The Ballad Exchange

Our Ballad's ice box was quite large -- over 2cuft (57 liters) -- but had almost no insulation (2mm Ensolite foam on outside) and a drain in the bottom, letting the cold escape. That is fine for a daysail, or maybe overnight in a cold climate. I rebuilt it using a combination of polystyrene foam boa...

Peter: our main bulkhead had the early square-cut jog in the port panel, plus the straight header. It was hard squeezing past the port settee, avoiding the jog, stepping over the threshold, and ducking all at the same time -- even without the mast in place! So I sprang some arches in the header, tab...

Peter: Thanks. Even with a medium smoked acrylic, it makes a tremendous difference in the V-berth's livability: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4344/36522119061_97e44cedf2_c.jpg bright by Robert Mcgovern , on Flickr Still waiting for its final interior paint, which is why it remains translucent aroun...

Hard to find that gasket material, tho I believe the company that made the aluminum frames is still in business. They may have some? I'd just use fat butyl tape in its place. Two things we noticed messing with our fixed ports: -- The inner and outer trim rings are connected via stainless screws tapp...

So progress has been made on the foredeck hatch. There is still some hardware to attach & final cleanup & paint, but in case anyone is contemplating this job, here is what I did with our hatch. I started by laying up some reinforcement on the back: two layers of butted 1708 biaxial tape (wit...

Any residual chemicals from the urethane foam core (possibly isocyanates?) or tthe plywood (small traces of formaldehyde) should have outgassed years ago. Our engine compartment was lined with fiberglass rather than asbestos. I'd say the biggest environmental danger on the Ballad is the same as any ...

Mark and Nicholas: Both really nice designs & executions! Many ways to approach the double berth question; we're presently scheming to use the two brass table leg sockets in the bilge to hold up a central 'spine' board, then 3/8" semi-rigid panel material inside the main cushions themselves...

Hi Gabriel. Roller furling booms have gone out of fashion as better Jiffy Reefing options came into use. Slides are easy to put on a sail (either at home or by a sail shop) and should probably space about 27" apart on the Ballad. Our mast has a very large flare in the mast slot just above the b...

All boats (even new ones) have design & construction issues, and all 40-year-old boats have age and wear issues. The Ballad's are mostly few and known. The mast truss affects some Ballads, but not all. It is not dangerous unless the truss fails, and that can be prevented; a bad truss may be a de...

Our speed paddlewheel is under the port settee, just about center of the keel and fairly tight up against the bench face. https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5563/15075575270_cb20d83be5_o.jpg The depth transducer, less affected by turbulence, went thru on the stbd side, under the galley sink. I'm planning...