"Talisman" - Owner's Review
What we Liked ...
Appearance: The Alberg 37 is certainly perceived as a "real" boat receiving frequent complements both in and out of the water. Occasionally even mistaken for a Hinckley! The yawl rig undoubtedly helps this image.
Performance under Sail: We were pleasantly surprised how fast the A37 was .... even in light airs. Although we couldn't point quite as well as some contemporary boats, we easily outsailed most boats our size. One quickly learns NOT to pinch going to windward ... at 17,000 lbs the A37 is somewhat slow to accelerate.
Yawl Rig: For short day-sails, strong winds, or when you're just feeling lazy, there's nothing better than leaving the main down and sailing under "jib and jigger". As the years went by this became our rig of choice. And you can easily back the mizzen to pick your tack when leaving under sail.
The mizzen mast is also a fine place to mount all sorts of antennas.
Cruising Comfort for Two: We found the A37 very comfortable for two. A well thought out, practical layout with lots of storage. We carried everything we wanted aboard and still had empty lockers after 14 seasons! Good headroom. Lots of galley and navigation work space. Wide side decks. And a roomy cockpit with the wheel forward makes for easy access to winches and/or ducking under the dodger when the spray flys. In fact, we could often sail in the rain ... and stay dry (thanks to the dodger and wheel position).
Although we comfortably day-sailed with up to six aboard, we found cruising with more than 4 too crowded in the rather small cabin
Safe & Secure Feeling: The A37 has an easy motion in a seaway giving a strong feeling of security. It never pounds, creaks or flexes. However, it was somewhat more tender that we expected. Full sail in 18 knots will put the rail down going to windward.
The full keel took most of the worry out of groundings and snagging lobster pots ... an important consideration for us in the northeast.
What we Didn't Like:
Backing under Power: This can be an adventure! There essentially no directional control without repeatedly putting it in forward then, using the rudder to direct the prop wash, re-aiming the boat (without loosing all rearward momentum).
Workmanship & Cosmetic Finish: Whitby made a very solid and well thought out boat ... good value for the money. But, much of the workmanship and some of the standard equipment is "plain" (to put it tactfully). Specifically, the standard spars (made by Whitby), some of the standard gear, the external teak, and the internal joinery were not "exactly" to yacht standards.
Ease of Handling: We never found the A37 to be particularly easy to sail .... especially when much sail handling was required. As the years went by (read ... we're getting older) we had less confidence sailing around harbors or through a fleet. Once set up for a long tack ... it's great ... until the wind changes.
In strong winds, we sometimes felt slightly underpowered with the Volvo 2003 and all that windage from the yawl rig.
Feel free to contact us with specific questions or concerns.
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