Join MultiplyOpen a Free ShopSign InHelp
MultiplyLogo
SEARCH
Blog EntryApr 8, '10 5:07 PM
by Dirk for everyone

Hello friends,

great site and I am happy to be on board.

There were some pics around of the work involved renewing the mast step. I cannot find them anymore and I would be grateful if anyone still has them or can help with own experience.

Since this is major surgery, I am hesitant to do it but my boat is showing the telltale signs of cracks in the forward bilge wall with slightly rusty bleeding. I will spend this season in denial and refrain from opening that wall for fear of what I will find..... it is poisioning my confidence in the boat however and will make me refrain from pushing her too hard.....    

The only actual case of failure I found seems to have happened to a gentleman in Britain, who was racing his boat and tightened his rigging like banjo strings. Other than that, it does not seem to be too common an issue, considering the number of boat that are around..... 

So, anyone who can share some experience or advice.....please put my mind at ease or encourage me to rip her up and tackle the problem.

Fair winds and best regards from Hamburg

Dirk

Prev: Ballad Exchange - Old photos
Next: wiring diagram for #42
reply

reply
duchess111 wrote on Apr 9, '10
Dear Dirk
I think you will find that at least 7 Ballads in Britain have had the plate at the base of the mast rust, expand and crack the hull apart. In the case you are commenting on, my husband had not tightened up the rigging 'like banjo strings', but only a marginal tightening. However, the telltale signs had been there for years and she has been sailed extremely hard all her life. On here, it was stated that after the first 200 Ballads (approximately) the material for the plate was changed and the problem doesn't occur. It is not such a major job if you have someone carrying it out that you can trust and knows what they are doing.
The photos were submitted by Shebeen, and I will try and see if he can put them up again. He has done major surgery on his boat since then, because there is a further structural rusting problem that can occur.
Good sailing
Janie (Duchess #111)
Comment deleted at the request of the author.
reply
b255 wrote on Apr 28, '10
Hi all,
thanks for the replies, boat is finally in the water for the season and I will tackle the problem in the fall. That gives some time to locate pics for reference. Janie, from what you say I understand the problem is not the load of the mast pushing down onto a corroded support but the expansion caused by the corrosion of the encased metal....? Maybe both.
Brendan, if you manage to find the fotos I would be very grateful, I have never worked with GRP and I really dread this job.
Cannot help with the rudder but I plan to strip the paint and the antifouling the chemical way: http://www.dumondchemicals.com/
It will probably not work as smoothely as they claim but I hope it will beat the mechanical approach...

Two weeks of holidays coming soon.....

fair winds to you all.

Dirk
reply
misstress6 wrote on Apr 28, '10
Dirk, also check page 5 of the blog for an entry by Eric Van Stratten, Ballad no 84. It was Eric's repair job I was commenting on. Thank you for advice re antifoul removal

Brendan
Add a Comment
   
Ballad Exchange
Join this Group!Add to My Yahoo
Report Abuse