The Albin 28TE

A versatile cruiser for single handed travel

As much as I’d love to have my “first mate” Harry help me, it’s “all paws on deck” for him. So in searching a boat for my trip, I sought out a vessel that would be large enough for one + big dog, heavy enough to handle rough water if necessary, shallow enough “draw” (the part of the boat below the waterline) to keep me out of trouble, stylish enough to be proud of her, reasonably economical on fuel, not devoid of creature comforts, and finally, a bow thruster to help with docking.

It’s amazing the variety of boats out there, but when I saw the Albin 28TE, it was calling my name. You can read a little more about this boat below. At sales of roughly 1000 hulls, this is considered a very successful design. I’d venture most are still plying the waters here and in Europe. Sadly, the company went bust during The Great Financial Crisis.

https://www.boats.com/reviews/albin-28-tournament-express-used-boat-review/

John Collin’s, mentioned in the article above, has passed away, but the forum he started lives on. If this kind of boat interests you, whatever your question, they can answer it there.

Above is my vessel sitting in the harbor in Amelia Island, Florida two nights ago.

For a nice “walk through” of a sister vessel see the YouTube link below:

Sadly, as I’ve packed for a long haul, mine’s not that “ship shape” but it takes a lot of stuff to be mostly self sufficient for this long a trip.

You’ll see more of my boat, “Chévere” in the future. BTW, the name loosely translates in Spanish in some Latin American countries as “cool” or “groovy”.

Stay tuned! There’s more to come!