Albacore 3964

Hull #3964 was built by Grampian in late 1969 and sold to an unknown owner. The boat was registered in D.C. and sailed on the Potomac until about the mid '80s. It was subsequently sold to Mr. William Hunley of Virginia, who then sold it to the present owner in 1996.

Hull #3964 was in an advanced state of deterioration at this point, requiring replacement of the transom in 1997 and replacement of the seating tanks and rudder in 1998. The boat was damaged during a race in late 1999, after which it was abandoned to the back yard, sitting exposed to the weather for another year, collecting rain and rot.

3964 was slated to have its hardware removed and to be cut up and taken to a landfill, but intervention on the part of a fiberglassing expert convinced me that the boat could be restored. The boat underwent a comprehensive restoration, taking the better part of three years to complete. All of the fiberglass in the hull was replaced, section by section, and the deck was reinforced and re-surfaced. A new teak coaming was made, and a curved, teak afterdeck for the traveller track was added, giving the stern an appearance more in line with that of a Whitby-built boat.

What appeared to be the faded remains of the name, TEMBO, was left in ghost form on the original transom; the boat was jokingly rechristened RUBBERMAID, due to my preference for wooden boats and the fact that this Albacore was essentially on its last leg.

Hull #3964 is rigged as a singlehanded cruising dinghy. Since the mid '90s, it has made several crossings between the mainland of North Carolina and the Outer Banks.