1953 Albatross On eBay! Like Owning A MG On The Water…
Thanks to Chad for finding this one. If you like British sports cars and boats..This may be you one and only chance here in the U.S of A to get you the best of both worlds. You can click here and read all about this fine Aluminum water craft. or you can continue reading while I crack jokes about British sports cars that will leave you stranded for no reason.. Or that Albatross boats were owned by many famous people.. Likely as yacht tenders.. Prince Philip, Prince Rainier and of course, The Prince of Darkness.. Rim Shot here.. All kidding aside, this is one very cool boat, but be warned, you break down on the water, be prepared for the jokes.
The little girl in this video rocks.. She has the right spirit.. and actually when you see one of these in the water,, the cool factor does go way up, and the sound of that little motor.. mmmm well worth the jokes.. Paint it British racing green..
Just. One. More. Boat.
I can kick the habit. I know I can. Really. Any time I want to. Tomorrow even. But after this one, ok? What’s one more? I’m not hurting anybody.
Just one Alex? A pair would be so much better! One to restore and one to leave as is. it is a very cool boat!
Come Alex, it’s OK everyone is doing it.
Watson… Alex Watson. Licensed to Kill (fish).
Imagine that thing polished to a mirror finish. Leather interior.
It’s not addicting. I’ve been messing about in wooden boats a couple of times a week for over 50 years and never got the habit. Twitch twitch.
Beauty.
If this boat though is anything like my MG, it will find a way to leak oil directly into the river or lake. And lots of it.
The old saying “All Parts Falling Off of this Vehicle are of the Finest English Workmanship” would also give me pause.
On a plus note, if you are thinking of purchasing this craft, Moss Motors (mossmotors.com) would most likely be able to provide you with all of the engine bits – and inexpensively… so BID AWAY !
Any new owner would also have to learn the proper English terms. The engine is not under the hatch but rather under the bonnet. Hang on, with engine in the back though that really would make it in the boot.
Thankfully, the steering wheel is on the correct side.
You failed to mention that famous British race driver Sterling Moss and bomb-shell Bridget Bardot owned one of these. A cool little boat. Where’s the wood? None? Well!
If you want an MG on the water you gotta get a Healey.
If you want an MG on the water you gotta get a Healey. It’ll strand you with the best of them and its WOOD.
It came from Keuka lake? If I had known about this in 2002 I could have saved them shipping it to Kalifornia!
Was the Prince of Darkness comment a reference to the devil, or to Lucas, the guy responsible for the electronics that cause headlights on Brittish cars to only work reliably durring daylight? A boat with Lucas electronics would certainly offer a new set of challenges to even the most experienced woody restorer!
Hmmm, I wonder when the last time that thing ran. It has been in california for 9 years but still has the NY registration number. That and the sticker expired in 96, so the boat was last registered in 1993. Judging by the spark plugs (which by the description have absolutely no corrosion) I wonder if that boat has seen 5 minutes of maintenance in the last 15-20 years.
Brian, if you buy this you also need to know some English expressions of frustration too:
“Bloody hell, NOW what happened?!”
“Blimey, what was THAT?!”
“What sod built this rubbish?!”
“What a biggie!”
“This boat is bollocks!”
“Cor, not again!”
“I must have been off my trolley to buy this!”
“This boat is positively pants!”
“HOW MANY quid to fix this time?!”
“Bugger! No freeboard for rumpy pumpy!”
Here’s one I would need to know:
“Salter, bell Tommy on the mobile will you? Tell him we need a tow. Again.”
M-fine, to answer your question, the Lucas motto is “get home before dark.”
In English terms, buying this boat would make you a “Pillock”
I want Alex to get this, just for the simple reason that we get to make up the jokes..
Alex needs another boat right now like he needs another beer!
Strike that. I do need another beer.
Let’s try that again.
Alex needs another boat right now, particularly a quirky one, like he needs Hessel to freeze over. Which is to say, not at all, thank you.
Seriously. Best wishes to the lucky buyer.
Oh, and he might want to pick up some of this, just in case…
http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm
‘Cause he / she should never run out of the genuine article while on the water.
I also think Alex should go after this boat on eBay.
I seem to recall Matt, when Alex invited us all to Hessel next summer, he specifically told us that we would all have a boat (from his fleet) for each of us to use while we were there.
Mike M can use the Albatross… on Lake Huron – HA!
The name says it all.. Not sure if the brits understood naming or marketing.. Here is the definition in a metaphorical meaning. “The word ‘albatross’ is sometimes used metaphorically to mean a psychological burden that feels like a curse.” Alex.. ITS PERFECT FOR YOU!
Speaking of Lucas – anyone want to hazard a guess as to why the British drink their beer at room temperature???
Their vintage coolers had Lucas electrics and they gave up trying to repair them… Easier to adapt to warm beer.
And I quote (emphasis mine):
“Whether you’re just beginning to consider quitting or have tried and failed in the past, surrounding yourself with SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS… can help you take the next step.
“In addition to being a very powerful physical addiction, [buying a boat] may also be deeply ingrained in your daily routine. Your brain may associate it with various activities, such as drinking your morning coffee, that, when done, trigger a craving. These “situational triggers” make quitting especially difficult.
“[Among the] simple things you can do to get started… put together a network of FRIENDS…who support your decision to quit and call on them when you need some encouragement.”
—–
In other words this boat is perfect for Paul and Karen!
“The name albatross is derived from the Arabic al-câdous or al-ġaţţās (a pelican; literally, “the diver”).”
Hmmm. I can think of better birds to name a boat after. Starting with those which remain above the water.
Two things.
1) Here is a pic of a restored Healey, the boat Bob VandeVusse referred to above. http://www.cmba-uk.com/forum/download/file.php?id=2013&mode=view Yes, it did come with an Austin Healey Marine engine which was the 1500 MGA one. And all that implies…
2) If anyone in WB-land is interested in the cool Albatross, this site and its Forum should be invaluable. http://www.cmba-uk.com/ Plus, there are some nice (er, lovely) pics of restored ones. Prospective buyer, know thy boat.
Someone should come to the defense of the Brits….
I have owned six MGs in my short time and only one was unmolested by their owners.
My current one, a 1965, is fully original and both of us owners have only used real British parts. The result for me after near 130,000 miles and ten years is that I have not once been stranded or let down by Lucas electrics.
The other five were also trouble free AFTER I repaired all of the juryrigging done up by their cheapo American owners.
My favourite was the one that had the headlamps rewired up with car stereo speaker wire and a redone starter relay that was not original as the new one was the size of a toaster oven.
My little mistress in the garage is still with us whereas the problem laden BMW was sold off asap. Vat a pile dat vas.
Sadly, the only wood in any of them were the floorboards and dash in the 59 MGA.
The first car I ever bought was a ’66 B-GT, and I darn near bought it back a couple years ago – and then again last week. I sold it in 1977… Still has the engine I built in it, but the body is going south big time, so I think I’ll pass and spend the $$ and time on the ’64 Morgan I’ve had for the past 33 years. It’s going to get restored next winter. I had a TR6 after I sold the B. I have nothing but good memories and experiences with those cars…