The Ballad Exchange

Hi, Miguel. I have much the same intentions (Genoa2 on furler, inner stay for storm sails). That Selden quote describes a Solent stay, tho -- a second headstay not far inside the existing and usually parallel to it. The existing backstay would handle its loads as long as the upper attachment is with...

The previous owners neglected the chainplates; it is one of the few areas with water intrusion on our boat. The upper and aft lower eyebolts were leaking some, and they had been gobbed over with silicone caulk to try to fix it. You could twist the eyebolts by hand. For the time being, just to preven...

Hi, Paolo. What sort of toilet are you adding? Our pull-out sink just drains into the bilge via a hose. Some people with fresh-water galley sinks drain into a sump & cycle that 'gray water' thru the toilet; I don't know if anyone has done that with a Ballad? Fresh water is usually less stinky, t...

Nice. I know people fabricate their own wet exhaust elbows, so that is an option. The water jacket looks in good shape, but from what I understand a) they are much, much louder than water-lift systems; B) they run much, much hotter. Indeed, you can see major gel-coat crazing around and below the exh...

EDIT: Okay, I figured out from previous owner photos that the 'running backstays' are really just lazyjack attachments.

I'm still curious about the two exit boxes for flying inner staysails, and whether you need backstays or checkstays to use them.

Our new/old Ballad has arrived from Chicago. Getting if off the trailer was tricky, but it is now propped and lashed behind the shop. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8478/8193538009_2e2382f3f6_z.jpg It took over two days to clean many years' worth of junk (including a wakeboard!) out of the boat. Also...

While unwrapping the mast, I found a number of mysteries. Perhaps you can help me with these. First, there are 2:1 running backstays that attach to a tang, oh, about 2.5m below the cap (upper) shrouds. I assume those are to control bowing of the upper mast section when using the inner staysail on a ...

They certainly look bent. Hard to imagine how that would happen in use -- almost suspect someone used them to lash down the mast for transit, or similar. They aren't designed for an upwards pull. You have a towable traveler, eh? Ours is the free-floating car with spring-pin endstops. Which might wor...

Thanks, Brom. I wish we had a chance to sail a Ballad before the refit, but that may not happen. My habit is to sort of mark out the boundaries of the possible, then work back towards a sensible compromise. :mrgreen: I would guess, if the mainsail is in tolerable condition, we will leave it and the ...

Ease of stepping & unstepping mast without a crane, even in remote areas. Watertightness below decks, esp. in the bilge (the rotten mast step supports on Ballads are a testimony to water coming down the mast.) Ease of turning halyards and control lines at a mast base plate, to lead lines to the ...