I've just bought a Ballad as well!

[Tom]

I've just had my offer accepted on our first (big) boat a YELLOW Albin Ballad. At first I wasn't sure on the colour but in all honestly it's growing on me, it's different. Can't wait to get out on it but it'll be next year now.

[MarkRyan1981]

Congratulations - as I said before, you'll never look back! Any more photos of her? Where abouts will you sail her from?

[Tom]

I'm going down to complete tomorrow so I'll grab some more pics. She's a tired old girl, as I'm sure a lot of Ballads are but with a bit of TLC she'll be ok. I'll be looking to convert Sundance to aft controls, roller and slab reefing at some point in the future, just to make life easier with the wife and little one, but she'll sail as she is just fine. It's also got Navik self steering which I'm interested in trying out as well, maybe even take part in the Jester challenge in a couple of years but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'll be in the Bristol Channel so it'll be fun with the tidal range.

More pics to follow.

[Natoryous]

Wonderful! Welcome to the Balladiers, to both of us, I guess. We just bought ours (no 1214) less than a month ago and currently I can't wait for the spring so I can get her into the water!

What sail number is she? Year built?

I would love to see more pics also! I just put some pics of ours up here: http://imgur.com/a/5h3UG

Have you got any projects planned? Major or minor undertakings? Always curious to know and great way to get ideas for our own boat.

Congratulations and good luck!

[Tom]

Wow yours looks a very fine craft, lots of love and care!

I completed today so she's mine, but was it such a rush I got some really bad pictures so I'll get some more next time. She's number 979 and believed to be built in 1973 but I imagine she should be later with that number? Is there a way of finding out?

Plans really for the winter will be just a general going over, make a to do list for next season do an inventory, work out what I need to buy for next year, I will be fitting a couple of auto bilge pumps as I live 100 miles from where she's kept and even though it's a club and there are people around it's a bit of added security. She's sailable as she is so I plan to get out there and get some hours under my belt, work out her niggles and next winter do a overhaul.

I do plan to add some self tailing winches for the head sail and convert to aft controls, but neither are a reason not to sail at the moment. She's got hank on sails which I don't mind to much but I'm tempted in roller reefing and slab reefing in the main but the previous owner seemed to like the rolled boom reefing so I'm quite happy to give it ago.

[Tom]

Some of the bad pictures, but it gives you an idea.

[jocke76]

Hi

I just (last weekend, 17th sept. 2016) bought a blue Ballad nmbr 211.

Nice pictures but I'm guessing that the turned nav-table are not original?

I haven't had the time to go out for a sail yet but we made some short trips using the engine only.
Works great even if its the original MD6A-engine.

Natoryous: Sounds like you have some of same ideas as I have. Although i'm not planning to put in an Raspberry to use as a computer but I'm sure are going to add some more computing power to the boat =) I saw some ideas to use RP3 as an AIS-receiver with an DVT-B-usb-dongle. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VBz4HE0bZA) and I've read some forums about NMEA-communcations with Arduino. So I'm hoping for an boring winter so that I have the time =)

IMG_7836.jpg (550.87 KiB) Viewed 45704 times

[Tom]

It's one of two different layouts the Ballads had, mines the 6 berth version with the two "pilot berths" above the bench seats and the rear facing nav station rather then the 5 berth with the forward nav station and the quarter berth in the rear locker.

As we have a little boy and friends with children then I'll keep the pilot berths but I imagine they'll be used more for storage then sleeping.

I'm really unsure/uneasy about adding a computer to the boat, part of having the boat to me is not to have a modern day distraction of computers or the internet. In a way I like that the instruments are separated so if one goes down the others still work rather then the PC going pop and not having anything. I do see the benefits of having all the information in one on the PC though and as much as I don't want the distraction of sitting at a PC it's good to be able to just check on the net.

I'm tempted in an android tablet with charts on if for in the cockpit and the odd bit of googling but I've seen this

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/sumvisi ... ge-wifi-pl

which combined with a 12v touchscreen and possibly even a second under the spray hood would make a nice setup.

http://www.lilliputuk.com/monitors/hdmi ... 14-np-c-t/

I'll be interested in seeing other peoples setups.

[prjacobs]

I use my laptop with Memory Map Navigator and OpenCPN. It's connected to my AIT2000 AIS transceiver giving me ship positions and my position to other ships when I have the transmit button on.

I also have a Nexus 7 tablet with Memory Map Navigator, but it's not connected to AIS.
In hindsight, I would buy an AIS transponder with Bluetooth so the ship info can be picked up by the table.

I also carry paper charts, but love my electronics!