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Little?

Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:20 am
by Newanusca
Hi, Sorry for my English. I have sailing experience, especially for the Mediterranean. My last boat was a Bavaria 38 with appendices of Mach, in races it was better than the rest of the 38 series but it was not a race boat. I sold it because of the last crisis. Now I am thinking about my retirement and I am looking for a small boat of about 30 feet, I plan to sail alone. And I found a Ballad 30 in very good condition. I have never sailed in one but by its shapes and characteristics I imagine how it should be.
I have read that several Ballad have crossed the Atlantic from Europe and some have gone around the world, I am not so brave. My idea is to prepare it to travel through the Mediterranean, with navigations of two or three days at most. Install a wind pilot, an electric refrigerator, a wind generator, a desalination plant.
Do you think the Ballad can be a boat that meets my expectations? o I will be very small. My idea of ​​the cruise is to sail in good weather, look for nice anchorages, go out with prepared meals and travel all the North of the Mediterranean to Turkey. Oh, I had forgotten I live in Valencia, Spain.
Thanks in advance

Re: Little?

Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:03 am
by ibbo
Hi,

Welcome to the forum. The Ballad is a lovely boat, and has few vices. I'm sure if you are happy with the size you will grow to love it. I find it great for 2 people, but any more soon gets crowded.
As long as you have read through the forum you will have seen the regular problems that have been found. Most people find these easy enough to live with.

Happy sailing

Mike

Re: Little?

Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 11:30 am
by MarkRyan1981
Phah, we are going cruising this year with two adults, three kids and a mad dog. Hardly crowded.... much... :oops: :lol:

http://www.albinballad.co.uk/how-tos/ea ... dren-five/ :D

Re: Little?

Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:06 pm
by ibbo
You are something of a superstar.

I took 2 adult daughters, 1 grandson aged 6 to the Scillies. It was brilliant but they nearly drove me to take a long walk off a short boat.

Re: Little?

Posted: Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:49 pm
by MarkRyan1981
Masochistic I think. I have been trying to talk my wife out of making the passage with all three kids across the Thames (circa 9 hours), but she is adamant she wants to do it! It'll be an adventure all right!

Re: Little?

Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:22 pm
by Newanusca
Thank you for your answers.
My idea is to put a desalination plant, electric refrigerator, expand the water tanks and new sails. I can check the engine myself and the parts are not expensive. I think I can do any route by spending a little more time. But it will be easier to anchor on small beaches. And when I get to port, it can cost 25% less than 12 mtrs. My idea is that when my wife comes to visit to move us to a hotel or apartment, she will not sail with me.

Re: Little?

Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:24 pm
by Newanusca
Sorry, and a wind generator and solar panels.

Re: Little?

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 1:44 am
by Symystic
Ballads are great cruising boats. Have lived on mine for 15 years, halfway round the planet, always singlehand. Check the mast step, lots of information here on that. I have added everything you mention except the water maker. Hard for me to justify the expense (both money and amap hours) for one person. I removed the wind generator because of performance and noise. Upped my solar panels when I removed the wind generator. Also added a Vectus AIS watchmate, great bit of gear. That's all I leave on after I clear the coast, tells me everything I need to know. I converted the original ice box into an extra watertank. Oh, everyone should check thier plastic water tank, I found several cracks ( was loosing a lot of water) in mine when I replaced all the plywood in the v-berth. Great forum, wonderful knowledge base.