![]() ![]() For almost 40 years Willard and Benny Albury have been producing fine outboard runabouts that have earned a reputation as smooth riding, seaworthy, rugged boats, capable of excellent speed with modest horsepower. For generations, this family has turned out hundreds of boats, from dinghies to schooners, from their building sheds on Man O’ War Cay. In the northern Bahamas, the Albury name is synonymous with boatbuilding. Between the gold trim and the finished mahogany, it’s an attention-getter.A 19’7″ Vee bottom boat A fine outboard, smooth riding, seaworthy, and rugged. Cameras come out and people take pictures of it running. When I take the boat out, other boats come alongside and follow us. Flash creates a huge curtain of spray on both sides. ![]() Granted, performance and handling aren't on par with a contemporary sport boat, but a 1930s sedan won't handle or perform comparable to a modern automobile, either.Ĭruising at 28 to 30 mph, this boat is as sweet as can be. As far as driving and handling, Flash is quite well-mannered. The Boat Book describes that exact ride experience as an inherent part of the design. This design isn't wrong, but boat builders have learned a thing or two in the past 75 years. If you stuff it into a wave, you're going to put water over the deck. On this boat, the bow is basically vertical. Due to the fresh engine, I haven't pushed it hard to the top end yet. But over 40, you would have your hands full. With the 18-inch pitch on the propeller-allowing for 15 percent propeller slippage-and the engine turning 3200 rpms, the math says the boat should have a top speed of around 46 mph. These components are accessible by removing a floor hatch. This photo shows the back of the Borg Warner transmission, driveshaft coupling, and stuffing box. It’ll never be a fast boat by modern standards because of the old-school hydrodynamics and engineering-new boats have designs that lift the boat out of the water at speed, and this one just can’t achieve any of that lift. It can be dead in the water and reach full plane in just under two seconds. Testing Its Performanceįor the standards of the day, this would have been a really fast boat. When the boat was finally launched, it floated within a half-inch of what my mathematical calculations had predicted. By calculating the cubic footage of the hull, I was able to establish how deep the boat would sit in the water. With all the modifications, I had to calculate the displacement of the boat to verify balance and water-line height. Other local Amish companies crafted the stainless steel hardware on the deck and sides, and installed the gold leaf lettering. The windshield and brackets were made by a speciality shop, and an Amish cabinet shop local to my home in Indiana did some of the complex wood-cutting. The plans called for leather, but the ride of this boat produces a lot of spray, so the interior was guaranteed to be wet. An upholstery shop in Salina, Ohio sewed the vinyl upholstery for the boat. ![]() Some of my dealership connections came in handy for aesthetics and accessories.
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