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Albemarle 30 Express: 2022 Boat Buyers Guide

The 30 Express offers the ultimate in hardcore fishing amenities.

Albemarle says its customers give four main reasons for brand loyalty: the superior ride, fishability, customer relationships, and unmatched quality in design, construction and components, verified through testing and sea trials. 

Albemarle 30 Express headed fishing
The 30 Express packs a quick ride and a wealth of fishing features. Courtesy Albemarle

Albemarle hulls are hand-laid with premium components; hull-to-deck joints, both fiberglass-bonded and mechanically fastened; bronze/stainless-steel underwater gear and through-hulls; color-coded, stranded tinned-copper wiring; and detailed record-keeping throughout the building process. They bear a 10-year, transferrable limited warranty.

Albemarle 30 Express

Albemarle says its 30 Express—which debuted in 2021—offers “the ultimate in hardcore fishing amenities in a compact express package.” It combines the speed and offshore performance associated with center-consoles with a well-appointed cabin and protection from foul weather ahead of its wide-open 64-square-foot cockpit.

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The 30 Express features a modern helm area with forward-facing seating for three in a helm chair and double companion seat, mezzanine-style seating aft, and a folding transom bench seat. There are two in-deck macerated 56-gallon fish boxes, a 30-gallon transom livewell, a tackle center, and a standard transom door. Overnighting or just taking a break midday? Enjoy the full galley, stand-up head and A-bunk. 

Albemarle 30 Express anchored
The 30 Express can fish and overnight like a like an offshore ­battlewagon. Courtesy Albemarle

The 30 Express’s classic, dry-riding, Carolina-style-bow hull busts through head seas, landing softly in the troughs. The helm provides unsurpassed visibility from within an acrylic enclosure. 

An anchor windlass with a through-stem roller and polished stainless-steel anchor is standard, as are stringer beds ready for the addition of a Seakeeper 2 gyrostabilizer. 

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Power choices include twin or triple Yamaha F300s; Albemarle says triples provide the low-end torque ideal for maintaining slower cruise speeds on sloppy days—plus the power to make the 30 Express the fastest Albemarle ever built. 

Manufacturer’s Remark

The Albemarle 30 Express offers the ultimate in hardcore fishing amenities in a compact express package.

Performance Data

  • Test Power: Triple Yamaha F300s
  • Test Props: Yamaha Saltwater Series II 15” x 20” polished stainless steel  
  • Test Load: 15,188 lb. (incl. boat, motors, 200 gal. fuel, 4 batteries, safety and test equipment)   
  • Test Speed: 60.2 mph @ 5,900 rpm  
  • Max Range: 368 mi. @ 31.9 mph, 3,500 rpm

Specs

LOA: 33’6″
Beam: 10’6″
Fuel Capacity: 320 gal.
Dry Weight: 13,000 lb. plus power
Max HP: 900

Editor Says

Packing all the best aspects of an express-style boat into one 33-foot package can be a tall order, but Albemarle thoroughly thought out this design. From its ample livewell and dual fish boxes to its well-appointed cabin and ­spacious helm area, the 30 will fish and overnight like a like an offshore ­battlewagon. – Chris Woodward, Executive Editor, Fishing Group

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More Info

albemarleboats.com

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