Albatros
Originally built in in Berlin for a sea captain as his own private motoryacht which he used mainly on the River Elbe and surrounding waterways. She was to be confiscated during WWII along with most other useful vessels and used for transporting cargo along the Elbe to Hamburg. A decade after the war she was transported to lovely Bodensee which borders Switzerland, Germany and Austria where she became a ferry connecting various cities around the lake. A certain amount of rebuilding was necessary to make the boat compliant with the strict Swiss regulations. The owner still has most of the original stability calculations and drawings.
In another new phase began when Albatros was purchased by a Dutch shipyard in Friesland which is in the northern part of the Netherlands. Here the boatbuilders appreciated the origins of the boat and set about rebuilding her to the original specification, emulating the layout both externally and internally. Three years later Albatros headed south to the French waterways where she was kept for holidays, mainly on the Seine, right through to late nineteen nineties. She then returned to the Netherlands where a classic boat restoration yard saw the potential as a sight seeing vessel in Amsterdam. One of her regular customers was the current owner who enjoyed trips aboard and finally decided in to offer to purchase the boat for himself.
He undertook a two year restoration in and . The teak hull appreciated a year round moist environment and so it was decided to build a boathouse in which to moor Albatros permanently at the boatyard. The restoration concentrated on a back to restoration although the teak hull and decks were of course retained. A painstaking programme of renewal and replacement sought to recreate the original design. Albatros was reborn.
Once on board the boat you can feel the light and space offered by the wheelhouse thanks to large windows which are incorporated into the varnished raised panel teak cabin which offers a degree view from the helm. The skipper has all the necessary control and navionics within easy reach.
A companion way on the portside leads down to a bright forward cabin with windows, portholes which open and a large hatch under the forward deck. Under the double berth there is plenty of storage accessible via an electronic hatch. Two other cupboards are also available for storage.
Aft of the wheelhouse there is a small galley to port with a fridge, stone sink and induction hob, two wine fridges and plenty of storage. On the opposite side to starboard are the heads with an electric toilet (holding tank), sink and cupboard. Moving aft again you come to the single berths/settees to port and starboard with more storage below. Again light is a feature with large rectangular windows along both sides of the cabin.
I love aft cockpits for their sense of cosiness and privacy. Here we have a generous open aft cockpit with room for eight guests to sit comfortably. When the weather is less clement there is a cover which completely encloses the area.
Beneath the sole of the wheelhouse runs a hp Volvo Penta installed in with a litre diesel tank. A bow thruster is also fitted as well as a generator. In terms of on board comfort there are x litre water tanks and a hot water tank holding litres.
In a few years time Albatros will celebrate one hundred years of service. The teak in the hull is still original as are the steel frames. Most of the other wood was newly fitted in and this glorious motoryacht would be a pleasure to own in the knowledge that a new owner would be buying an historic vessel which will outlive us all and deserves to continue to give pleasure to many more owners and guests.
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