Opinions - 1989 24' Albemarle Express

[PurpleGold]

I'm starting to casually boat shop again hoping that I'll be in a position to make a purchase within the next year or so. I like the older Albemarles for the kind of fishing I like to do, mostly trolling with a fair amount of grouper fishing thrown in, but have a couple concerns.

Hull - Looking for opinions on construction and ride of this particular hull.

Motor - Pro's and Con's of the I/O setup. Most of these boats have been re-powered but still have the gas I/O setup. What's the life expectancy of these motors. One boat I am looking at was repowered in 2000 and re-built in 2006.

Gas Tank - '89 model boat with the original aluminum gas tank in it. I feel this tank is reaching the end of it's life expectancy, is this correct? If so, what is the best way to determine the condition of the current tank if there is no obvious signs of leakage/deterioration?

Any other common problems with this boat as I know there are a lot of them out there still in use.

I'm sure some guys on here either own one of these boats or have worked on one before.

Thanks for any help or insight that ya'll can give.

[donald/tri-again]

in the process of rebuilding a 1980 model 24. if the trim pieces on deck have lost their seal water rots out the stringers, if water gets in by the cabin door the bulkhead rots so much glass used you wont notice any weakness until you open deck to check tank. our tank was only 98 gals so we wanted more. tank was in fine condition stringers and bulhead rotted. most i/os used volvos which dont have freshwater cooled riers and manifolds so thats russian roulette there.as for ride hull its second only to bertram 31. it was the original cigarette hulll

[PurpleGold]

Thanks Donald. The boat I am looking at was repowered with a freshwater cooled motor.

You said the tank was in good shape, thats encouraging because that is one thing that really worries me about this boat.

Good info on the rot issues with the stringers and bulkhead.

Thanks.

[PurpleGold]

Come on guys, looking for good and bad here...

[Radiater]

The guy above pretty much hit the highlights.

Very well built boats. Potential problem areas are wiring and fuel tank if water got into the tank area and sat on it. Factory wiring isn't bad but sometimes owners make a mess and the access area behind the helm in the cabin is limited. Most boats of this era will need electronics and most come with a limited transom mounted transducer.

If the owner drilled and didn't properly seal holes in the transom or deck then you can expect water intrusion and rot, but in general this is a well built boat with no real rot history compared to others.

If it has the original wishbone factory top check it for looseness and side to side movement and frame cracks.

Boat has cable steering with power assist and the steering cable and the throttle cable may need to be checked or replaced if not recently done.

Volvo i/o with duoprop is a good and efficient engine combo. With regular use and proper care expect 1500 to 2000 hrs engine life and more out of the outdrive IF taken care of.

Regular bellows maintenance is a must to outdrive longevity. Boat runs through a chop nicely but is wet on the troll and tends to rock on the drift but the ride is worth it IMO.

If you find a nice example you like then get it surveyed.

Best advice is to call Carlton Layton at Layton's Custom Boat works in Edenton, NC. He built them for 20 years and now refurbishes them. In fact his personal boat is for sale and I'm sure it is in excellent condition.

[PurpleGold]

Radiater,

Thanks for the info, that is just the kind of insight I was looking for on this boat.

When you talk about holes not being properly sealed up, what exactly is the proper way these type of holes should be sealed. Epoxy?

Good info about the steering and throttle cables as well.

Thanks again for your help.

[Glenn W]

I had a late '80's 24 Albe ( they are really only 23'). About the ride---- Pros and cons to it. With the 24 degree deadrise and good weight they are probablly the softest riding mono as you will find in a 23' boat. Very good in a head sea and will get you there and back in 4'-5' chop (not fun but they do it safely w/o beating yourself to death). I got caught several times in HI coming back into 6's
Anything more than about 3 1/2' chop and you'll be dipping your bow while trolling into.
For bottom fishing-- this is not the boat--- it will rock and roll and scare you to death.
The old factory wiring will be shot--- guarandamtee you--- good news is its simple and easy to replace.
If your looking and I/O's with Volvo outdrives make sure it has the 290 outdrive (most do) they are pretty much bullet proof. A short block on a 350CID (5.7 liter) is fairly inexpensive and not a major deal to replace-- if raw water cooled, flush as often as possible and keep your risers clean. With good flushing you can expect 4 or 5 years easily on your risers. If fresh water cooled--- so much the better.
As I recall, the deck is completely sealed on late 80's models, so if you have to replace the fuel tank, you have a major PIA ahead of you--- don't remember when they started the fuel tank deck covers.
Any aluminum tank 20 years old is (or has) reaching the end of its expected useful life.
I guess you know there is absolutly no below deck storage on late 80's models ( don't remember when they started putting in storage wells).
one more thing--- if you are between 5'10" and 6'2" the top of the windshield frame will be right in your field of vison while standing up and running the boat--- the worst and most tiring aspect of this boats design IMO.
All in all, the 24 Albe's are great little boats, I wouldn't buy another one due to the narrow beam and steep deadrise (rocking and rolling), but if you mainly troll, they are a good boat for the money. There are pleany of "steals" out there right now for mid 90's and newer boats and Albe made several improvements from the 80's ( mainley storage and access to the fuel tank)--- you may want to consider this.

[skirt chaser]

I have a 1994 model with a 5.7 fuel injected engine that I am willing to sell . boat is on a 2003 loadmaster trailer, has a standard horizon plotter , furuno bottom machine . 2 new batteries . 700 hrs on engine with duoprop outdrive w ss props . a pair of lee outriggers goes with it also .

this boat is an allglass model and has no wood on it .

[donald/tri-again]

the best used albe for sale is laytons personal boat give them a call ,

[donald/tri-again]

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-...33-1980-a.html