Albin 79 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Albin 79 means looking at a 1974–1977 Swedish quarter-tonner, about 250 built before the model left production. Rolf Magnusson's 25.92-foot cruiser-racer is a fibreglass hull with wood trim, a deck-stepped masthead sloop on a 20-foot waterline, and a 10 hp Volvo Penta MD5 for docking only. These are small boats with a racing pedigree, so the used market rewards buyers who read the rig and structure carefully.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Albin 79 carries the same single-cabin arrangement sleeping four to six, with one head. The fixed fin keel draws 4.58 feet and the skeg-hung tiller rudder defines the cockpit layout. There is no alternate factory layout to choose between; condition and owner modification are what separate one boat from another.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker is commonly fitted, and an autopilot is also a common addition for short-handed sailing. Often-seen upgrades include solar panels and an inverter for power management, an asymmetric spinnaker alongside the symmetrical, a cockpit shower, and a chartplotter for navigation. These clusters matter: solar and inverter speak to house-battery health, while a chartplotter and autopilot shift the boat toward casual coastal use rather than class racing.
What to Inspect
The one verifiable equipment note is the Volvo Penta MD5 diesel rated at 10 hp for manoeuvring; at a viewing, confirm the engine starts cold, holds steady idle, and that raw-water flow is unobstructed, since a tired 10 hp unit leaves no margin for manoeuvring in a marina crosswind. Check the deck-stepped mast partner for compression or crazing in the fibreglass, and verify the wire standing rigging and single unswept spreaders for corrosion at terminals given the boat's age.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up across the United States, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Greece, and United Kingdom. For a viewing, run this short list:
- Confirm the MD5 starts and cools without leaks
- Inspect mast-partner compression at the deck
- Check rigging terminals for wire corrosion
- Test tiller and skeg rudder for free play
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Albin 79. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 12 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $15,000 | — |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $10,900 | -27.3% |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $9,700 | -11.0% |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $10,650 | +9.8% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $3,741 | -64.9% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $3,893 | +4.1% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $4,108 | +5.5% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $8,537 | +107.8% |
| May 26 | 1 | $5,597 | -34.4% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $10,074 | +80.0% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $29,104 | +188.9% |
| Oct 26 | 1 | $4,500 | -84.5% |
Where they're listed
Albin 79 listings appear across 6 countries. United States has the most listings with 3 (33.3%), followed by Croatia and Greece.
Country view
9 listings · 6 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $4,500 | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| Croatia | $19,589 | 2 | 1 | 22.2% |
| Greece | $7,780 | 1 | 0 | 11.1% |
| Italy | $10,074 | 1 | 0 | 11.1% |
| Netherlands | $6,716 | 1 | 0 | 11.1% |
| Sweden | $5,597 | 1 | 0 | 11.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contessa 28 | 27.67' | $ 9,273 | 27 | 10 |
| Pearson 32 | 31.75' | $ 16,500 | 12 | 6 |
| Albin 79You are here | — | $ 6,858 | 10 | 2 |