Balaton 24 'Rock Bottom'

[Paulck13]

A couple of weeks ago I became the proud(?) owner of a neglected Balaton 24 fin keel yacht. She is outwardly very scruffy, but seems sound enough - I suppose that I could have bought 20 bottles of Havana Club for the same price, but hopefully 'Rock Bottom' will last longer! She is presently out of the water on the lower River Itchen, Southampton.
I have not had much success finding any information about the type, how they sail etc. The previous owner fitted her with a rebuilt Volvo Penta MD2, so I can find out loads of info on the engine, but other than length, beam, displacement there is no information on the actual boat. I reckon with a power wash and antifouling on the bottom and a polish on the top she'll look rather good. My main concern below is no upholstery - I have a set of Cornish Crabber 24 cushions, but they don't fit very well!
Any information would be gratefully received - are there any other owners out there, does anyone have any history on this boat? Many thanks Paul

 

[Nick Vass]

Hi Paul
The Balaton 24 was built by the Hangarian Shipyard and Crane Factory in Balaton Fured, on the shore of lake Balaton, Hungary.
I have been there and sailed on a new Balaton 22 and a new Balaton 25.

I have a friend called Bill who had a Balaton 24 in Torquay around 1988. I wonder if this is the same boat. I'll check old photos.
Bill's Balaton 24 had a Bukh DV10 though. Not a Volvo.

They were sold in UK by V.G Waring and Sons Ltd

LOA 24'4" 7.45m
LWL 21'2" 6.45m
Beam 7'6" 2.3m
Draft 3'11" 1.2m
Displacement 1,279 lbs 580kg
Ballast 3,638 lbs 1,650kg
Sail area 274 sq ft 25.5 sq m

The Balaton 24 was built around 1972. They built a 18' yacht at same time.

The Balton 25 is still being built!
http://www.balaton-yacht.net/english/e_yachtcharter.htm

They are built for the charter market on the lake, which is a big industry! You can charter a new one.
I sailed a Balaton 25 and really liked it.
We met the then owner Peter Lang, who was a Hungarian Olympic sailing champion. Peter and his wife are very nice.
We had a great holiday on the lake which is very long and shallow. Great place

 

[Searush]

Excellent Tokai (sherry like fortified wine) from that region too. I taught at the Magyar Telecoms management College there a few times. Fabulous building in a top holiday location - how the Communist bosses looked after their own!

 

[Paulck13]

Hi Nick
Thanks for the information - hopefully the boat will be as at home on the Solent as it was on Lake Balaton! I'd be interested to know if this is the same boat, there don't seem to be many around. I think that Rock Bottom was re-engine fairly recently - I believe that it had a Vire before. Regards Paul

 

[tridione]

Hi everybody!
I live near Venice, and are older than 68 years ......
I own a 24 Balaton for about a year, and I'm completely renovating.
The boat is in the planking of Yellow Pine, thickness 25 mm, mast and boom always in Yellow Pine.
The boat is in strange conditions ......
The hull has been treated very badly, the rest in good condition (not very good!)
the boat was in 1964, built in quartabono (in Italian is called quartabono that building where the planking is perfectly matched without caulking)
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