Vega as a first boat?

albinvega1865 · Sep 9, 2007

Hi Bert and Evelyn,

The Vega is a great choice for a first boat. The Vega is my third boat and I continue to be surprised by every aspect of this boat. As you will soon hear from others in this list, she is an extremely sea kindly vessel, her construction is bulletproof and is typical of the high quality that is synonymous with Scandinavian sailboats. The Vega is an extremely well behaved and forgiving vessel and can handle some of the most severe conditions that mother nature can dish out. These boats have sailed around the world, and crossed every ocean. With the Vega, you can't go wrong really.

That being said, there are a few things you need to know about the Vega, and I understand your hesitation to hoist the sails right away, but the most impressive aspects of this little craft are best realized with the canvas up. I would encourage you to try motor sailing a few times, even with a reef in the main, just to get a feel for what she can do. Try heading for a little open water on a calm day and just try the sails up and feel what the boat can do...

The Vega handles remarkably well in tight spaces for a full keeled boat (something that I was concerned about after owning two fin keelers!). She can be a bit stubborn in reverse however (as the prop is located behind the rudder), and it takes some time to get a feel for the speed needed to generate steerage (I am still getting used to it I must admit). A little practice will have you zipping in and out of your space in no time I am sure.

There are so many people on this site that are far more experienced and knowledgeable about this boat than I and I am sure you will hear from several of them. Also, the input that you will receive from this Vega group, should you ever have any questions about the boat, can usually be answered ( I have yet to stump this list and lord knows I have tried!). You will find a great deal of help and support from Vega owners as we seem to be a pretty passionate group!

Last point is that there were over 3500 of these boats produced which means there are parts to be found, upgrades specific to the Vega, written materials, etc... that you simply will never find with those models that only saw a small production run. Even more impressing is that most of these boats are still sailing strong throughout Europe and North America. We have been enchanted by this little boat and we look forward to the years ahead as we continue to upgrade and learn more about what this sturdy and dependable craft can do.

Most Sincerely,
Chris & Kerin Graham
#1865 "Ready About"

bertandevelyn bertandevelyn@... wrote:
Would the Vega be a good choice as a first boat?

We are retired and only interested in gentle cruising. (Canada's West
coast in the Gulf Islands. My sailing abilities are limited. It's
important to me that the boat be maneuverable, especially in docking
situations. The boat I'm thinking of buying has had the diesel removed
and is powered by an 8 hp outboard. Initially we are planning to use
it powered only and gradually "move up" to sails.

Any comments would be appreciated.

stevebirch2002 · Sep 9, 2007

Great first boat but I would go for one with a reliable inboard if I was
you.

Chers

Steve B

pjacobs55 · Sep 9, 2007

Hi Bert and Evelyn,
I sail my Vega out of Pedder Bay, near Victoria, on Vancouver Island.
If you are close by maybe you'd like to come for a sail before making a
final decision. My Vega is my fourth boat, and I love it. I've done
quite a bit of work on it to make it "mine". She is a very sea-kindly
craft, and easy to single hand.
Give me a call at 250 478 5046 if you have any questions I might be of
help with.

Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'

albinvega1493 · Sep 9, 2007

We bought a Vega as our first boat last November. We did an inboard
repower with a rebuilt yanmar. I love the boat. But then again, I
don't have anything to compare it with. I do know that I am out in the
weather long after other boats have been put to bed. She loves the
wind and the waves. Not very manueverable with the inboard when
backing up. I don't know if the outboard is better for that or not.
If it is set up so you can turn the outboard, it seems to me that would
make it more manueverable. Good luck in your decision.

Larry Bissell
albinvega1493@...
"Kemanalea" SF Bay, Vallejo

groundhogyh · Sep 9, 2007

No matter what sailboat you choose, you will want to put up a sail even if you are just motoring.

The reason is that you won't get bounced around nearly as much. The sail stablilses the situation.

Of course, if the water is flat as glass, you won't need the sail.

roy

stevebirch2002 · Sep 12, 2007

Hi All

The preliminary form for IFR 2008 (Harwich) can now be downloaded from:
HYPERLINK
"http://www.albinvega.co.uk/ifr2008.html"www.albinvega.co.uk/ifr2008.htm
l

This is not a binding registration but shows interest so you will be on
the list to receive all future information.

Cheers

Steve B

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11/09/2007 17:46

warren_geoff · Sep 12, 2007

Hi Guys

You won't do much better than a Vega for your first or your fifth boat.
I tend to agree with Steve that you're better off with an inboard versus
an outboard but if the Vega you're looking at has the appendage off the
transom, so be it. She'll treat you kindly (with or without the motor
chugging away) and not get you into any trouble. As well, if you enjoy
puttering about on boats, you can take the interior apart with a
screwdriver and a 8 to 10mm wrench for purposes of
upgrading/refurbishing/etc -they're bulletproof, well designed and, to
quote my less than enthusiastic sailor wife, 'a real boat'.

If by chance the one you're looking at is the Jim Allen, Vela listing in
Oak Bay, all I can say is trust him and tell him what you want to use
the boat for. He'll treat you well and steer you in the right direction
-even if it's not one of his boats or a Vega. Jim helped me buy my
V2947 in Seattle, captained her with me when sailing home to Powell
River (in November's 25+ knot winds) and it wasn't his listing. He
knows Vega's, has owned and renovated several, and has sold the
venerable Vega circumnavigator, Lorna Doone, at least twice over the
years. Good luck, give a call if you want to talk about Vega's or Vela,
I'm in the P. River phone book.

Geoff Warren

sailshiva · Sep 13, 2007

Hello Everyone,
I agree with everyone's view on Vegas...they are a
great first boat, fifth boat, whatever. They are just
a great boat, period. We've had ours (Shiva) 20
years, and over the years we've looked at many, many
boats with the idea of getting rid of the Vega for
something bigger. After each round of boat viewing
and sea trials, we come back Shiva with a renewed
appreciation for all aspects of her. She's simple,
sensible, and durable.

One dangerous habit we have developed however, is
every time we DON'T buy the bigger boat, we some how
think, "Hey...we just saved ourselves $35,000--let's
spend some bucks on Shiva!" So she has a great Wallis
Stove, roller furling, dodger, and quite a few other
creature comforts.

Sheila

mnhdl · Sep 13, 2007

Hi Geoff,

You said :

As well, if you enjoy

vegatern · Sep 13, 2007

Your comment about being retired struck me. Perhaps I am
mistaken but it seems to me that a large percentage of Vega owners are
in that somewhat older crowd. I find this comforting, being there,
or at least approaching it, myself. The Vega is not some hot racing
machine but is , to me at least, more of a gentleman's boat. Perhaps
it is because Per Brohal intended it as a family boat in the first
place.
Craig Tern #1519

warren_geoff · Sep 13, 2007

Hi MM

Started at the stem (v-berth), am now back to the galley. All/all
woodwork has been removed/varnished, all tabs re-inforced
(repaired/re-epoxied), and all the interior hull/'living spaces' have
been cleaned, vinyl liner & 'mouse fur' removed/ground down (what a
pain) and primed/painted.

One foot pump (the head) was removed (left the thru hull in place and
plugged for now), two to go in the galley. The removing of the woodwork
throughout was the easy part, the hard part was getting it all back
together (after revarnishing in my workshop) without too many gouges
from very, very, tight fits. Bear in mind, I'm doing most of this while
the boat's in the water. Fortunately, I'm not bad at the working end of
standard hand tools but house repairs versus boat repairs are different
-nothing's square. Thankfully Per Brohall planned/put her together one
step at a time, I'm taking her apart the same way and, thank God, he was
obviously a very intuitive man. Still, lots of fun and keeps the middle
age grey matter active.

Short plan/answer; most of the woodwork's bolted to the fiberglass hull
tabs and the rest screwed to those pieces bolted to the tabs -quite
straight forward- screw driver/wrench.......says the man trying to sell
the Brooklyn bridge. An example; the wood chain locker 'divider'
bulkhead is bolted to a fiberglass hull tab. Reach through the anchor
chain 'hole', find the bolts on the other side, put a wrench to them, a
screwdriver to the bolt, unfasten all and, voila, out comes the
bulkhead.

I'll burn up the website doing a step by step of my previous
plans/actions to dismantle the forward pieces and the main cabin and my
plan for the galley and attendant water foot pumps in the galley locker.
Send an offline email and I can forward pics/my refurbishment plans
(past and future), etc. Which foot pump are you working with of the
standard three?

Geoff

Send us an email offline I'll do my best to

peterjmaud · Sep 14, 2007

Well I certainly will be retired before i put my Vega into the water.
Took early retirement from one institution, and then tried to retire
again this past August. Failed search for a replacement so I
volunteed to stay on another year. I will be 70 before my Vega goes
into the water!!
Peter

At 09:12 PM 9/13/2007, you wrote:

albinvega1865 · Sep 14, 2007

Hello!

This may seem picky and perhaps is a bit of a dumb question, but two of my clamps (the little white curtain rod clamps) have broken in the middle of the curtain rod track which basically renders both rods useless unless I can figure out a way to reattach them.

Question:
Is there a way to get my hands on those little white rod holders? Are they still manufactured, or would anyone know of a place that might stock such an item. I would love to keep things original on the boat...plus, it's less work to snap in a new holder!

Thanks!
Chris

trevy_kins · Sep 14, 2007

Chris, I think you'll find that they slide (not snap) into position.
Might be why yours are breaking? Trev V2915

________________________________

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Chris Graham
Sent: September 14, 2007 2:11 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AlbinVega] Curtain rod clamps...
Hello!

This may seem picky and perhaps is a bit of a dumb question, but two of
my clamps (the little white curtain rod clamps) have broken in the
middle of the curtain rod track which basically renders both rods
useless unless I can figure out a way to reattach them.

Question:
Is there a way to get my hands on those little white rod holders? Are
they still manufactured, or would anyone know of a place that might
stock such an item. I would love to keep things original on the
boat...plus, it's less work to snap in a new holder!

Thanks!
Chris

stevebirch2002 · Sep 14, 2007

Hi Chris

I still have a few in stock. They come in two parts. They are all end
pieces but if to be used in the middle then the end plate is taken off.

Cheers

Steve B

zaza_sese · Sep 15, 2007

The Vega was my second boat. And I am quite happy. I have to admit that even
here on the Swedish coast a large majority of Vega owners are over 50,
though I believe now there is a slight inversion in the tendency - I am
myself a little part of it being 'just' 40.
A key factor that makes the Vega excellent as first boat is the safety. In
our shallow waters a long keel saves a lot of potential sinkings. I never
heard of a Vega loosing the keel - though I heard of many Bavarias loosing
it. She's made of tuff materials and this is why she sailed everywhere,
though she's only 8 meters. I replaced and reinforced the mast support
structure with good wood and now I know I make it through it even when it
blows 25 m/s.

Regards

zaza

albinvega1865 · Sep 16, 2007

Hi Trev!

They were broken when I purchased the boat; haven't touched them yet...but thanks for the tips so I don't break them in the future!

Chris

Trevor Leech leecht@... wrote: Chris, I think you'll find that they slide (not snap) into position.
Might be why yours are breaking? Trev V2915

________________________________

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Chris Graham
Sent: September 14, 2007 2:11 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AlbinVega] Curtain rod clamps...

Hello!

This may seem picky and perhaps is a bit of a dumb question, but two of
my clamps (the little white curtain rod clamps) have broken in the
middle of the curtain rod track which basically renders both rods
useless unless I can figure out a way to reattach them.

Question:
Is there a way to get my hands on those little white rod holders? Are
they still manufactured, or would anyone know of a place that might
stock such an item. I would love to keep things original on the
boat...plus, it's less work to snap in a new holder!

Thanks!
Chris

albinvega1865 · Sep 16, 2007

Oh great! Will contact you off line Steve!
Cheers
Chris

Steve Birch steve@... wrote: Hi Chris

I still have a few in stock. They come in two parts. They are all end
pieces but if to be used in the middle then the end plate is taken off.

Cheers

Steve B

albinvega1865 · Sep 18, 2007

Hey there,

anyone know off-hand the diameter of the fuel fill hose in the Vega (the hose from the deckplate to the tank)? Are these a standard size? Just pricing some out, but don't have the diameter of the hose in front ot me and I have never had to replace one before.

thanks!
Chris

m m zaza_se@... wrote:
The Vega was my second boat. And I am quite happy. I have to admit that even
here on the Swedish coast a large majority of Vega owners are over 50,
though I believe now there is a slight inversion in the tendency - I am
myself a little part of it being 'just' 40.
A key factor that makes the Vega excellent as first boat is the safety. In
our shallow waters a long keel saves a lot of potential sinkings. I never
heard of a Vega loosing the keel - though I heard of many Bavarias loosing
it. She's made of tuff materials and this is why she sailed everywhere,
though she's only 8 meters. I replaced and reinforced the mast support
structure with good wood and now I know I make it through it even when it
blows 25 m/s.

Regards

zaza