Summary: TheSailingChannel.tv documents the refit of a 1975 Alberg 30 sloop. It's the "This Old House" of sailboat restoration with Chesapeake Bay tunes sung by Them Eastport Oyster Boys, and featuring a refit team of seasoned sailors who belong to the Chesapeake Bay Alberg 30 One-Design Association. All currently own or have owned Alberg 30s in the past. The A-30 refit crew has many years of experience and has repaired and restored several other vessels. TSCtv will follow the refit through completion and sea trials scheduled for the summer of 2007. We anticipate approximately 12 episodes in this series. On Saturday, January 21, 2005, TSCtv videotaped the A-30 team in the beginning stage of the refit at Mike and Trish Lehman's home where the boat is stored. The setting could not be better. Mike and Trish’s beautiful home sits on the bank of Mill Creek off the Magothy River which flows into the Chesapeake Bay just above the Bay Bridge. The Lehman's keep their own Alberg 30, beautifully maintained, at their dock. Their home is on a slight rise above the creek with a splendid view. The front walkway leads past a large garage and workshop to a paved parking area next to the street where the A-30 rests in its steel cradle. We consider this an optimum setting for videotaping the refit story. During our first day of filming, we were able to capture two major tasks: removal of an oversized fuel tank from beneath the cockpit (firmly bedded with several tubes of 5200) and the restoration of the original molded-in water tank beneath the V-berth. Team members described the process for both tasks and we also captured a good deal of banter back and forth as they worked. (We wired up each with a radio mic and shot three digital cameras for exceptional coverage.) In between tasks we interviewed the team members: Rolph “Towney” Townshend, Ralph Bluntschli, and Mike Lehman. The three were eager to tell their story. We learned about their personal sailing history, the history of the A-30 on the Chesapeake, the history of the refit boat, Roulette, and their goal of restoring the vessel and selling it to someone who will keep it on the Bay and sail it actively in Association races and cruises. Be sure to subscribe to receive future Alberg 30 episodes and our other podcasts for cruising sailors at TheSailingChannel.tv. And watch more sailing coverage from our partner, SailTV on TheSailingChannel.tv.
