulated world some countries like in the EU might hassle you for not having documentation.

[@jjernigan1972]

She is federally documented. I did it just to avoid the possible hassles.

[@thomsonsails]

Nice job on the topsides. Did you spray or roll and tip?

[@atomvoyager]

On previous boats we did roll and tip but this A30 was one of the first that we sprayed and it saved a lot of labor with a slightly better result.

[@Sailspirit99]

Please, would you tell me where you bought the opening ports for Lora, the ones with the handles, not the knobs? I’m refitting a S&S30 and need to fit 2 of them, one in the heads, the other opposite. Much appreciated, Elaine

[@atomvoyager]

Newfound Metals: newfoundmetals.com/product-category/portlights/

[@cabincruiserlittlebigtime8445]

1st word that comes to mind about Lora is (capable)

[@mbchudno]

i am surprized this boat was not converted to electric. a bit more solar, couple extra lithium batteries and torqueedo outboard and he would not need any gas ever again and would be able to run fridge 24/7 and all electronics. it would be glorious.

[@atomvoyager]

The beauty of this conversion is that the motor well can be used for a Torqeedo or similar EP outboard in the future. And once battery technology has become safer and simpler and comes down more in price that will be an obvious choice when range is not an issue. But that doesn't work for everyone. For example, Lora motored through the Panama Canal this year and into the Pacific. EP doesn't have the range for that. Aside from doing the canal or ICW, most people don't need to motor 50 miles in a day so EP might be the way to go.

[@patrickwentz8413]

What paint did you use on the inside of the boat?

[@atomvoyager]

That was five years ago when we used off-white Brightsides with flattener. But we found it prone to mildew so haven't used it again. Since then we use EZ Cabincoat, an off-white, latex type with mold inhibitor and applied with a foam roller.

[@superwag634]

I also used a latex paint with mould inhibitor. It’s water based and dirt cheap at $30 for a gallon

[@janisspalvins677]

Alberg 30 - Swedish made boat?

[@adamcue6529]

Canadian made. Designed by a Swedish designer (Carl Alberg)

[@kevanggates]

The boat is an Acadian, Yawl Rigged, Built in Mahone Bay.It has already spent 2 year in the Bahamas with 4 souls aboard.

[@stephencarpenter8081]

What was the contact person who did the refit on your Albert 30?

[@atomvoyager]

The owner is currently cruising the South Pacific. The refit was done by James at Cruising Yacht Services and he can be contacted through atomvoyages.com

[@rcpmac]

My jib has a single line for furling. Unfurling is done with the sheet

[@atomvoyager]

Yes, fixed jib furlers like the one on this boat most commonly use a single furling line on a drum. A removable code 0 typically uses this type continuous line.

[@rcpmac]

No lazy jacks?

[@atomvoyager]

Lazy jacks are nice in theory on a boat big enough that the mainsail is difficult to gather up by hand. On smaller boats like this there is more work involved in fussing with retracting the lazy jack lines unless you motor straight into the wind when setting sail or unreefing. At sea on a windy day with windvane self-steering many of us don't want to be motoring, which means you need to pull the leeward lazy jack lines out of the way. Having to do that several times is more work than just gathering the sail and lashing it to the boom by hand. One of the advantages of smaller boats is you don't need things like heavy anchors and lazy jacks.

[@emmanuelsamaras8974]

Where is the beer?

[@melee401]

5 boat bucks would have probably gotten you a fresh A-4 ready for another 45-50 years. It seems like ALL the boats between 30 and 40' are day sailers. Always takes a re-fit it seems to get em up for blue water. Very nice build though. The refit was perfect. Very Sweet outboard conversion.

[@atomvoyager]

Thanks for the comments. The previous and current owners of Lora chose the outboard well not to save money but because they preferred the long list of advantages over an inboard rather than the shorter list of its disadvantages. Certainly not a preferred choice for most sailors though. I didn't mention the reasons in the video but I laid out the whole story in the article linked here: www.atomvoyages.com/articles/improvement-projects/395-the-improved-outboard-well.html

[@leov4187]

My 1974 Alberg 30 still has the original atomic 4. Works very well , it’s amazing really. I do have a rebuilt A4 ready to install if needed.

[@kevbjork1]

Wonder where he is now?

[@atomvoyager]

In the video description above is a link to his current position. He's approaching St Helena Island in the S Atlantic and is 3/4 the way through his circumnavigation.

[@blueskyredkite]

Looks like she sails beautifully. I am more than a little envious. What standing headroom is there in an Alberg 30?

[@atomvoyager]

The later interior liner models have 6'0" in the salon and a few inches less going forward. The older non-liner models may have up to 6'1". If needed, you could cut out the sole and drop it an inch or two but that would narrow the width.

[@johnbrooks3750]

I am 6'2", and I can stand up in the doghouse portion of the cabin (main saloon), as long as I am barefoot, or just wearing boat shoes. I have a 1967 boat (Mark I, without the interior fiberglass liner). Reinforcing around companionway hatch has 6', but that is just the lip around the lower side of the hatch opening,Better headroom than almost all other 30 footers, same vintage (Seawind) or newer (Pearson 30).

[@PaleBlueDotCitizen]

Good job you're going solo. Composting heads and women don't mix (sometimes)!

[@adrianbaker9804]

hi Im wondering what fabric the code 0 is made from ...also do you have any recommendations in that regard

[@atomvoyager]

The material is nylon spinnaker cloth, Challenge Fibermax 144 (I believe that is 3.4 oz), with 4.25 oz dacron UV cover. On my Triton 28 code 0 I use 2.2 oz nylon with about 3.5 oz dacron UV cover.

[@edenhunter9904]

dangerously under powered ...

[@bod3102]

Why? Seems like a good way to get in and out of harbour if that's all he wants?

[@edenhunter9904]

@@bod3102 Hi Bobo. The Alberg 30 is a medium displacement yacht for its size - it's not a particularly light boat in other words. Even in a moderate breeze, if tide was running against, this boat could find itself unable to make headway and thus be vulnerable to a lee shore or other dangers. There's a reason they put diesels in boats. I imagine they were factory fitted with a 15hp engine which not only has more horses but infinitely more torque.

[@petec9686]

@@edenhunter9904 you are correct that in the wrong situation, the difference between escaping and being splintered on the rocks, is more hp. There is a solution to this problem. Don't put yourself in such a situation. I am becoming more and more a fan of Atom's strategy of using a light outboard. It eliminates the most troublesome through hull there is, the prop shaft. If also simplifies maintenance and reduces drag. Some will say, yeah, but a diesel gets twice the mileage. To those I would say, use your damn sails more!!!!! If motoring down the ICW is a thing for you, yeah, you need a good diesel. Actually, you need a good powerboat.

[@edenhunter9904]

@@petec9686 Hi Pete, Nobody tries to put themselves in harms way - but it happens. Coastal cruising is particularly fraught with dangers for the small yacht and if you cruise long enough, you WILL be faced with a situation where a6hp outboard in a medium displacement long keel yacht becomes a very bad idea.

[@edenhunter9904]

And by the by - I think these boats were factory fitted with 20hp engines!!!!!