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Jun 19, '12 8:58 AM
by Mark for everyone

Hello all,

Another point that worries me about my hardened and beautiful Ballad, is the mast step, which I see from this post: http://albinballad.multiply.com/journal/item/495/Mast-step has caused problems in the past. My Ballad is number 51, and I'm pretty certain the mast step was never sorted. This link from the fine and knowledgeable Jesper is no longer valid (as Microsoft must have removed the content), http://albinballad.multiply.com/journal/item/181/Mast_step_-_rusty_or_broken, and all other posts here have little information.

Does anyone have Eric Van Strattens photographs of the job he did? What sort of warning signs should I be looking for if the mast step needs sorting? Does anyone else have an early Ballad and have had no problems?

Ta,

Mark

Tags: mast step

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4 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded

patentnick wrote on Jun 19

Hi Mark:

I had downloaded the photos from that post (from Temptress) but don't have the text. I'll try to re-post them. In the meantime, send me your e-mail at nicholas@thesyndicate.gr and I'll send you the photos. They aren't hi-res but they'll do.

Nicholas

duchess111 wrote on Jun 19

There are plenty of old Ballads that haven't had the problem. It depends how hard they have been sailed! The signs to look for are the rust in the bilge immediately behind the mast and possibly the initial cracking at the top of the keel in front. But it can be fixed - the boat may weigh a bit more! Still good for another 30 years ...

andstel wrote on Jun 19

Hi Mark
Ballad 130 and no problem

markryan1981 wrote on Jun 20

Thanks for all the feedback, looking at the photos kindly posted by Nicholas at http://albinballad.multiply.com/photos/album/99, my Ballads mast step doesn't look anywhere near as bad as this (and it looks like a different configuration all together, so it may have already been replaced). I'll have a good poke around the mast step, take some photographs to show you fine people, and then stop worrying!

Thanks again all, happy Ballading (hope you are having better sailing weather than we are having in the UK at present!)

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