Trailer for Alberg 30 Salacia

I mentioned in earlier posts that I would be working on a trailer for our Sal so we can get her to the house for a refit. Our goal is to make her more seaworthy and a more comfortable liveaboard.  

Well, the weather has finally broken enough to get started. Below are a few pics of the work:

Trailer the day I picked it up

Starting by removing the makeshift fenders. I will use these for additional keel support.

One fender removed

My main goal over the next week is to build up the trailer's crossmembers to support Sal's hefty weight, so I needed to find out what her keel dimensions are; more specifically keel width and length. I turned to the internet and found plenty of info on Alberg 30 trailers....but nothing that contained the exact data I was looking for. I emailed James Baldwin of www.Atomvoyages.com, known for his two circumnavigations on a Pearson Triton, as well as his plastic classic refitting. He quickly emailed me back and offered very close-up pictures and a sketch to help me with the Alberg 30 keel dimensions. Thank you James! 

New material sitting on trailer awaiting placement and welding.

This week I picked up some material to begin the keel support. Stay tuned for more info on the trailer build.

Classic Tough Salty Cruiser

   I tend to favor smaller older sailboats. I think the reason why is because of where I was brought up: New England, Cape Cod in particular. I love the look of Albergs, Cape Dorys, Westsails, Bristol Channel Cutters, and the list goes on. I admire these boats for not only their aesthetic but also for their ruggedness and reputation. One boat has stuck in my mind since I first saw it. A Pearson Triton, Berhia, belonging to Neil and Laurie Racicot. This boat caught my eye one day while walking the streets of Oriental. She just looked seaworthy and tough, and best of all, small.

   While standing there telling my wife how much I admired this boat and all the the little things that made her look the way she did, the owners showed up. Neil and Laurie were great people and young like us. We had just met people who were doing what we wanted to do. It was exciting and I wanted to hear about how they had made such a seaworthy vessel. Turns out they built her from a boat that had sunk! They turned this once-sunk boat into a vessel capable of taking her crew anywhere they wanted to go. Here is a link to their build up and adventure across the Atlantic: http://berhia.wordpress.com. Of all the things I like about this boat, the one thing that has stuck with me was it was simple!