I'm Andy from Gothenburg, Sweden. Me and the missus just bought Ballad no 1214!
We've been eyeing for a new ship to sail for a while, we've been cruising in an IF-boat for the past 15 years and have gradually outgrown it - not least by cloning ourselves twice. xD Our girls are now 4 and 6, and it was just impossible to cram ourselves into the IF any longer, so although we loved the boat type and had ours very much as we wanted it, it was time to move on.
We came across "Balladine" in Kungshamn, Sweden about a month ago via an online ad, and I had a good feeling from the start. Went up there with my father (it's a 2 hour drive from Gothenburg) and looked over the boat, had a test sail and was very pleased.
The boat is in generally good condition, we had it checked out by an authorised inspector and there's some of the expected signs of age and wear of course, but the previous owner did a fantastic job re-coating the entire hull and reinforcing the keel in the early 00's and has put a lot of effort into maintenance and upkeep. The engine was completely replaced in 2010 with a Vetus 16hp which is in great shape - this and the pristine hull was definitely what sold me on the boat initially, everything else is just an added bonus, really.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
I have a couple of projects lined up for the future, among other things a swim platform, possibly a chain locker at the bow and a new, slightly longer bowsprit with a ladder, for the kids mostly. I'm thinking of painting some of the wood and bulkheads white like Mads from Sail Life (great YouTube series by the way!) has on his Ballad, but it's not a priority as the wood is in pretty good condition. The galley needs a do-over (new cooker and oven) and I plan to replace some of the electronics which are a bit overkill for my taste (I don't need a 10" chart plotter, really), and maybe add a wind instrument.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and say hello and hopefully have a conversation with other Balladiers around the world. I look forward to some neat tips and tricks and posting about my life onboard in the future!
First though, to come up with a good name for the boat... Wow, what a challenge! I've been turning it over in my head for weeks without finding a good name.
Cheers!
-- Andy