Albin Boats, a Swedish Engine Name That Became a Connecticut Fishing Brand

Two Albins, one Swedish and one American

The Albin story has two chapters that buyers often blur together. It began in Kristinehamn, Sweden, where Lars Albin Larsson founded Albin Motor in 1899 to build marine engines. In the 1960s the family business moved into fiberglass boats, starting with the Vega 27 sailboat in 1965, under the company that became Albin Marin. Designer Per Brohäll's Albin 25 of 1968 was the hit, a small single-diesel motor cruiser that sold in the thousands and found many American owners. Albin Marin was sold in 1973 and went bankrupt in 1982.

The second chapter is American. By the 1980s Albin Marine was a US-based company selling Taiwan-built trawlers such as the Albin 36, and later China-built boats like the Albin 40 North Sea Cutter, managed from Cos Cob, Connecticut. Its best seller was the Albin 28 Tournament Express of 1993. When Albin stopped building boats in the fall of 2007, its range of fishing and family boats ran from 26 to 45 feet.

The Albin 25 and the Albin 28 TE

The Albin 25 is a 25-foot semi-displacement cruiser that runs 6 to 8 knots on a gallon or two an hour. Early boats used Albin's own small diesel; later boats used Volvo Penta engines up to about 36 hp, and many have been repowered. Versions include an aft-cabin AK, a De Luxe trim, a motorsailer and even a semifinished kit. Boats from 1973 on have a wider aft bottom that improves stability.

The Albin 28 Tournament Express is a 28-foot single-diesel express on a modified-vee hull, built from 1993 to 2007, with more than 1,000 sold. Standard power was a diesel of about 315 hp, with options from roughly 220 to 380 hp. Owners choose between soft-top and hardtop boats, and the hardtop with its swept-back wheelhouse is the more sought-after version in northern waters.

Owning an orphan brand with a loyal following

Every Albin is now a used boat with no factory behind it, yet the brand holds up better than most orphans. The engines are mainstream diesels, the hardware is generic, and the Albin Owners Group, started by a 28 TE owner, keeps knowledge in circulation and has organized rendezvous on the Chesapeake. Our model pages estimate most Albin 25s at about $6,000 to $25,000 and most 28 TEs at about $35,000 to $95,000, with engine condition setting the price.

The US inventory is concentrated in New England, Long Island Sound and the Chesapeake for the 28 TE, while Albin 25s turn up on lakes and rivers nationwide because they trailer easily.

• Get diesel service records, an oil analysis and a mechanical survey.
• Check exhaust elbows, risers and engine mounts on the 28 TE.
• Confirm whether an Albin 25 is a pre- or post-1973 hull.
• Inspect fuel tanks and lines, which are aging on every boat.
• Sound decks and wheelhouse roofs for soft spots.
• Check window seals on hardtop and wheelhouse boats.