This Swedish-built Albin Ballad 30 came to us to get upgrades and modifications for liveaboard cruising. It was quite rough and in need of many repairs but every old boat has its problems whether poor design issues, shoddy construction, or just normal wear and tear. The Ballad was something of a racing design in its day, with fairly light displacement although it does have a high ballast ratio and is known in Europe as a safe offshore boat. Check back for part 2 as the refit begins where we relocate the chain locker bulkhead and construct a Divinycell foam integral water tank with watertight bulkheads under the v-berth.

We can be reached at atomvoyages.com where you can find articles on cruising and fitting out sailboats. If you have a classic sailboat and want to share your experiences or have questions on fitting out, consider joining the Plastic Classic Forum where I'm a forum moderator and answer questions: https://plasticclassicforum.com/forum/