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Old 09-12-2019, 09:26 AM   #1
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Albin 36, what have I done?

Well me and my lovely partner have just bought a 1980 Albin 36 to cruise and live aboard. We're both retired and in our mid sixties, our intention is to wander north from Florida in the spring to my mooring in Rockport Maine and then back to Florida in the fall. I'm not new to boats at all but I am new to pleasure boats and Albins, suggestions and observations from fellow forum members would be of interest.
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Old 09-12-2019, 11:07 AM   #2
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Have fun! Sounds like a good plan. Just seek out 80F (or your favorite temp). If you wake up and it is colder, go south. If warmer, go north.

Fall on the east coast can be awesome as you go south. Here in NC, sept through nov can be really nice, our favorite time. Just have to pay attention to cold fronts and hurricanes. The fronts can be nasty, but a few days after it is nice again. Hurricanes are a whole 'nuther topic.

Spring here can be rather raw. If it is warm, it is blowing. If it is not blowing, it is cold.

So you might head north later than you think, and come south later than you think.
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Old 09-12-2019, 11:51 AM   #3
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Good advice thank you. I'm from Maine and worked for years in Alaska so I'm used to cold and wet but heat and hurricanes are a bit out of my personal experience. I've been in hurricane force winds in the Bering sea numerous times but it's not something I chose to court in our Albin. We have no set schedule so a slow meander up and down as suits our comfort level is the plan, knowing what to normally expect in your neck of the woods is great info and I appreciate it.
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Old 09-12-2019, 12:07 PM   #4
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Yep, you've done it now and really stepped into IT! You get to deal with all the smaller, rec vessel rated pieces of equipment like AC cooling pumps and heads and god know what else which breaks on a daily schedule.
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Old 09-12-2019, 12:13 PM   #5
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And here I was assuming those things were just part of the joys of pleasure boat ownership? That being said I can hardly wait to experience the wonders of repairing a vacuum toilet. A day may come when I actually miss having an engineer aboard.
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Old 09-12-2019, 12:51 PM   #6
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Congrats on your new baby. Now we need photos...
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Old 09-12-2019, 12:54 PM   #7
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VF toilet fixed right is not one of the items with which I am NOT personally having a problem.
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Old 09-12-2019, 01:11 PM   #8
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Congrats on your new baby. Now we need photos...
Let me get her home and cleaned up pretty first and I'll put some up, I only bought her yesterday.
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Old 09-12-2019, 01:14 PM   #9
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I was hoping for some insight into the mysterious inner workings of the VF toilet, my biggest fear is that it may decide to transform from a vacuum to a pressure toilet!
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Old 09-12-2019, 01:50 PM   #10
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You can always just carry a five gallon Rotella bucket.
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Old 09-12-2019, 02:02 PM   #11
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Congratulations on the boat! Sounds like a fun adventure.
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Old 09-12-2019, 02:18 PM   #12
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You can always just carry a five gallon Rotella bucket.
After 40+ years of commercial fishing my posterior is well acquainted with the plastic throne, my lady however suffers from more delicate sensibilities.
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Old 09-12-2019, 02:21 PM   #13
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Congratulations on the boat! Sounds like a fun adventure.
Thank you, I'm excited by the knowledge I won't be spending my retirement in a recliner watching reruns of Jeopardy on the tube.
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Old 09-12-2019, 03:56 PM   #14
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Spend a few bucks right now and replace that troublesome VacuFlush with an electric Raritan SeaEra toilet that uses fresh water. Easy to use, comfortable, very reliable, eliminates smells (which apparently mostly come from dead critters in standing seawater in the hoses). The amount of fresh water it consumes is very small, and well worth the other benefits, which include a much happier first mate (or admiral, depending...). And not too costly, either.
No commercial connection, just a happy consumer.
Of course, I'm sure you already know that owning an older pleasure boat really simplifies your life--no more concerns about any spare time or any spare money!!!
Enjoy!
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Old 09-12-2019, 04:22 PM   #15
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Spend a few bucks right now and replace that troublesome VacuFlush with an electric Raritan SeaEra toilet that uses fresh water. Easy to use, comfortable, very reliable, eliminates smells (which apparently mostly come from dead critters in standing seawater in the hoses). The amount of fresh water it consumes is very small, and well worth the other benefits, which include a much happier first mate (or admiral, depending...). And not too costly, either.
No commercial connection, just a happy consumer.
Of course, I'm sure you already know that owning an older pleasure boat really simplifies your life--no more concerns about any spare time or any spare money!!!
Enjoy!
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Thanks for the information, I hadn't actually intended my post to initiate a discussion of marine waste management however it is nonetheless part of the boating life for many. I would at least like to give the vacuum system a chance to disappoint me before disposing of spare money to replace it. I appreciate your input however I have my eye on a new radar/plotter setup for my money disposal chores.
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Old 09-12-2019, 06:58 PM   #16
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I had a Vacu Flush for 16 years on previous boats. Never had a problem with them. The one I had the longest was purchased second hand. Always reliable for me.

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Old 09-12-2019, 07:33 PM   #17
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I had a Vacu Flush for 16 years on previous boats. Never had a problem with them. The one I had the longest was purchased second hand. Always reliable for me.
Likewise, they're not terrible and if it's working now I wouldn't put it anywhere near the Top 10 of things to upgrade/replace any time soon.

When you're considering chartplotter changes, don't let yourself get pinned in by the limits of what you think will fit where the last one was located. There's all kinds of clever ways to set up that kind of gear.
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Old 09-12-2019, 07:37 PM   #18
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I was hoping for some insight into the mysterious inner workings of the VF toilet, my biggest fear is that it may decide to transform from a vacuum to a pressure toilet!
LOL
Just remember to put the duck valve back in correctly.
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Old 09-12-2019, 07:53 PM   #19
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LOL
Just remember to put the duck valve back in correctly.
I'm sure somewhere in my near future I'm going to encounter whatever the "duck valve" is, I had no idea what vast horizons my toilet would open up for me.
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Old 09-12-2019, 07:58 PM   #20
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Likewise, they're not terrible and if it's working now I wouldn't put it anywhere near the Top 10 of things to upgrade/replace any time soon.

When you're considering chartplotter changes, don't let yourself get pinned in by the limits of what you think will fit where the last one was located. There's all kinds of clever ways to set up that kind of gear.
That's where I'm lucky, the existing stuff is junk and I can clean house and arrange things to my liking. Fortunately the space available is compatible with my available funds.
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