GOB Alberg 35

Good Old Boat roasts the Pearson Alberg 35 in their July/Aug 2009 issue.

It was an A-35 that led me to the Ariel. I really fell for the Alberg 'style'. Didn't know at the time that most of the boats he designed used the CCA ocean racing rule. Still have no idea what they do. But assume that overhangs, beam to length and displacement, waterline length are CCA measurement influenced.
The Ariel originally sold as a "Midget Ocean Racer Cruiser.
What sailboats of Alberg were NOT influenced by the CCA measurements? Anybody know?

According to the article the A-35 seems to have all of the Pearson quirks that our Ariel/Commanders have. End grain balsa core that gets mushy and delaminates* - mast step support beam problems, encapsulated ballast with voids, fixed (leaky?) port lights, low cockpit coamings, too small cockpit drains, inadequate ventilation, unsafe cockpit lockers, a tiller dominated cockpit ( pedestal option offered). Topside hull thickness said to be 1" and more.
No complaint about the sailboat's easy motion.

Text in the article says that the shrouds are "outboard" but the photos don't show chainplates on the topsides. I assume that the plates go thru the deck next to the toerail as they do on the A/Cs.

Pearson used the same Melamine 'woodgrain' plastic for the bulkheads. I'm sure the same almost casual carpentry was used below as on the A/Cs.

It's really amazing how alike the A-35 is to the Ariel338 whose quirks I know so well!
I remember going back to the A-35 I was interested in and thinking there really wasn't that much room below on that thirtyfive footer compared to the Ariel! Of course that over states it. The Ariel below for me is very small.


I've been struck by the overall proportions of the Ariel which I believe to be close to sailboat perfection.
If the Alberg 35 had the same proportions as the Ariel the beam would be 10'9" rather than 9'8". That extra foot width would have changed the volume considerably and made a more spacious modern looking interior.

And in my opinion a more luscious looking boat
Not a fan of skinny lean sailboats like the scandinavian folkboat. They look hungry like ramp models.
[The 28'6" Triton with a beam of 8'3" if it had Ariel's 'proportions' would have a beam of 8'9" and my eye - which is more of a feeling - would like that less pinched 6" more width inside.]

If I had a million dollars I'd commission an A-35. That is an Ariel-35.
Obviously it can't be done so easy, but something to aim for. And one hell of an ocean cruiser that would make!
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*The article credits Everett as "pioneering the use of endgrain balsa as a coring material." But it is also the practices at Pearson Yachts that feature unprotected thrudeck holes for fastenings and fittings that lead directly to mushy decks and delamination.

Ebb...you'll be happy to know the electra had ALL the same Pearson/Alberg traits as well.I often wonder why builders don't simply leave coring completely out where bolts will pass and simply put an extra few layer of roving there.That would be simple, stronger and solve a lot of future deck problems. PS...the story goes that an A35 was sailing to England and experienced foul weather.After reefing down and slogging on they eventually tired and decided to 'lay ahull' and went below to play cards and drink coffee.After the storm passed they continued on only to find out the had gone through the same storm that sank several boats and took several lives....the 1978 Fastnet storm.

I believe it!
Remember that story but had to look it up again.
15 guys lost their lives in that race.
Of 306 starters 69 boats were lost or abandoned.

125 yachtsmen were picked up by helicopters, lifeboats, a Dutch warship, tugs, trawlers and a tanker in a morning of Force 9 after a night of Force 11! RAF Nimrod jets were involved also. A lot of other people also were out there during this disaster picking these people up. Ted Turner's Tenacious won the race.

Only deep keel boats can successfully lay ahull. Singlehanders who write books talk about it. Now adays you'd deploy a parchute ala Pardey or pull a drogue to get the boat pointed right in the seas.
Those guys in the Alberg 35 during that Fasnet must have felt they had plenty of searoom to cozy in the cabin and drift free in a Force nine!

Found it........
"In 1979, while those modern boats were capsizing and sinking, an Alberg 35 on it's way to England comfortably lay a-hull.
"It was really blowing and though they shortened sails and did everything else they could in order to keep going, they eventually took everything off, went below, battened down the hatches and just ate, drank and played cards. When it had blown over they hoisted sail and continued to England, where they were told they had just sailed through the same gale that had taken 16 lives in the Fastnet race. They had ridden out the storm by just sitting in the cabin while everyone else was capsizing."

"There are still some designers around who whare my ideas about glass boat design. Everyone else is trying to conform to the new rules. My boats are more designed to follow the waves and stay relatively dry and stable."
Carl passed away on August 31, 1986 at his home in Marblehead Massachusetts. His 56 designs resulted in over 10,000 "boats.

It would be fascinatin to read Alberg's ideas on glass boat design. Hearsay OR in his own words. And who he shared these ideas with.

Obviously we can see the results of that thinking in the Ariel and extrapolate by taking measurements. But that's not it.

Interesting thread - and since I have an A35 I'm sharing some of the concerns, with a few comments:

1. Balsa crumbling - bingo
2. Mast Step - nope, this seems very solid, much better than for example the Whitby built A30
3. Voids in the ballast - maybe, but at least it's lead, so won't corrode like pig iron. And the center of gravity seems lower, the A35 is a bit stiffer than my Commander. *Much* better than the A30.
4. Port lights leaking - bingo
5. Low coamings - nope, mine feel just right. Higher than on the Commander
6. Too small drains - bingo
7. Ventilation bad - not too bad, since 4 smaller ports *can* be opened, plus two dorade vents. But the salon has no opening ports indeed.
8. Unsafe cockpit lockers - bingo (if they mean that there's nothing separating the locker from the engine and the bilge
9. I like the tiller, and when not sailing it doesn't take any space, unlike a wheel. But while sailing it's in the way, true enough

Chainplates are same position as on A/Cs
Carpentry on mine has apparently been redone/upgraded by PO
I agree it's not spacious by a far shot, but at least it has standing headroom throughout (but watch your head when heading forward, the beams *are* lower. I bumped my head too many times to count...
Oh I would love one more foot of beam, it would really open some more space, but I reckon Carl kept her narrow for that sea motion thing, or whatever...

Stephan

Nice to meet ya Stephan!
This meeting hall may be a resource for early Pearson Yachts.....

But over the years it really has been about meeting people.

It's a ridiculous world out there.
It's great to be able to talk about something real.
Mushy decks and keel voids and favorite varnish.

Relax, open a bottle, put something on the grill.
In reality it is more like morning coffee and the modem.

Any sanity I have left is because WE are here.
This HERE here.:cool:


(oh yeah and littlegull, patiently waiting down at the yard.)

Well, ebb, after my Commander it was a done deal that my next boat would have to be another Alberg design. I think most of us are hooked so we cannot switch to anything else...