Albin Vega 27 first time owner

[Šćiban]

Hi everyone. I just bought my Vega. Its been a long time coming.
I have never owned one before but i have always wanted one and now that i do i am gearing up to to a refit. My problem is i don't have any experience and i live in Serbia where all the materials are dificult to get and it takes a long time to get them and typically they are more expensive than in other places too (customs and so on).
I would like input from you guys that have experience and have this sort of thing before.

the boat is in a good shape. Its a 1977 and has been owned by the same guy since new. The biggest damage is seen in this picture. So my question would be how would you go about repairing this what would you use. there are some other scratches along a section of the starboard side but they are superficial and not a big deal at all. the only other place is a small crack on the transom.

Thank you all for your advice and help
Nenad Šćiban
Albin Vega 27 #3278

 

[jssailem]

I would suggest reviewing the video works of Andy at BoatworksToday.com
He is a talented individual with fiberglass and gelcoat repairs.

The dings on the bow are normal wear. Cosmetic repairs caused by:

• Coming in a little to fast to a Dock,
• pulling up an anchor that bangs against the bow.

The transom damage is a bit more questionable. Could be something struck the transom in the middle and the crack has elongated over time. Check the inside of the transom for any damage. I would want to open up the crack and check for separation, along the crack, of the outer layer of fiberglass from the inner core.

The surface type of damage you report is not unusual for a boat that is 48 years old.

You want to inspect the structural integrity of the boat if you plan to go sailing. The mast and boom. The stays and how they attach to the boat hull (chain plates) and the mast. The hull and sails as well the rudder and how it attaches to the boat. These are all key safety issues.

 

[PaulK]

The problems with the bow are small. Filling the divots with something like MarineTex (white) would probably do the trick. Be careful with other epoxygoop products because they might look good initially but then UV degradation sets in and they turn into brown blotches. We ended up having to repaint our entire deck because we filled some dings with the wrong stuff.

 

[Šćiban]

Thank you all for your reply. I really appreciate it.
The standing rigging has been replaced a few years ago and the boat passed all the cantonal checks (swiss) with no issues last year. The deck has no soft spots feels and sounds quite good (sound ) the plan is to do a complete refit. the boat has no systems onboard so i plan to do all that myself anyway. I have already made a plotter using a rpi and i have a inverter/charger (victron mjultiplus 12 / 1600 /70 -16) and a mppt (12v/24v 100v /50a) and a rpi cerbo gx that i built as well as a 8kwh (624ah tested measured value) lithium battery with a 200A bms. I have been planning this for a while now and getting components slowly over time. The crack on the transom i suspect is ( i hope) just a gelcoat crack. I emptied everything from the transom cockpit locker and climbed inside and could find nothing wrong or see any damage whatsoever. But than again it was just a quick check as i was cleaning. Also there is no osmosis damage i could detect anywhere. Didn't get a moister meter yet but no blisters or pits seen anywhere on the hull and tapping the whole hull for an entire day didn't raise any alarms. All in all i think i bought a sound boat. I also got 5 sails 3 of wich were not used. The one issue i have is that it has a boom furler for the mainsail and the issue is i am totally unfamiliar with it. I unpacked all the sails just to see if there are any issues and to clean them and they all look very good but 3 look and feel brad new. I have 5 winches of wich two are self tailing (lewmar 16 i think they are Hold Fast Self-Tailing Winches ). I am going away for about 6 months on a job so i wont be doing any work on the boat just yet but i am preparing slowly for when i come back from location. And i have no experience doing any kind of boat work so i am using this forum to brainstorm you guys who have experience in these kind of things. Once again thank you and if you have any suggestion on what i should look for and and what i should pay special attention to i would appreciate it immensely. Thank you!!!

 

[PaulK]

Depending on how well the boom furler works - how easy it is to use, how often you need it and what it does to the sail and battens when you do - you may want to consider going to slab reefing.

 

[shemandr]

Yeah put in slab reefing. Boom reefing went out with the Twist. My Ranger 29 had it and a PO converted it to slab reefing. Finally an example of something a PO did that was good!
Where do you sail in Serbia?

 

[Šćiban]

I know that, and some time in the future that will happen , but not for now for now. The plan is, when i come back from location, to do all the hull repairs, new paint, interior redesign, systems (plotter wind system ac vhf ais ap windvane...) freezer fridge water-maker, then go sail a season or two locally and than to do changes maybe funds permitting. i don't have a furler for the jib, its a hank-on now. I think that should be my priority since all of this is happening to make the boat as easy for singlehanding as possibile. For now the first priority is hull and deck repairs. get rid of all the nicks scratches and chips for the whole boat. than recondition the engine md7a only has 606 hours since new but was left standing a long time without being used so i have to do that. the reason is that in Switzerland you have to have a separate license for a inboard of such and such hp and the md7a is above that value so the previous owner just used the outboard. For now hull deck gelcote paint.
p.s.
I forgotten to mention i have a airtronic heating onboard as well Eberspächer x2 cant fin the manual anywhere for it. its full functional and in good shape even for its age. On the net the consensus is that these old units were overbuilt and if you treat them right they will last forever. Can you guys maybe help with that as well?

 

[Šćiban]

Yeah put in slab reefing. Boom reefing went out with the Twist. My Ranger 29 had it and a PO converted it to slab reefing. Finally an example of something a PO did that was good!
Where do you sail in Serbia?

we have a few lakes and the Sava and Daube rivers but all of that is temporary the plan is down the Daube to the black sea and than the Mediterran but that is far in the future for now. at this point i want to concentrate on the refit and the repairs. And i can always trailer it to Montenegro Croatia or Greece once the work is "done"
P.S.
PO? petty officer?

 

[jssailem]

While I could not find the X2 model in a search it would appear that the X2 is similar to the D2 model. You may have luck contacting the manufacturer. They may have the manuals archived. Perhaps a parts list.

I did find these potential sites

1. Eberspächer Direct → Parts Finder, select “Airtronic D2”, and download the Spare Parts List. This will include exploded diagrams and part IDs — it may provide part information to your X 2 that are equivalent internal components.
2. Butler Technik Technical Library, browse the Airtronic D2 section for workshop manuals and also spare parts info.
3. Download the “Ersatzteilliste” (parts catalogue) for Airtronic D2 from ImPEK in Germany; the diagrams and model numbers may match the parts in your X2.

 

[shemandr]

Previous Owner.

 

[Šćiban]

While I could not find the X2 model in a search it would appear that the X2 is similar to the D2 model. You may have luck contacting the manufacturer. They may have the manuals archived. Perhaps a parts list.

I did find these potential sites

1. Eberspächer Direct → Parts Finder, select “Airtronic D2”, and download the Spare Parts List. This will include exploded diagrams and part IDs — it may provide part information to your X 2 that are equivalent internal components.
2. Butler Technik Technical Library, browse the Airtronic D2 section for workshop manuals and also spare parts info.
3. Download the “Ersatzteilliste” (parts catalogue) for Airtronic D2 from ImPEK in Germany; the diagrams and model numbers may match the parts in your X2.

i did write to them and they didn't answer at all. And its also quite near my birth place, i was born in Böblingen and they are the next town over some 6 miles away. As far as the part list the unit is fully functional i would just like to have the manual i also speak german so its not a problem if it is a german version.

 

[Šćiban]

Previous Owner.

lol ok thank you learned something new

 

[jssailem]

The manual for operations of the D2 model are possibly the same for your X2.
The D2 manual is on line.
You are correct. The units are well made and have a long life.
The Butler Technik Technical Library may be your best choice to find a manual.

https://www.butlertechnik.com/downloads/cms/7748/eberspacher-espar-airtronic-s2-d2l-workshop-repair-manual.pdf

 

[dLj]

I have boom roller furling on my boat and find it quite good. Perhaps if you post some pictures I may be able to give some advice on how to use it.

The one thing you do have to find is the correct angle of the boom to the mast so that it rolls up correctly. I have a topping lift that I mark where the line comes out of the mast so that I can put my boom at the correct angle.

I know some people don't like boom furling systems and some are pretty fussy. I'm currently on a larger boat, 55 footer, with boom furling and it is more difficult to work with than my own boats boom furling system so it does depend on the specific system on your boat.

dj

 

[Šćiban]

Thank you. I will send pics but my mast is down now and the Vega is on the trailer right now. I packed everything from the boat to my garage and its kind a difficult to get to the boom now, since it was the first thing to get put away along with the wisker pole, but i will try. Can you perhaps send some pictures of your boom too, so i can compare to see if its the same?

 

[dLj]

Thank you. I will send pics but my mast is down now and the Vega is on the trailer right now. I packed everything from the boat to my garage and its kind a difficult to get to the boom now, since it was the first thing to get put away along with the wisker pole, but i will try. Can you perhaps send some pictures of your boom too, so i can compare to see if its the same?

Sure I can send pics when I get back to my boat but we won't have a similar system. I won't be back for a month or so as I'm off sailing on this boat. Just so you know.

If you get your boom out before that and post pictures I can look at those and give ideas also.

Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun! Enjoy your new to you boat!

dj

 

[Šćiban]

Sure I can send pics when I get back to my boat but we won't have a similar system. I won't be back for a month or so as I'm off sailing on this boat. Just so you know.

If you get your boom out before that and post pictures I can look at those and give ideas also.

Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun! Enjoy your new to you boat!

dj

Did just that. Had about half of an hour but i got it out and back. Here are the pictures. Sry for the poor quality but i was in a hury.

 

[dLj]

Looking at your pictures I cant really tell where on the mast side the boom rotates. It may be under that rope. But I don't know. The other end with the flat bar is where you attach your main sheet, most likely on the bottom side with the swivels, and your topping lift attached to the top side where you have that single hole.

If your boom is rotating somewhere near that rope that's wrapped around then actually you don't have much of a problem furling your main sail w.r.t. boom angle to the mast. I'd have to see how your sail connects to the mast and the boom together to get a better idea.

Looks like a pretty nice set-up.

dj

 

[Šćiban]

Looking at your pictures I cant really tell where on the mast side the boom rotates. It may be under that rope. But I don't know. The other end with the flat bar is where you attach your main sheet, most likely on the bottom side with the swivels, and your topping lift attached to the top side where you have that single hole.

If your boom is rotating somewhere near that rope that's wrapped around then actually you don't have much of a problem furling your main sail w.r.t. boom angle to the mast. I'd have to see how your sail connects to the mast and the boom together to get a better idea.

Looks like a pretty nice set-up.

dj

i was hoping to get a reference about the boom itself so i can look up documents. I know a little bit but its only theoretical and the shipyard did the laying down of the mast and everything else without me present (just the way it went) when they loaded her on to the trailer. My transporter could only do Sunday so they did the transport and crane and mast and everything else on Friday so i didn't see anything while it was still on the boat. But it is what it is

 

[dLj]

I'd contact Selden.

dj

Seldén Mast AB

www.seldenmast.com