albin vega 27 alternative any thoughts?

[poz.]

What would you recommend as an alternative to Albin Vega 27? Unfortunately Vancouver 27 is too expensive for me to consider it. What I expect from the boat is solid as vega but with more space inside. Thanks a lot in advance for you recommendations.
Poz.

 

[jerrytug]

What's your budget? Halmatic 30? Nicholson 31? How about 'Radiance of Boston', a Gostelows cruising gaff cutter built by a smack yard which I believe has recently come on the market, a lot of boat for the money.

 

[poz.]

I would like to keep it around 27f and possibly trailerable.

 

[Kelpie]

Albin Ballad?
Nic 32?
Co 32?
Rival 32?

 

[Tranona]

Welcome to the forum.

As to your question, almost by definition boats of that type are short of room because of their short waterline length and narrow beam. So to get more space you have to go larger, which inevitably leads to potentially higher prices - but Twisters and the Halmatic 30 are likely to be cheaper than a Vancouver 27.

If you relax the requirement to have a long keel type then a whole new world of possibilities opens up. Most of the older style boats are getting very old now and a low buying price often comes with big replacement bills, so at any level of budget, condition of boat is far more important than specific design, particularly in the under £20k which I assume you are looking at.

 

[doug748]

As you no doubt know there are a number of respected designs of a similar length but no better accommodation. So I think you have to look for something a little longer.
Assuming that you are thinking of spending c 6k on the Vega and the cheapest Vancouver 27 might be c 15k+, then something between the two, maybe?

Perhaps a Ballad in the region of 10 thousand might be worth looking for.

Or this sort of thing:
http://www.boatingworldsw.co.uk/#/winters-maid/4575745943

Such is the market these days:
http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=381970


If you are set on a max loa of 27ft, then any extra room will tend to be either more expensive or a quite different style of boat. Whatever, few alternatives will have quite the reputation of the Vega.

 

[poz.]

As you no doubt know there are a number of respected designs of a similar length but no better accommodation. So I think you have to look for something a little longer.
Assuming that you are thinking of spending c 6k on the Vega and the cheapest Vancouver 27 might be c 15k+, then something between the two, maybe?

Perhaps a Ballad in the region of 10 thousand might be worth looking for.

Or this sort of thing:
http://www.boatingworldsw.co.uk/#/winters-maid/4575745943

Such is the market these days:
http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=381970


If you are set on a max loa of 27ft, then any extra room will tend to be either more expensive or a quite different style of boat. Whatever, few alternatives will have quite the reputation of the Vega.

Thanks a lot for your recommendation. I am set on 27f and possibly trailerable. What are the alternatives with the reputation of the Vega?

 

[halcyon]

What would you recommend as an alternative to Albin Vega 27? Unfortunately Vancouver 27 is too expensive for me to consider it. What I expect from the boat is solid as vega but with more space inside. Thanks a lot in advance for you recommendations.
Poz.

Halcyon 27 ?

Brian

 

[Tranona]

Thanks a lot for your recommendation. I am set on 27f and possibly trailerable. What are the alternatives with the reputation of the Vega?

Alternatives - Contessa, Folkboat derivatives, Halcyon, Nicholson 26, Bowman 26, Invicta are just a few. Look back in the PBO archives of 3 or 4 years ago and there was a review by Peter Poland of all the long keel type boats of that size. Most of them don't have even as much space as the Vega, never mind more.

Perhaps unrealistic to consider any of them trailerable by even a 4*4 as they will mostly exceed the weight limit when on a suitable trailer - never mind the difficulty of launching which will need a crane.

 

[Davy_S]

Halcyon 27 ?

Has the Halcyon 27 got more internal space than the Vega? It seemed similar when I last looked.
The Centaur has more space than both the above, but does not go to windward as good.

 

[scottie]

Albin cumulus if you can find one

 

[poz.]

Alternatives - Contessa, Folkboat derivatives, Halcyon, Nicholson 26, Bowman 26, Invicta are just a few. Look back in the PBO archives of 3 or 4 years ago and there was a review by Peter Poland of all the long keel type boats of that size. Most of them don't have even as much space as the Vega, never mind more.

Perhaps unrealistic to consider any of them trailerable by even a 4*4 as they will mostly exceed the weight limit when on a suitable trailer - never mind the difficulty of launching which will need a crane.

Thanks a lot. The Vega has only 2.3t, so it should not be an issue to find a suitable trailer. However the other alternatives seems to be a bit heavier. Anyway, it seems the real solution would be considering boats with a fin keel in 27f. Any recommendation on a boat with the reputation of the Vega. I can only think of Sabre 27, mirage 27, Sadler?

 

[Davy_S]

Thanks a lot. The Vega has only 2.3t, so it should not be an issue to find a suitable trailer.

I cannot understand the trailer need, to get the Vega anywhere near 2.3 t everything must be stripped out, the Vega IS a fin keel, but a long fin. I towed one from Southhampton up to the northwest, it had to be craned at each end, it is certainly not what you would call a trailer sailer.

 

[Seajet]

Trapper 501.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks a lot. The Vega has only 2.3t, so it should not be an issue to find a suitable trailer. However the other alternatives seems to be a bit heavier. Anyway, it seems the real solution would be considering boats with a fin keel in 27f. Any recommendation on a boat with the reputation of the Vega. I can only think of Sabre 27, mirage 27, Sadler?

Not sure which bit of the "reputation" of the Vega you are looking to replicate. It was a very popular boat in its time as the sales figures show, particularly in its native Scandinavia, but there are many other designs that are equally capable boats. If your limit is 27ft there are many designs available ranging from sedate family cruisers to racing orientated types. Would not be difficult to draw up a list of 20 or 30 boats, but you need to first decide on a list of features you want that relates to how you want to use the boat so that you can assess the alternatives. Assume that you are looking under £10k, so you will see boats in widely varying conditions, so you have to then decide what your priorities are and how big your overall budget is to do the sort of sailing you want. So keep an open mind, look at a lot of boats as experience shows the "right" boat will come along and you will recognise it when you see it.

 

[poz.]

Thanks. The issue is that I can spend only a month at see now and the rest is lake sailing, but I would like to have a boat with ability to do offshore. The real reason for a trailerable boat is that I want to keep her off season home to be able to do maintenance myself, and I am able to borrow 4x4 with 3.5t trailer. You are correct that it needs to be craned at each end, but I use crane for my current 23f when I take her to the sea anyway.

 

[{151760}]

Dufour 2800?

 

[Strolls]

The Jeanneau Fantasia is 27', and looks like it has a bit more interior space than the Vega.

I don't know what its reputation is like, however.

 

[Tranona]

Thanks. The issue is that I can spend only a month at see now and the rest is lake sailing, but I would like to have a boat with ability to do offshore. The real reason for a trailerable boat is that I want to keep her off season home to be able to do maintenance myself, and I am able to borrow 4x4 with 3.5t trailer. You are correct that it needs to be craned at each end, but I use crane for my current 23f when I take her to the sea anyway.

Most of the boats in that size range make perfectly good "offshore" boats - not only boats like the Vega. Perhaps you are looking at too big a compromise if you want a trailerable 27' boat suitable for both types of use and easily portable between the two. Even with a 3.5t towing capability, few boats of that size plus trailer will fit even if you strip them bare (cruising kit adds anywhere up to a ton to bare weights - which are often incorrect in published data).

 

[doug748]

Thanks a lot for your recommendation. I am set on 27f and possibly trailerable. What are the alternatives with the reputation of the Vega?

Well nothing really has the established record of the Vega, but there are a number of boats that would suit the role of sailing offshore, if maybe not quite suited to heroics.

The problem is that they are mostly too new and/or expensive or no better than the Vega in terms of accommodation. Sadler 26 would be too dear, the 25 too small, the 29 too big etc.

You could do worse than follow the Fantasia suggestion. It's own mother would not call it a Vega rival but it will get you across the channel and has lots of room. Here is one on it's own cart:

http://jeanneau.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=413920