I am currently in the process of purchasing an Albin Ballad 30 and I am about to go and perform a personal survey. The boat is a very late-production model, with a hull number well over 1400 (early 1980s).
The current owner has been very transparent and reported that during hard sailing, some water enters the deep keel bilge. He recently tested the boat in a strong headwind (30-35 knots / 12-15 m/s) and confirmed that a small amount of water came in. According to him, the water is not coming directly down the mast profile, but it drains into the keel bilge from a limber hole/pipe.
However, he sent me a photo that is raising a red flag for me: there is a very distinct, dark rust stain flowing directly out of the limber hole that connects to the forward compartment where the mast step (mastfot) is located.
As we all know, the mast step can be a major culprit for issues on older Ballads. My questions for the community are:
Could the mast step be severely compromised even on these very late specimens? I understod that the yard improved the layout/materials on the 14xx series, but can it still rot or collapse under the plate?
Have any other owners experienced similar rust stains in the bilge without it being a structural disaster? Could it just be superficial oxidation from rainwater running under the mast plate?
The boat is currently in the water, so a hull inspection from the outside will be difficult during my visit. My plan to investigate this is to bring a USB endoscope/borescope camera and slide it through the limber hole to get a clear view of the mast step and the surrounding fiberglass.
I would highly appreciate your thoughts on this, your experiences, and any advice on what else I should check under the floorboards to rule out structural damage.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Best regards,
Marco
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