Walk away?

[sighmoon]

Hi all,

I had a look at an Albin Ballad a few days ago, and was quite taken with the type, but perhaps not the example I saw. There were two big issues:

1) The hull is indented where it is supported on a home made cradle. The dent is visible inside and out and seems to occupy about 2 square foot. Broker reckons the dent will pop out once it's off that particular cradle. Even if it does, is it still a weak point? If it doesn't, will the repair be costly?

2) There's a crack between the coachroof and deck in a few places, which looks like it runs a bit deeper than gelcoat. My Big Book of Boat Inspection says deck crunching underfoot is a bad sign, and it seems to be crunching ever so quietly all over, or perhaps that's just the sound of my imagination. The deck did feel solid.

3) There may be an issue with the mast, or it might have been a spiders web - hard to tell as it was at the top of a loft. If there is an issue with the mast, how much would a new mast be for a boat of this sort?

Obviously a survey would follow if I go ahead, but I've paid for two surveys and bought no boats so far, so I'll only do so if I'm certain.

Thanks in advance,
Simon

 

[Georgio]

Hi all,

I had a look at an Albin Ballad a few days ago, and was quite taken with the type, but perhaps not the example I saw. There were two big issues:

1) The hull is indented where it is supported on a home made cradle. The dent is visible inside and out and seems to occupy about 2 square foot. Broker reckons the dent will pop out once it's off that particular cradle. Even if it does, is it still a weak point? If it doesn't, will the repair be costly?

2) There's a crack between the coachroof and deck in a few places, which looks like it runs a bit deeper than gelcoat. My Big Book of Boat Inspection says deck crunching underfoot is a bad sign, and it seems to be crunching ever so quietly all over, or perhaps that's just the sound of my imagination. The deck did feel solid.

3) There may be an issue with the mast, or it might have been a spiders web - hard to tell as it was at the top of a loft. If there is an issue with the mast, how much would a new mast be for a boat of this sort?

Obviously a survey would follow if I go ahead, but I've paid for two surveys and bought no boats so far, so I'll only do so if I'm certain.

Thanks in advance,
Simon

1 - If the prev owner was happy to leave it like that it would make me wonder how much care he has given the boat in general. It may pop out with no probs but impossible to say from what you have posted
2 - bit of creaking and flexing is ok (assuming it is solid GRP) crunching would ring alarm bells
3 - a few thousand unless you were lucky with a s/hand one

There are lots of other boats out there.

 

[MoodySabre]

Ask them to move it on to a proper cradle to prove the point. "The broker thinks..." is not worth a light. If you explained that to a surveyor he should be able to make a helpful comment without even seeing it.

Tell them to bring the mast down for inspection.

If they won't do those things then walk away.

 

[FullCircle]

As Monty Python and the Holy Grail shouts:


Run Away!!!!!!

 

[pvb]

Agreed - run!

 

[doug748]

Nice boats and nippy as well.
However. I understand there is a well known glitch with the deck in the mast area. This manifests itself on hard raced examples (most were) and shows up as a dishing on the coachroof.
When this came up last there was a conflab about the deck construction and I think the panel decided it was a balsa laminate. If it is, that might explain your mushy feeling underfoot?
Sorry to be so vague, I had details of the original build, if I can find them I will post a link.

 

[doug748]

Yep, balsa core I think. Loads of good stuff here:
http://albinballad.multiply.com/

 

[Lakesailor]

There are lots of other boats ready to give you heartache.
This is not the one.

 

[Ubergeekian]

1) The hull is indented where it is supported on a home made cradle. The dent is visible inside and out and seems to occupy about 2 square foot. Broker reckons the dent will pop out once it's off that particular cradle. Even if it does, is it still a weak point? If it doesn't, will the repair be costly?

Fibreglass bends. No biggy. In the worst case a few layers of extra layup inside will restore any lost strength.

2) There's a crack between the coachroof and deck in a few places, which looks like it runs a bit deeper than gelcoat. My Big Book of Boat Inspection says deck crunching underfoot is a bad sign, and it seems to be crunching ever so quietly all over, or perhaps that's just the sound of my imagination. The deck did feel solid.

Eeeeeeeek.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Hi all,

I had a look at an Albin Ballad a few days ago, and was quite taken with the type, but perhaps not the example I saw. There were two big issues:

1) The hull is indented where it is supported on a home made cradle. The dent is visible inside and out and seems to occupy about 2 square foot. Broker reckons the dent will pop out once it's off that particular cradle. Even if it does, is it still a weak point? If it doesn't, will the repair be costly?

2) There's a crack between the coachroof and deck in a few places, which looks like it runs a bit deeper than gelcoat. My Big Book of Boat Inspection says deck crunching underfoot is a bad sign, and it seems to be crunching ever so quietly all over, or perhaps that's just the sound of my imagination. The deck did feel solid.

3) There may be an issue with the mast, or it might have been a spiders web - hard to tell as it was at the top of a loft. If there is an issue with the mast, how much would a new mast be for a boat of this sort?

Obviously a survey would follow if I go ahead, but I've paid for two surveys and bought no boats so far, so I'll only do so if I'm certain.

Thanks in advance,
Simon

1/ depends on the panel. if its a flat panel its only to be expected. if the panel should be concave and is now convex, walk away.

2/ imagination is a wonderful thing. It is an old boat so you cant expect it to be like new.

3/ you dont need a surveyor to tell you if the m,ast is OK,. Get up there or get the mast down and have a good shufty. again its an old mast so dont expect it to be free of dings and with as new anodising.

why did your previous efforts fall down. surveyors protect themselves by highlighting every little fault they can find. are you expecting an old banger like a Ballad to be in new boat condition? Are you being realistic?

 

[sighmoon]

Are you expecting an old banger like a Ballad to be in new boat condition? Are you being realistic?

Hmmm, maybe I am being unrealistic. I'm starting to think so.

I am not expecting an old banger to be like new, but I'm expecting it to be sound. From other threads, lots of boats from the Ballad's era are as solid as ever. Previously I'd been at the very bottom of the market, and couldn't be choosey. Now I'm looking at boats 4 times the price, (for a similar length) and they don't appear to be that much better.

Anyway, off to the broads for a charter...