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Blog EntryMay 21, '12 8:51 AM
by Cameron for everyone

Dear Balladeers,

I am looking at buying a cockpit tent / bimini to increase our cruising range in both cold and warm climates, and may also replace the sprayhood in the process as ours is getting a bit threadbare.  There are all sorts of combinations possible, but ideally we would want a full cockpit tent that converts in some way to a bimini, either by unzipping or rolling up.

Does anyone have a used one in fair condition they want to sell in the UK?

Also any comments about suppliers of new ones welcome. 

Regards,

Cameron

Cracklin Rosie #73


Blog EntryJan 19, '12 9:06 AM
by Cameron for everyone

Dear Balladeers,

A couple of years ago we changed to a roller reefing system on the genoa so we have two spare sails with hanks.  Not sure of the age of them as already on Cracklin Rosie when we bought her.  I can't remember the maker either (Hood?) but can check if anyone is interested.

We need the space in the flat more than I need the sails so if anyone would like them please let me know.  They are in SW London, but Cracklin Rosie is in Chichester Harbour if that is more convenient.  I wont charge for them but perhaps a donation to the RNLI equivalent to their value would be appropriate.

No 1- Light cloth.  Hanks, corners, clews etc in good condition. A couple of repairs where the foot has caught on the guard rail during tacking (perhaps because of it's enormous size). 

No 2 - Heavier sail cloth. Good condition, with an additional patch added by a sailmaker to protect against rubbing on the spreaders.

Cameron

 


Blog EntryMay 6, '11 6:12 AM
by tim for everyone
hello
while on its mooring my pushpit was badly damaged and i need a new one!
does anyone have a template? or can offer an suggestions for fabrication?
or know of a spare parts shop?
yours
tim

Blog EntryApr 8, '10 4:04 PM
by Torleiv for everyone
Hi Jesper!
I am an interested reader of the Ballad Exchange. Thanks for the work you have done providing us with this site.
However, I am wondering about all the photos missing, probably lost in the conversion to Multiply. Does these photos still exist? Would it be possible to redo the links so that the photos appear in the right subject?
 
If this is a matter of redoing links manually - I can see there will be a lot of work - But I have two strong arms - I can help :-)
 
Cheers
Torleiv

Blog EntryNov 25, '09 8:14 AM
by Cameron for everyone

Dear Balladeers,

We are looking at replacing our fixed 3 bladed 13x9 prop with a two blade folding prop, firstly to go faster under sail, and secondly as the current selection seems underpropped.

We have a Betamarine 20hp with 2:1 reduction on the gearbox.  Max engine revs are 3600 in theory, but we can easily reach that with the current prop, and to get to hull speed needs almost full revs.

I have looked at lots of info about folding props and feathering props, and was hoping that someone had some experience to share.  I notice that looking through the old MSN system, Aemilia, hull 978, had the same choice but there was no follow up about whether the choice was successful.

We are considering Flexofold (expensive), Gori (early design), Radice (cheap but look a bit primitive) and Varifold (made in UK so less penalty from weak sterling).

There have been a number of articles and test of varying rigorousness, and a two bladed flexofold comes out well. 

I have done some preliminary contacts, and most suppliers seem to suggest a 14" diameter.  Gori suggested a 14x11.5, but suggested a 14x9.5 for Aemilia with an identical engine and gearbox, and recommended a 16x10 to Josin (although with a higher gearbox reduction ratio of 2.3:1).  This concerns me a lot, as they are very expensive for a bit of cast bronze, and I dont want to have to buy two if I make a mistake.

A quick spreadsheet calculation, using the 50% slippage quoted by Josin, suggests that you need at least 11" pitch to get 6.5knots at less than 3000 engine revs/ 1500 shaft revs.

Any comments would be much appreciated.

Cameron, Cracklin Rosie #73 


Blog EntryApr 16, '09 8:52 PM
by Tony for everyone

My Ballad did not come with a folding boarding ladder on the transom as some Ballads do, so I made my own. It is highly customized to fit one place only on the starboard quarter. Marine plywood sides provide strength to hook over the toe rail and mahogany makes up the treads and the fold down section for swimming. It is sized to fit easily in the cockpit locker. I can provide patterns or finished ladders to anyone interested.

Tony Allport

Pleiades #191

 

 


Blog EntryJan 26, '09 6:09 AM
by Nicholas for everyone

This is my inaugural posting, so I'll keep it short and useful.

To anyone who has tried to find seals and gaskets of different profiles without success, please check out www.sealsdirect.co.uk It's a true Alladin's cave of rubber and neoprene products.

Nicholas, Moments of Clarity #334


Blog EntryJan 13, '09 5:48 PM
by moonlit77900 for everyone
Hello to all
A follow up note to our strut blues, I also damaged the transmission. I have found out that their are two types of transmissions for the MD6A one has the coupling in the center of the bell housing and the other is off set, and there not interchangeable. Their are only four bolts holding the transmission to the engine, I had to undue the engine mounts and slide it forward so that I had enough room to pull the transmission off the engine. This was not an easy job for I'm 1.9m tall and weigh over 100kg, also drain the engine oil first for when the transmission comes off the oil pours out of the back, big mess. So remove the transmission take to Volvo dealer cry over the cost to fix, brass sleave and seals, put back in and good to go. Hope none of you who still have the MD6A have to do this. So this was one more adventure in our travels along the east coast of the U.S.
 
Good wind to all
Wilger
Moonlit
P.S. Look forward to the site change

Blog EntryOct 23, '08 5:59 PM
by jiiku for everyone
Hi for all!

I'm considering to repower my ballad at this winter. Do you have some suggestions about horsepowers, propellers and engine models?

best regards,

Jere
CITA #752

Blog EntryOct 8, '08 3:21 PM
by moonlit77900 for everyone

Hello to all Ballad sailors

 

First of all, this site with all of its posts has been a great source of information. I hope that what I post here will all so be of help. I call this the Strut Blues. I had a line go over the side and into the prop, the fiberglass strut ripped off the hull and the blade put a gouge in the hull. We were lucky that the hull was not breached and did not take on any water. I have always felt that the strut was a weak point on the boat. So I attach the strut back and glassed it in place. This was done over three lay ups. I used epoxy and 10oz biaxle cloth; there are 7 layers of cloth. I will try to post pictures to show the strut and glass work. I also have a folding prop with a D380mm and P 220mm ( 14,7/8D and 8,5/8P). We are cruising the east coast of the USA and soon hope to cross over to the Bahamas. Will add link to our site.

 

Wilger

Moonlit779


Blog EntryAug 31, '08 11:02 AM
by josin3092 for everyone
Sailed alongside a German Ballad for a while in the Kalmar Straight this summer. He had fitted a rubber ball, just larger than the drain diameter, on a cord leading up each drain and fixed in the cockpit end. Clearance to the ball, when hanging was about 1,5 to 2 cm. At speed the ball floated up and blocked the drain for backflow.
Simple and very effective solution to wet feet at whoopee speed!

Blog EntryAug 31, '08 10:54 AM
by josin3092 for everyone
For those who are wondering, I can thoroughly recommend a 'gennaker' instead of a spinnaker. Mine is from Elvstr첩m Sobstad, who call it a 'Str첩mer'. (Gennaker is registered by another sailmaker, in fact!).
With 80 cm of bowsprit, mine is from Selden, it can be used in all wind angles from a fairly close reach to almost straight downwind. Without the main up it can also be used straight downwind.
Now mostly a solo sailer, I've given up the spinnaker altogether, (too many hands/brains needed at once), and have worked out a routine for hoisting and lowering the gennaker which only needs one brain and two hands. As a result the sail gets used much more often. This summer I've used it often by itself, with excellent boat speed. As it is a masthead sail, and therefore big, it has enormous power. Over 12 kts of wind and I'm thinking of lowering it, 15 kts and I'm saying why haven't I lowered it already.
Sailing is now even more fun than before! 
 

Blog EntryAug 21, '08 11:30 PM
by bobj500 for everyone
Hello,
We have just purchased a Ballad that will require a repower for the existing MD7a.  The engine I am considering is the Beta Marine BZ482 13.5 hp.   I was wondering if anyone has repowered with this engine. If so, were there any major modifications required or problems encountered while fitting the engine into the boat?   Any insights would be greatly appreciated.  Also, does anyone know what angle to the waterlne the engine is mounted?  Somewhere between 12 and 13 degrees is as close as I have been able to measure.
Thanks,
Bob Jenkins

Blog EntryAug 20, '08 2:08 PM
by redmed6 for everyone
Over the last few days, after using hefty RPM to get off a shoal, the engine stalled after I had engaged reverse to pick up a mooring. I could not move the gear lever.
 
I found I could not turn the engine (original MD7a) through the 2:1 reduction with the compression lifter up.
 
Out of gear, eventually, I found the output shaft impossible to turn (at the gearbox end).
 
With the boat beached, the shaft exhibited no signs of problems, despite recent rope-around-the-prop. scenario.
 
Nevertheless out of gear the shaft still hard to turn by hand at the propeller boss; this is possible only with the blades extended. Oiling the cutlass bearing radically improved the position, but did it harm the neoprene? I assume there would be no change were the gear-lever to have been locked, as above.
 
The gearbox is full of oil and the linkage to it is now freshly lubricated,
 
The cutlass bearing was renewed in recent history, and the "P" bracket connection to the hull was re-built with a reinforcing blade of stainless to which the journal was attached.
 
No cosmetic fairing was done then to the new blade to match the journal profile, in the interest of easing access for future maintenance.
 
There were no adverse symptoms at the launch earlier in the year.

Blog EntryAug 18, '08 4:03 PM
by albinballad84 for everyone
I aim following the discussion on the maststep.
My Ballad no. 84 is rusty in the bilge and has a split in the polyester and underlaying vertical metal under the maststep. I am intending to work on it.
Some pictures or even better; a construction drawing of this part would be very helpful for me to make a plan for the reconstruction.
Can someone provide me with advise or information on what I am going to find.

Eric van Straaten

Blog EntryJul 17, '08 9:12 PM
by falmouthballad1 for everyone
Looking at the Ballad world map, which I seem to have spoilt a bit by inserting my round the UK cruise in many sections (I will try to correct), I could not help noticing the cruise of ‘Bo’. (In Ballad – ‘Love’), from Denmark to Cuba and Back. I, and I am sure, other Ballad people, am very impressed by this voyage.

I wonder if Bo could let us know more about the trip, maybe some modifications to the Ballad that you found useful and some that maybe did not work out well. Were there any problems in bad weather, or things that you found good about the accommodation on board, and modifications that you would make to the Ballad if you were making the trip again.

You may not want to write about this Bo, but even if you do not wish to reply, I am full of admiration for you and your wife for making the voyage.

David

Blog EntryJun 24, '08 9:08 PM
by algarveballad1 for everyone

helo all ballad racers.It's 3 years now that I've raced in portugal  in a mixed fleet of very hot racers

We race under IRC  and I am the smallest boat and lowest rater.so I've learnt a few things.

a few tips to do well .

 its essential to weigh the boat and obtain a valid weight certificate under IRC ,

without it they use the name plate weight of 3500 kilos when in fact our empty

weight came out at 3800 kilos thus lowering my rating.

 A folding prop added half a knot to my boat speed in  light and med winds.

a longer boom with slab reefing essential (THE IOR maingives little push down wind ,so your dead

untill the spinaker is pulling).

A 24 to 1 cascade back stay tensioner is essential to eliminate head -stay sag.

Race with an empty bow water tank and move the batteries aft to under the quater birth.

These lines come back to the cockpit .no winch needed.-vang-main outhaul-cunningam-

spinaker halyard-pole uphaul -pole downhaul.

If your thinking of new sails go for pentex or better, they hold their shape better when the

wind picks up giving less weather helm than dacron ,so you point higher.

Now , from being nearly always near last, we're usually mid fleet out of 20 or so boats

 It's just great to be up with the beneteau's ,elans.x- yachts etc on corrected time in a 30 year old boat!


Messenger's gone Mobile! Get it now!

Blog EntryJun 13, '08 3:16 PM
by redmed6 for everyone

Can anyone advise if the casting from the manifold to the flexible hose (which has the sea water inlet elbow screwed to it) is considered a "service part" on the Vovlo MD7 (ie. is renewed periodically)?

 

At the end of last season, the engine functioned fine: at the beginning of this I noticed fractures in this component, from which sea water leaked while the engine was running.

 

The component is almost toatally Iron Oxide (rust) now; has no almost no metallic integrity to speak of and is virtually closed with coke and rust.

 

However, this one seems unlikely to be an original fitting: it looks as though it's been replaced before, from visible clues.

 

I wondered how long they lasted (I've had the boat seven seasons).

 

What is the budget for a replacement?

 

Although the operating conditions could not be more adverse (exposed intermittently to sea water and hot gases with associated wide temprature variations), similar conditions obtain as regards the rest of the engine. How long before the cylinder walls collapse in a pile of rusty fragments?


Get Started!

Blog EntryJun 8, '08 9:14 AM
by algarveballad1 for everyone
Thuought you would like to see SULA, at anchor in Faro in the Algarve.
Attachment: holiday 2007 037.JPG

Blog EntryApr 24, '08 6:44 PM
by nthronton for everyone
Hi all,
 
Next weekend I'm going to look at a Ballad with an eye to purchase. I've been very encouraged by the comments on this site about the general qualities of the boat, but I'd love to hear if there are things that I should be on the lookout for- hull deck join? chainplates? leaks? deck delamination? blisters? etc. etc. The boat is old as they all seem to be, and has an MD6A that appears to be recently rebuilt. Any advice at all would be appreciated. I'm trading in my Santa Cruz 27 racer for the comforts I need at my age, so this is all a bit new.
 
Cheers
 
Nick Thornton

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