The Ballad Exchange

Hello Liese, Thanks for the tip, it looks a great concept, shame the Parasail is a bit pricey for my budget, coming in at £2,725 including the VAT makes it too expensive to justify the use I will get out it! I'll try and get some quotes from local sail makers for a started symmetrical spinnaker... a...

Hello all, I've always sailed with a cruising chute, which frankly drives me crazy as it won't perform dead downwind leading to me either giving up using it or effectively 'beating' down wind to keep the wind on the quarter. I would much prefer to sail with a spinnaker, any suggestions on the specif...

Hello there, I was definitely going to go for G40 if I purchased new chain, Rocna recommend 8mm for their 15 anchor. Although thinking about it, my current 25 meters of G30 (I think) 10mm chain I could splice on some nylon 3 strand of similar breaking load adding no appreciable weight (and it would ...

I'm rethinking my current anchoring system (and old CQR with 25 meters of chain, meaning I struggle to get to just over 3.5 scope for most of my anchoring leading to lots of sleepless nights). I'm looking at a Rocna 15 plus 50 meters of Grade 40 chain, although this seems awfully heavy to have in th...

The frame from Albin Marin looks a bit weak (http://www.vegamarin.se/albin-ballad-p-60-c-299.aspx) and they do not offer grab handles for this reason. In response to asking for a grab handle price they said "We have no grabrail for mounting s not stable enough to trust it. it can produce false ...

Hello all, Triolas (Ballad number 51) sprayhood is long past its best and its time to replace it. Any recommended companies or suppliers? Anyone who sells these 'off the peg'? Vega Marin gave me a quote for around 5000 SEK (about £520), which is very keen indeed but comes without a grab rail. Ta, Mark

What do you do when the apparent is up at 21 - 22 knots? Move the traveler way to leeward? Doesn't this impede how high you can point if the boom is moved far from the centreline?

Hello Bob, My wife is a keen cook, we have an old two burner calor gaz job that has a grill as well and that has served us very well (it is slightly beaten up and rusty now mind you, so I would like to replace it myself at some stage). When at anchor there is nothing better than the smell of chilli ...

Love the Blog Peter. When are you aiming to have her 'finished' and on the water??

I have a ST2000+ - ancient and abused, but very reliable. It did fail once (when I was effectively single handed of course, sailing with my wife looking after our four month old below), where the motor broke loose of its fastenings to the bulkhead inside the autopilot which caused the spindle to sep...