The Alberg 37

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.

From Sail Magazine, July 31, 2002 by Tom Zydler

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