carl alberg sailboats

Carl Alberg (1900-1986)

Alberg's career coincided with the newly developing fiberglass boat-building techniques beginning in the late 1950s, and the founding of Pearson Yachts, one of the pioneers in the field. Thousands of boats designed by Alberg were built by Pearson and others, and most are still sailing to this day. Among his most well-known designs are the Pearson and Aeromarine Triton, Bristol 27, Pearson Ariel, Commander, Ensign, Alberg 30, Alberg 35, Alberg 37 and many of the Cape Dory designs. The vast majority of his designs were built in the US where he spent most of his life. He was adamant about what he considered a good, safe design and resisted the trends toward fin keels, spade rudders and flat bottoms. His designs are typically recognizable, with long, graceful overhangs, low-slung sheerlines, narrow beam and sweeping full keels that are cutaway in the forefoot, designed to the CCA rules of the 1960s. It has been said that Alberg had but one boat design and simply scaled it up or down as needed.

Andrew Vavolitis of Cape Dory Yachts said, "I always asked Carl to design me the beamiest and shallowest boat possible. Then he'd go away, and what he came back with, was what we used. Of course, it was never as beamy, or as shallow, as we liked. He never compromised his design principles." Carl passed away on August 31, 1986 at his home in Marblehead, Massachusetts. His 56 designs resulted in over 10,000 boats. This site is dedicated to Carl Alberg and the graceful, sea-kindly boats the "stubborn Swede" designed, that have brought generations of sailors so much enjoyment.

Carl Alberg's yacht plans and drawings are now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA USA.

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Alberg 35 and Alberg 37

By Tom Zydler
Updated: July 31, 2002

Ann and Brian Lancaster have morphed their Alberg 35, Cross Town Traffic into a real gem, the likes of which original builder Pearson yachts never envisioned. They have upgraded the rigging, repowered with diesel, added a reefer/freezer and retrofitted a comfortable chart table inside. They’ve even designed and built a dinghy that fits on the coachroof like a comfortable old slipper without impairing the helmsman’s visibility and important in the Marshall Islands where they are right now, halfway through a carefully planned circumnavigation.

Although decidedly thirty-something, the boats, first commissioned in 1961, continue to deliver pleasure and adventure to their owners. Chris Ogden just bought Maui, built in the last production year, 1967, and hauled her out to prepare for a cruise to the West Indies and the Western Caribbean. Even on the hard, the long overhangs rise gracefully over the boxy cabin cruisers. A yard worker ground the layers of old bottom paint down to the gelcoat and revealed five small blisters and not bad for this old lady. Inside are a grand V-berth, a cavernous chain locker, a multitude of doored storage niches and a bin for storm sails.

The late Carl Alberg designed the 35 as a coastal cruiser. With LOA of 34’9″ she has a short waterline of 24’0″ and moderate beam of 9’8″ good proportions for slipping along in light air. The waterline lengthens when the hull heels, and the boat foots nicely in a breeze. Draft of 5’2″ permits gunkholing in the Bahamas. Displacement of 13,000 pounds, heavy by today’s standards, provides good motion at sea and the ability to carry a modern cruiser’s payload.

Added to the aesthetics, many boat buyers like the price on either side of $30,000, depending on year and condition. Fixer-uppers can be found for as little as $10,000. A 35 in top condition offers a solidly constructed hull (more than one inch thick below the waterline) capable of taking a grounding without worry for the encapsulated lead ballast of 5,300 pounds. So configured, of course, there are no keel bolts to corrode.

A family will enjoy the boat with her numerous bunks in the two-cabin versions. In the dinette layout the cabin table drops to make a wide bunk. The whole starboard side holds a three-burner oven/stove, an icebox and food lockers. The version with the settees has a galley by the companionway. Both interiors have quarter berths. Several removable panels open for total access to the engine, and floorboards lift to reveal two monel water tanks (60 gallon) and a fuel tank (30 gallon). A deep bilge prevents any water from sloshing into lockers. With an enclosed toilet compartment with a shower sump and large hanging lockers, the boat offers comfortable seagoing quarters.

Drawbacks? Older boats will need hose and electrical wire replacement. The bulkhead under the deck-stepped mast needs beefing up as does the bottom edge of this structural piece. For offshore work I would replace the pretty but weak bronze window frames with bolted ports, or install storm window covers. The balsa-cored deck calls for a surveyor’s mallet to locate any delaminations that can be labor intensive to repair. Inside, Pearson Yachts finished the bulkheads with wood-grained formica. Repainting the bulkheads with light solid colors, after first heavily sanding the surface, helps. Add varnish on the standard teak trim and the cabin will look elegant.

Carl Alberg never meant the Alberg 35 for extensive ocean cruising. For this he drew a 37-foot yawl. It compares to the 35 as does a thoroughbred to a Shetland pony, both from a good stable. The Alberg 37 raced under the CCA rule and the design has long overhangs and a short full keel ending with a raked rudder to reduce the wetted area. Showing the typical Alberg moderation of basic ratios, a slim, slippery hull only 5’6″ deep with beam of 10’2″ and 26’6″ of LWL is powered by 646 square feet of sail (in the available sloop version). The single-spreader mainmast goes right through the coachroof to rest on a well engineered mast step and perfect for offshore work. Apart from adding 40 square feet of sail, the mizzen can serve as a riding sail at anchor, carry a mizzen staysail or provide the option of a balanced jib-and-jigger sail plan should the fully reefed main be too big for wild conditions.

At 37’2″ LOA and a displacement of 16,800 pounds, the Alberg 37 has the feel of an oceangoing yacht with wide side decks leading to the bow. Below, you get the impression of a larger boat due to ambient light and breeze from several ports and two overhead hatches. Teak bulkheads match the teak-and-holly sole with lifting floorboards for access to the tanks (60 gallons of water and 35 of fuel). The deep bilge has the volume for additional tankage, an important feature in these days of mandatory holding tanks. Apart from a large V-berth, the main cabin has two pull-out settees plus a pilot berth. Shelves for electronics bank the chart table, where a cushioned seat folds cleverly to extend a quarter berth.

The Whitby Boat Works in Canada built Alberg 37s, sloops and yawls, in Mark I and Mark II versions between 1967 and 1988, a testimony to the longevity of a classic design. According to all reports, the builders produced a strong hull. A 1977 hull, Good News, ended up on a Block Island, Rhode Island, beach in 1991’s Hurricane Bob and suffered only scratches. Since then, her second owner David Huck has cruised in her as far as Cuba and the southern Bahamas and praises her seakindly performance in sloppy Gulf Stream seas.

Potential buyers of the 37 should expect to pay between $35,000 and $60,000. They should employ a surveyor to examine the balsa core deck and the bulkheads, some of which have been known to separate from the hull. The Mark II has less wood in the construction, employing instead a molded floor support, molded overhead liner and a fiberglass toerail.

Alberg 35 Specifications: * LOA: 34’9″ (10.6 m.) * LWL: 24’0″ (7.3 m.) * Beam: 9’8″ (2.9 m.) * Draft: 5’2″ (1.6 m.) * Ballast: 5,300 lbs. (2,404 kgs) * Disp: 12,600 lbs. (5,715 kgs) * Sail area (100%): (sloop) 545 sq.ft (51 sq.m.); (yawl) 583 sq.ft (54 sq.m.) * Ballast/Disp: .42 * Disp/Length: 407 * SA/Disp: 16.1 (sloop); 17.2 (yawl) * Fuel: 30 gal. (114 ltr.) * Water: 60 gal (227 ltr.) * Holding: retrofit * Auxiliary: Gas, inboard * Designer: Carl Alberg

Alberg 37 Specifications: * LOA: 37’2″ (11.3 m.) * LWL: 26’6″ (8.1 m.) * Beam: 10’2″ (3.1 m.) * Draft (deep): 5’6″ (1.68 m.) * Ballast: 6,500 lbs. (2,948 kgs.) * Disp: 16,800 lbs. (5,121 kgs.) * Sail area: (100%) (sloop) 646 sq.ft. (60.0 sq.m.); (yawl) 686 sq.ft. (63.7 sq.m.) * Ballast/Disp: .39 * Disp/Length: 403 * SA/Disp: (sloop) 15.8 ; (yawl) 16.7 * Fuel: 35 gal. (132 ltr.) * Water: 60 gal. (227 ltr.) * Holding: retrofit * Auxiliary: Volvo MD2003 28-hp * Designer: Carl Alberg

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Carl Alberg - 1900-1986

by Mike Lehman

A collection of stories about the Alberg 30 and how a bunch of Chesapeake Bay sailors came to buy a bunch of these boats and form an association around racing and cruising them.

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Sailboat Guide

Alberg 35 is a 34 ′ 8 ″ / 10.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Carl Alberg and built by Pearson Yachts between 1961 and 1967.

5 / 8 Oyster Bay, NY, US 1965 Alberg 35 $32,000 USD View
6 / 8 Oyster Bay, NY, US 1965 Alberg 35 $32,000 USD View
7 / 8 Oyster Bay, NY, US 1965 Alberg 35 $32,000 USD View
8 / 8 Oyster Bay, NY, US 1965 Alberg 35 $32,000 USD View

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
LOA: Length overall in feet
Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

The Alberg 35 is a classic cruising from the board of Carl Alberg , built by Pearson Yachts from Rhode Island and introduced in 1961. It earned a good reputation for her fine sailing qualities, and with a six year production run of 280 boats, she was considered a success for her builder.

By todays standards the Alberg 35 may not offer the latest in performance or much room below decks, but she still delivers fine time honoured cruising qualities. The Alberg 35 is well designed, safe, and capable of serious offshore cruising; best of all she’s good looking and affordable.

Configuration and Construction

As with all Alberg designs and in fact many sailboats of that period, the Alberg 35 derives its ancestry from Scandinavian folkboat influence. These designs are known for their classic beauty, safety and relatively good performance. Expect a springy sheer line, long overhangs, full keel with a forefoot cutaway.

Designed as a racer/cruiser and reflecting the latest thinking of her day, the beam is very narrow beam, only 9 feet 8 inches. The waterline is short at only 24 feet, which is good for light airs, but as the breeze stiffens the waterline will also extend by laying down on her long overhangs.

The hull and deck are of fiberglass construction, a very new material at the time, so hull thicknesses were conservative and heavy, an inch thick below the waterline. The deck is cored in balsa, resulting in a light and stiff structure with good heat and sound insulation, but note the early boats were not end grained balsa with its superior compression strength.

The cutaway keel has 5,300 pounds of lead as ballast which is cast into the keel cavity and encapsulated in fiberglass. The keel-hung rudder is normally on a tiller but some boats can be found with the optional wheel steering.

The boat came with two interior layouts. A dinette layout which has the cabin table dropping to form a wide berth to port while the galley was situated to starboard with a 3-burner stove, an icebox, and pantry lockers. The more commonly illustrated layout has settees to port and starboard of the cabin with the galley situated in the companionway area.

Engine accessibility is good, several panels can be removed to reveal complete access. Water and fuel are located below the cabin sole, the bilge is deep and safeguards against water sloshing into the lockers.

Performance underway is typical of folkboat influenced designs, her narrow beam and slack bilges make for a tender boat. She heels easily to an angle of 25 degrees before stiffening up. Inherent in the long overhangs of the hull shape, the waterline lengthens and so hull speed is in fact faster than the LWL figures may suggest. These designs also have a tendency to hobbyhorse.

The mainsail is known to be a bit large in relation to the foresail, giving the boat a weather helm which becomes particularly strong under a reach. Some owners have fitted small bowsprits to their boats in order to correct for this, while others shorten the long boom to reduce the mainsail.

Where the skinny hull containing deep wineglass sections and a decent displacement pays dividends is in the area of seakindly motion. The boat has a very gentle motion, and is especially seaworthy. Alberg himself cited a story of an Alberg 35 riding out the 1979 storm which claimed 16 lives in the Fastnet race with little fanfare other than battening down the hatches, eating, drinking and playing cards.

Buyer Notes

Watch for delamination in the deck or any water damage to the balsa coring (tap the deck with a mallet and listen for a dull or hollow thud sound). Especially around fittings and stanchions. Check for cracking, bending or movement in the mast compression post and supporting structure. For offshore work some recommend beefing up the bulkhead in this region.

Check tankage, early boats had galvanized tank which will eventually corrode through.

As with any boat of this age check the wiring, if not already completed by previous owners, they will need an extensive rewire.

Links, References and Further Reading

» An article on the Alberg 35 and Alberg 37 , Cruising World Magazine, July 2002 » Alberg 35 Review by Gregg Nestor, Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere » The Alberg 35 users group, articles and information .

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1965 Alberg Pearson PROCYON Alberg 35 cover photo

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Small-boat Dreams and Carl Alberg’s Classic Daysailers

In search of the perfect daysailor.

Taste is as fickle as doldrum winds, and taste in sailboats are no exception. Ten years ago we explored the world of luxury daysailors , which were (and still are) cropping up everywhere. These were beautiful day-boats, mostly gold-platers with prices beyond the reach of ordinary sailors. As such, the report was more on of an exorcism, a final attempt to shed that fantasy: “If I won the lottery . . .”

Of course, it was to no avail. We’ve still not won the lottery, and although we are quite satisfied with our present fleet, we can’t help but dream about other boats. But these days—whether due to frugality or good sense—our tastes have turned back to the hulls of earlier times, the boats Carl Alberg, especially.

Fans of “classic plastics” wouldn’t be wrong to suggest that many of the current crop of high-end daysailers bear an uncanny resemblance to Carl Alberg’s designs of the 1960s and ’70s. These, in turn can be traced back to even earlier hull forms.

Born in Sweden in 1900, Alberg emigrated to the US in 1925 after studying naval architecture at the Chalmers Institute of Technology. Probably best known for his work for Pearson and Cape Dory, he had an eye for seakindly hull forms and the aesthetically pleasing line. It is no surprise that Alberg’s design philosophy would serve to guide, or at least partly inspire the current daysailer quest.

The used boat market is flooded with good used daysailers under the $5,000 mark, and Alberg’s designs, in part because of their loyal following, generally make for good buys. Among the most affordable daysailers in the Alberg stable is the 19-foot Typhoon, one of 10 boats he designed for Cape Dory. Another Carl Alberg design, the 22-foot Ensign, of which approximately 1,600 hulls were built by Pearson, closely rivals the Typhoon in popularity.

Moving up, there’s the salty-looking 23-foot Seasprite from builder Clarke E. Ryder. From Pearson, there’s the 26-foot Commander (pictured above), at least one of which—Zoltan Gyurko’s The Way— has ventured across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Alberg’s boats are no slouches, but with their full keels and attached rudders, they are a far cry from today’s daysailers in terms of performance. Reflecting Swedish Folkboat-like proportions, they are sensible boats that can stand up to a breeze. They may be boats of a bygone era, but in our view, they are still worth every penny.

Do you have a favorite classic daysailer, or small-boat designer? Let us know in the comments or email [email protected] with your favorites, so we can include them in our next broad report on this category of beloved small boats.

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48 comments.

You forgot the Pearson Electra and Pearson Ensign. I once owned the Electra. It was a fine boat,

just said a fond farewell to Dr Sally, my Electra, hull#3.

The other day I saw a Kittiwake on Lake Travis, Texas. I believe it is an Alberg design.

I have one on the Maryland Eastern Shore!! Great for kids and grandkids!

Hey! I just bought a kittiwake and I will be launching it on Lake Travis next weekend! hope to see the other one you are talking about soon!!

My first boat was a Sea Sprite and I currently have a Cape Dory 27. Absolutely wonderful boats! All were built by excellent builders as well. Perfect for the Narragansett Bay.

Good implementation of the Newspaper theme ! Congrats

Don’t forget the Corinthian Sailstar series which pre-dates the Cape Dory line and is the bases for the Typhoon.

For classic boats there is also the Bayfield 25 and 29′ designs, with the 29′ having a cutter, two foresails, sailing rig. The nice thing about shallow draft full keels is you can almost always find a spot to anchor even if arriving late in the day to a crowded spot as the fin keelers have to stay in the deeper water or tip over as the tide goes out. I’ve seen this a few times. If the breeze gets up the full keel designs can put up there hull speed and keep up with fin keels of the same length without the tenderness to heel so dramatically in the gusts. In light airs the full keel needs some big sail area to hoist, genaker or such, in order to ghost along and cover the miles in a not altogether unpleasant way to get where the breeze takes you to when the sun gets over the yardarm towards the day’s end. We had great fun in our Bayfields as the kids grew up. Moving inland broke that bond with the salt sea.

A Typhoon was my first boat. Great design to learn on; particularly on the ocean. Steep learning curve. Great teacher! A Seasprite was almost my second boat. Got a Stonehorse instead. S S Crocker design. Another man who knew his business. While no regrets there, like a first love, the Typhoon holds a place in my heart. Now have a Mason. Anybody see the logical progression?

I owned a Pearson Commander for 23 years and reluctantly sold her for practically nothing when the foredeck got spongy. The guy who bought her did a full restoration. Ten years later, I would buy her back tomorrow if she were available.

BTW, the Ensign was built by Pearson, not Cape Dory. Also, the Pearson Ariel/Commander Association is a great source of knowledge about these boats. http://www.pearsonariel.org/

I have a Pearson Triton, 1965. She’s a tank but such stunning lines.

I have a Pearson Rhodes 41, but my fun boat is Gary Mull Santana 22,the best learning platform i could imagine

Started my sailing on Lake Huron with a lovely keel /centerboard Paceship PY23 at a time when I thought “tender” referred only to steaks. Great boat, and looking back, I did some crazy things, like flying a spinnaker single handed. But the sea gods took care of me in my youth. I eventually moved on to a Northern 29 and was amazed by its performance in windy conditions on Georgian Bay. The 50% ballast ratio kept it stable and kept me safe. After 13 years with the Northern I downsized to a pristine Alberg 22, the most fun, most handsome boat I ever owned. I often wish I had kept it, but my wife insisted we should again go bigger. Today I’m back to cruising on our Ticon 30, among the most spacious,rugged, and comfortable cruisers of the mid ’80’s. The Ticon performs amazingly in winds above 15 knots, and with self tailing winches, autohelm and practice….practice,can be single handed. I’m thinking we’ll grow old together.

The first keel boat I sailed was a Bristol Corinthian in Narragansett bay, 2nd was a Paul Coble design Bristol 24 Corsair, on Long Island/Block Island sounds, Currently I am on H Herreshoff designed Bristol 29.9 #17, that has taken us from New England to the Bahamas and back twice, Classic plastic from good designers and builders can’t be beat.

Fair winds, Jeff B.

I’m looking at the 29.9 in Oxford MD next week. OCD owner. Still priced way high. I’ll prolly make an offer of 20-24k. Not sure yet. Probably going to survey her. I’ve been abord. Loved it. My wife , hopefully will agree. 😉

Had an Alberg 30 for a few years raced really well in light and heavy winds..Now have an Cape dory 33 getting it ready for extended cruising and possible pond crossin! !!

Am now fitting out a Rhodes Meridian 25, my 2nd Rhodes design, having had a Swiftsure.

Cornish Crabber 24′ Mk1

Don’t forget the Alberg 21(his only regression I believe, to a fin keel), the Typhoon Sr., South Coast 23,(same hull as the Kittiwake), Cape Dory 22, Cape Dory 25D, Pearson Ariel(same hull as the Commander), and the Bristol 27, all great boats.

Alberg designed the South Coast 21, which he begrudgingly designed with a fin keel and spade rudder. That may be the only fin keel boat he designed. I sail a Pearson 26OD which has the overall look of a Pearson Commander, but with fin keel/spade rudder.

Hi to all. I totally agree with sentiments. I had a Cape Dory Typhoon 19 that I sailed all over Galveston Bay. Then stepped up to an Albin Vega 27. Both superior sailing craft and perfect singlehanders while the girlfriend sunned and served snacks. Loved to weekend on the Vega. Then stepped up to an Offshore 33 Cat Ketch with wishbone booms and it is the best singlehander along with a Nonsuch that I have sailed in larger craft. Lived on Valhalla II on the Chesapeake, and kept her when I bought a Baba 40 to live aboard for a while in Baltimore Harbor. Great boat but even with rerig with electric winches was not an easy singlehander. After several years sold her and now refitting and furnishing Offshore 33. Retiring soon and hope the rework can get done so I can go play on the coastal waters. Wish you all safe and enjoyable sailing. David Ready Virginia Beach, VA s/v Valhalla II

Since others have branched out beyond Alberg, I’ll add the Ted Brewer Quickstep 24. Modified full keel, with the sump set well back from the forefoot and the “Brewer bite” out of the after section before the attached rudder, so she never misses stays, and is a little quicker, but still only draws 3.5 ft. Also a little more tender, probably, but she heels over on her shoulder and stops there. Canoe stern sacrifices some of the hull speed increase the heeling would normally bring, I suspect. My Quickstep likes a reef when the wind gets much over 15, and when trying to tack down the Intracoastal with sandbars on either side I sometimes wish I had a fractional jib, rather than the masthead genoa she came with. Functional cabin and comfortable cockpit, and a pretty boat.

Hi – I’m looking at purchasing my first boat and there’s quickstep in my area (North East) that seems reasonable ($14k). My home waters is the Hudson River and I’m hoping for a nice day sailer that short tack up the river and run back down. Would you describe the quickstep as sporty? I like the form factor but want to make sure it’s got legs in light and strong air.

Also branching out surprised no one in the comments mentioned the Folkboat. First sailboat I ever sailed. Owner brought her in to the dock under sail and said here, I’ll get the docklines, you bring her in. It was such a sweet sailing boat I was almost hooked on them. But years past in other pursuits. Then I started working on much larger and older boats and really learned to sail on the 1891 Hay Scow Alma (2 masted schooner) who is part of San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park before getting my own boats.

Hi, Just finished a wonderful three day cruise on the Neuse River near Oriental N.C. My new old boat (1973 Cape Dory Typhoon) is a dream come true. It blew 18 plus knots all three days and never had to reef! After cruising for the last twenty years aboard a 40 foot sail boat my wife wanted to toss out the anchor so with my own health issue I down sized to the Typhoon and have never looked back. She is a dream to sail though a bit wet at times. Everyone makes comments on what great lines she has etc! If your looking for a great boat at a good price you can’t go wrong with a Typhoon. Happy sailing

Have had quite a few boats in my 66 years. However the Pearson Commander was an awesome day sailor. Even took short cruises on her. Great boat. Now I have a trawler however I believe a day sailor is in my future to just sail around the bay on a beautiful day.

Was the Ensign a Cape dory or as you stated or a Pearson?

The Ensign is a Pearson, originally called the Electra Daysailer. We have 27 of them at the Austin Yacht Club on Lake Travis. I think that they are still being built in Florida.

I had a Rhodes Pearson Vanguard 32′ for 21 years, and I now have one that is like that only more so, the Alberg designed Cape Dory 33′–a real gem that I have had for 19 years. Into classic designs–full keels, heavy etc. At 81 in Maine there is the simple joy of just being out there amongst other boaters. The CD 33′ has carried me far.

The 22’6″Carl Alberg full-keel Pearson Ensign is the day sailor version of the Pearson Electra four berth MORC pocket cruiser with beautiful lines, a 16 ft waterline, reverse transom, storage cuddy cabin, 7/8 rig, 7′ beam, and a 3′ draft, weighing 3,000 lbs. From a distance she looks like a miniature 12-meter. She can easily seat six adults in an extremely spacious deep cockpit, but the cockpit is not self-bailing. She is a sweet sailor, normally raced with a crew of four, and can be raced using dinghy tactics, as she has no lifelines. Modern sensibilities would require a porta-potty stashed in the cuddy with questionable headroom, but it could be done. There is an active class association-largest one-design full-keel class in North America, and new Ensigns are being manufactured in Marquette, Mich., by Ensign Spars, Inc. using the original molds purchased from Pearson. Class rules require all-Dacron sails (except spinnaker) to keep costs down. I’m glad to see this, as I sailed an Ensign on Sarasota Bay in 1967 and I love this beautiful plastic classic. Older boats are very competitive, winning the last two Class Championships-of course all official racing this coming summer is cancelled or postponed.

No one mentioned the ocean craft 16,or the west wind

Bristol 27 here, oldie but goodie. I am rigging new boats today, and they are sooooooo big, I am happy with my 27. I cannot imagine how some of these older (mostly) couples would deal with the massive sails if all their self furling shit fails? Which it prob will at some point.

The Ensign was not “a Cape Dory design”. Nor was it built by them.🙃

I had an Alberg 35. 1962. Among the first true voyage designed fiberglass boats. Built in RI. Cruised and lived aboard it for 10 yrs. lost it to (class 5) hurricane Andrew in Miami. A 130’ steel barge went sideways through the marina and pulverized boats. Bow over there, port stern over there, cabin top not to far away etc. But not the Alberg! Although trounced into the bottom and run over, she was completely whole. Totaled only by the decay of the wood interior soaking in diesel soaked sea water for 3 weeks. But when we floated her she was completely whole!

My family owned Alberg 35 Hull #3 back in Michigan between 1971 and about 1985. We lost track of her after she was sold. At the time we owned her she was a gray hull with mahogany cap and coamings. she had an added mahogany plank style bowsprit for an anchor. Any chance it was your boat?

All in all my family has owned three different Alberg designs, ranging in size from a Typhoon to an Ariel to an Alberg 35. Interestingly they were owned in reverse order of that list as we downsized over time. I wrote to Carl Alberg when I was still a college student and I got a nice hand written reply. I wish I could find that letter. I never consciously threw it away but it seems to have disappeared over the years.

Good article, great comments & stories. Would be nice to see a similar article on the Catalina 27.

Just purchased typhoon 1315 been touching up wood and deck cracks. Waiting for new standing rigging.

Had an refinished a 26 ft folkboat, all wood lapstrake mahogany, in 1973,74,75.was old when we got her. Sailed her on canandaigua lake,finger lakes, was a fun fast boat.

Probably one of the originals

I dont know about under 5000. I haven’t found any that are turn key anyway.

In my 40 years of boat ownership. My first boat was a Pearson Ensign then after three years of ownership purchased a Pearson Electra ,then a Triton,for a short time owned a Pearson 30 and lastly owned a Pearson 35 for over 20 years. I never had a structural problem with any Pearson built boat. Of all the Pearson boats owned the Ensign is still my favorite.

Ive been restoring classic boats for a long time, over 40yrs, I am lucky enough to have two Alberg boats in my yard right now. A 1964 Cape Dory Typhoon, and a 1965 Pierson Electra, I sailed the Electra alot in so. FL. It’s a rocket ship.

Where are you located and are you selling the Typhoon?

I see some others have already mentioned it but I was surprised to not see the Corinthian 19 in the article. It’s hard or difficult to find information about this model for some reason.

I’m lucky enough to own a Person Commander – Hull #3. Love the boat and also receive many copliments while out sailing.

Can’t beat an Ensign….have had two in the past and looking for a third now!!!

My first sailboat, 25 years ago, was a Pearson Electra. Fabulous boat; totally capable of anything Puget Sound could kick up any time of year. Last week (after several good boats over the interim years), I bought a Cape Dory 22. Very similar, gorgeous lines. As you might guess, I’m totally sold on Alberg’s smaller boats. Affordable, seaworthy, and easy on the eyes.

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Edwards Yacht Sales

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1970 Alberg Sailboats 30

Saint Augustine, FL, US

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"Sugar" is a very rare find! She is a classic 1970 Alberg 30 which has been upgraded into a modern cruising boat.

Owned by the owners of a prominent marine canvas business in St. Augustine, she has been expertly and professionally restored and cared for. Her 18 HP Yanmar engine has undergone regular maintenance and has under 350 hours on it (be sure to view the video!). The rigging and sails are only three years old. Both interior and exterior have been totally redone.

This is a classic full-keeled cruiser/racer designed by Carl Alberg, with a beautiful sheer and graceful overhangs. These boats were raced extensively before the more modern racing designs took over, and they can still hold their own against the modern fleet. If you like traditional boats and want to own an ungraded piece of sailing history, this is the ship for you!

All new canvas
Only 350 hours on professionally maintained 18 HP Yanmar
Full canvas cockpit enclosure
Teak side boarding ladder
Cruisair marine air conditioner (can be run at anchor with a small generator on deck!)
Marine refrigeration
All new wiring
Teak toe rail replaced with modern aluminum one
Recent Awlgrip on decks and hull
New interior cushions
Tiller steering
New steel handrails on deck
Sails and rigging replaced 3 years ago, in great shape
Roller furling jib and pack-type system for main

This little beauty is turn-key. Call me and let's go see her!

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The Alberg 30 is just as well-appointed inside as she is out. Her cockpit is large and provides easy seating for 6. Stepping below, the galley spreads out to both sides, with sink to starboard and deep 12-v refrigerated ice box to port. The owners have varnished all the interior teak and replaced all the cushions and the headliner, so the interior is clean and fresh and without a speck of mildew. Her head (with holding tank) is to port, with a locker where the AC compressor is located to starboard, and forward of that is a large and airy v-berth with custom storage lining each side.

There is a centerline table as well, which is currently off the boat, and 6 could be seated easily below as well. The layout sleeps 4.

The Yanmar has less than 350 hours on it and has been maintained by professionals. It's an 18 HP and runs very well (see video!)

30 gallons of water and 15 of fuel make this a great pocket cruiser!

If you love classic lines and beautiful sweeping overhangs as much as I do, you will fall in love with this boat. They simply aren't made like this anymore, and it is VERY rare to find one that is in this kind of shape. She's literally turn-key. Climb aboard and GO!

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Beam: 12' Draft: 6'

Beam: 10.5' Draft: 5.5'

Beam: 10.6' Draft: 5.5'

Beam: 10'9' Draft: 5'6'

Beam: 10.17' Draft: 5.5'

Beam: 10.2' Draft: 5.6'

Beam: 10-6' Draft: 4-4'

Beam: 9.8' Draft: 5'2'

Beam: 10-6' Draft: 4-3'

Beam: 9'5' Draft: 5'2'

Beam: 9.6' Draft: 5.2'

Beam: 9.5' Draft: 4.7'

Beam: 9' Draft: 4.6'

Beam: 8' Draft: 4'

Beam: 8.8' Draft: 5.3'

Beam: 8' Draft: 4.5'

Beam: 9' Draft: 4'

Beam: 8.25' Draft: 4.25'

Beam: 8'9' Draft: 4'3'