New Balboa 26 owner

[leftwing24]

Hi all,

I am now the proud owner of a 1974 Balboa 26. I picked it up in upstate NY, then had the trip from hell getting it back to Manchester NH. Who knew the Jeep would overheat on the hottest day of the year while towing 4500 lbs up and down the hills of Vermont? Mental note: always bring tools when towing a boat with a borrowed truck, especially if you don't think you'll need them. I made it as far as Enfield (about 2/3 of the way) before I finally had to have my wife bring my socket set so I could pull the failed thermostat (which, of course, failed shut). I'm glad I talked her out of making the trip with me. She got to see the quick 15 minute fix, not the hours of walking with water jugs and waiting for help.

Are there any current or former B26 owners out there with tips, tricks, or gotchas? My brother and I are going to sort out the rigging next weekend, and get some practice stepping the mast.

The boom had cracked at the main sheet attachment point and had been repaired with a welded steel plate; my neighbor is an expert welder (but not a sailor), and said the job looks good. I've sailed boats with repaired masts before but not a repaired boom. Any ideas/comments? I know I'll have to replace it at some point.

Wish me luck; I'll keep you posted.

Fair winds,

Frank

 

[Bill Murray]

Join this Yahoo user group -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/balboa26-boats/

There is also a Coastal Recreation User group (CR was hte builder of htese boats)

 

[leftwing24]

Hi Bill,

I am pending in both groups. I had already joined the B-26 group; thanx for the pointer to Coastal Recreation.

Thanx,

Frank

 

[watercolors II]

Watch for

Great boat, 2 at my marina, both had problems with water leaking under the mast step and rotting out the deck underneath.

Very minor complaint is the foredeck scuppers are too far back and not at the lowest point.

They are fast and sail great, one of the few trailerables capable of sailing with the gunwales under water and not round up.

 

[leftwing24]

Re: Watch for

My brother and I spent some time last weekend sorting out the rigging and attempting to step the mast. We didn't actually get it up, but I didn't really intend to. It was more of an exercise in figuring out what goes where and determining if we needed anything else (like a longer line so we can use the main sheet tackle for stepping). We got the mast up off the deck about 10 feet; the mast step did show a significant gap when the stress of the mast was on it, so "Inspect/rebed deck hardware" jumped several spots on my list to number one. I do need to retab the forward bulkhead/compression post area, and now will take a very close look at the deck in that area. Any wood I've seen is NOT rotted, whether it be core, cabin or deck; that might change when I get the step (and other deck hardware) removed. The foredeck core/plywood is visibly delaminated from underneath, and needs to be repaired/replaced/reinforced.

The only thing I'm really concerned about is the boom. There is little doubt that the mid-boom mainsheet arrangement caused the damage. I don't know if the boat was ever sailed with the repair, and, given that the mainsheet is located in the same place that caused the crack, I'm more than a little concerned about using it. It performed well during our test stepping; I watched it closely, and it didn't even flex.

I've gotten a quote from RigRite for a new boom at around $450; this includes a 12 foot boom, gooseneck end, and outhaul end, with the rest of the hardware reused from the old boom. This is good news; I was fearing that it would be twice that. The bad news is that it WILL cost twice that if I have it shipped, so I'll probably make the road trip to RI if/when it becomes necessary. 'm taking lots of "before" pictures, and I hope to set up a site to chronicle the restoration process. This boat is definitely a B.O.A.T.

We are currently debating possible names; "Mrs. Mo Mo" just doesn't do it for me... I'd like to call it "Serenity", after the ship of the same name in "Firefly", but I've discovered it is one of the most common ship names <grrr>. My wife has suggested "Hey Let's Go Ride Our Bikes", in homage to the ADD that runs rampant in our family, but I'm concerned about having to use it on the air... My brother suggested "Oh...My...God...!", claiming that this is what Heidi will say most often when she sees the various bills for parts and repairs... We've almost settled on "Third Stage", or something with "Three" or "Third" in it. This is my third sailboat; I learned on an O'Day Sprite, and just traded my Hunter 170 for the Balboa.

The BIN for the boat is CSTE03840274; it is a 1974 Balboa 26. From what I've been reading online, I think this makes my hull number #384. Is this correct?


Thanx and fair winds,

Frank

 

[Jim_Panian]

My brother and I spent some time last weekend sorting out the rigging and attempting to step the mast. We didn't actually get it up, but I didn't really intend to. It was more of an exercise in figuring out what goes where and determining if we needed anything else (like a longer line so we can use the main sheet tackle for stepping). We got the mast up off the deck about 10 feet; the mast step did show a significant gap when the stress of the mast was on it, so "Inspect/rebed deck hardware" jumped several spots on my list to number one. I do need to retab the forward bulkhead/compression post area, and now will take a very close look at the deck in that area. Any wood I've seen is NOT rotted, whether it be core, cabin or deck; that might change when I get the step (and other deck hardware) removed. The foredeck core/plywood is visibly delaminated from underneath, and needs to be repaired/replaced/reinforced.

The only thing I'm really concerned about is the boom. There is little doubt that the mid-boom mainsheet arrangement caused the damage. I don't know if the boat was ever sailed with the repair, and, given that the mainsheet is located in the same place that caused the crack, I'm more than a little concerned about using it. It performed well during our test stepping; I watched it closely, and it didn't even flex.

I've gotten a quote from RigRite for a new boom at around $450; this includes a 12 foot boom, gooseneck end, and outhaul end, with the rest of the hardware reused from the old boom. This is good news; I was fearing that it would be twice that. The bad news is that it WILL cost twice that if I have it shipped, so I'll probably make the road trip to RI if/when it becomes necessary. 'm taking lots of "before" pictures, and I hope to set up a site to chronicle the restoration process. This boat is definitely a B.O.A.T.

We are currently debating possible names; "Mrs. Mo Mo" just doesn't do it for me... I'd like to call it "Serenity", after the ship of the same name in "Firefly", but I've discovered it is one of the most common ship names <grrr>. My wife has suggested "Hey Let's Go Ride Our Bikes", in homage to the ADD that runs rampant in our family, but I'm concerned about having to use it on the air... My brother suggested "Oh...My...God...!", claiming that this is what Heidi will say most often when she sees the various bills for parts and repairs... We've almost settled on "Third Stage", or something with "Three" or "Third" in it. This is my third sailboat; I learned on an O'Day Sprite, and just traded my Hunter 170 for the Balboa.

The BIN for the boat is CSTE03840274; it is a 1974 Balboa 26. From what I've been reading online, I think this makes my hull number #384. Is this correct?


Thanx and fair winds,

Frank

Please don't name your boat "Serenity" unless you are planning to name it "Serenity # 98698500. I just bought a Balboa 26 in San Diego and guess what the name was???? I will be changing it, despite the old sailors curse to "Serenity NOW", per the Seinfeld episode.

The boom on these boats is inadequate to be mainsheeted in the center and raising the mast does not help, so they all bend.
I'd recommend talking to: http://www.sealsspars.com (501)521-7730 before replacing a part that should be improved.

The kind folks at CRI used press board in the deck and so rot is a real problem. Additionally you will find that the compression post for the mast is off set and when combined with press board coring the eventual effect is a leaning mast of Pisa which I remedied by adding an additional compression post under the other side of the mast step.

You might not know it from my comments but I do love my little Balboa's or I would not have just bought the second one in California. Good Luck.

 

[leftwing24]

Hi Jim,

Yeah, I know about the name. I did some research, and "Navis Serenitatis" is Latin for "Boat of Serenity". Even though it is so popular, I wanted "Serenity" in the name for a number of reasons, but I think we're going to have to consider going in another direction. The Naming Committee is still in session and pondering all nominations; Richie is still lobbying for "Oh My God", while Heidi is pushing for "Let's Go Ride Our Bikes". I really don't want to have to use either one on the VHF, but I don't have a good alternative yet. Stay tuned...

I hear you (and many others) about the insufficient boom strength with respect to the mainsheet attachment point. The boom section that RigRite based its quote on should solve that problem; the width for the new section is the same as the original (2 1/4"), but the depth is more than a full inch deeper (3 3/4" versus 2 5/8"), and has thicker walls to boot. According to RigRite, this boom section is used on boats in the 21-32 foot range, and they believe it will be a significant upgrade over the original section. If I get paranoid enough, I can jump to the next size for a few dollars more, and get a section measuring 2 3/4" x 4 1/2" with an additional 5% wall thickness increase.

I've seen some posts where a boom was reinforced by inserting a smaller diameter pipe into the boom and riveted in place; then the mainsheet hardware was installed through both tubes. I've also seen some alternate mainsheet rigging schemes which spread the boom blocks over several attachment points. It's not clear if this is an alternate arrangement for the B26 or if it is for another boat altogether. I'll probably try one or both of these fixes before I spend cash on a new boom. The fact that the boom was able to lift the mast in our test without visibly flexing makes me think it is strong enough for light duty. Since I'm planning on replacing the boom at some point anyway, I don't mind making modifications to it.

Good news: I picked up a motor last week for free. Bad news: it's so old, I'm looking for parts on antique outboard motor sites. It is a 1955 5hp Sea King two stroke long shaft. It belonged to my wife's dad's girlfriend's late husband; it had been sitting in the cellar for 25+ years. The plugs and points look brand new, and the motor looks great now that I've cleaned off years of grime and dust. I mixed up some gas and, on the third pull, it started and ran pretty well. After about 20 seconds, one of the fuel lines let go, so that's all the testing I've done so far. I knew I would have to replace the lines anyway, since the alcohol content in modern gas will eat the old rubber gas lines.

Will 5hp be enough for the Balboa 26? I'm only planning on using it for docking and trailering activities. If not, I can always fix it up and sell/trade for something bigger.

More good news: I found an old bilge pump in (you guessed it) the bilge. It wasn't running, but I was able to disassemble and fix it. Now I need to expand my electrical panel...

Fair winds,

Frank

 

[leftwing24]

Motor Update: It wasn't the fuel line after all; I think it was the carburetor gasket. The carb detached from the motor with no effort at all; in fact, once I got the carb off, the gasket was loose and intact. I've got a call in to Laing's Outboard Motors (http://www.laingsoutboards.com/) to see if they can help out. Of course, most of the parts for my particular motor have asterisks ("May not fit all Gale models"), so I'm waiting for bad news, but hoping for good...

 

[philwsailz]

The biggest problem with the old Sea Kings is that they were built by SO many different folks over the years. It is a Montgomery Wards brand name...

If it is by chance an OMC built motor, there is much more hope than if another brand. If you could post a pic, I would be glad to see if I can help. I repair and restore old '50's era OMC Johnsons and Evinrudes... Never a more bullet-proof American motor made... If it has compression you can make it run...

Ideally, you will need to do ALL of the following to be sure you have a reliable solid old motor:

Lower unit seal kit: includes prop shaft seal, input shaft seal, AND the shift shaft seal, (rubber o-ring) that requires a special tool or some fabrication assistance to create a removal tool.

Water pump: you need to at least replace the impeller, and on these old motors, it is advisable to get a pump kit with a new housing, just in case the one you have is badly scored

Carb Kit: a new float, high and low speed needle valve o-rings, gaskets, etc... Take the thing apart and be sure every orifice is clean and not clogged. Search out the carb kit with the plastic float, nto the cork one. Redline Boatersports is a brand name that is distributed through Southern Distributors Dealers. The cork is okay, but the pllastic lasts longer.

Ignition: Points, coils, condenser, and plugs... You have to pull the flywheel to get to the ignition parts, so a flywheel puller is pretty necessary. Once you get in, it is easy to replace all, jsut take time to make sure the plug wire is properly seated in the coil. On re-attachment of the flywheel, torque is 65 ft. - lbs... Again, all of this assumes an OMC-built motor. If it is another builder, there may be some differences...

If you can do all this yourself and it is OMC, you will end up spending somewhere between $150 and $300.00 for parts depending on where and how you buy them. Sierra is a parts line distributed through your local NAPA parts store, and while the parts may not be on the shelf, they CAN get them. Best thing to do is look up the Sierra Marine catalog: http://www.go2marine.com/productcenters/sierra/ and have a part number ready when you go to NAPA. Lots of them will not look up old motor parts....

Post up a pic of the motor, and lets see if we can determine who built it!

Good Luck
Phil

 

[leftwing24]

Hi Phil,
Thanx for all the info; that's about as comprehensive as I think anyone could get...
According to the model number (GG9013A) and several hours of research online, it is a 1955 5hp SeaKing manufactured by Gale.

I've got a few pics of the motor; it is partially disassembled. I took the covers off to get at the fuel line, then realized it wasn't leaking from there. I initially thought something may have been cracked, but when I took the carb off, the paper/fiber gasket was loose and dry (no sealant).

I've already looked at the plugs and points; they look brand new, and gaps are in spec. You can see one of the wires is abraded by the flywheel. I haven't done anything to the motor except wipe it down. I think the most amazing part of getting it running was the fact that it was running (and running well) while fuel was pouring down the back of the engine. I only intended to get it started and let it run for about 20 seconds; I didn't realize fuel was leaking until I shut it down and heard it dripping on the ground.

I've rebuilt about a dozen automotive carburetors over the years as well as a couple of motors, and I've been a master MacGuyver for most of my life, so I'm not afraid to tackle the job; I just get concerned when the parts I need have an asterisk next to it (*May not fit all models). I'm currently between jobs, so spending a couple of hundred dollars on a motor I probably won't use this year is low on the priority list. I guess I'm looking for tips, tricks, what to look for, etc.

Those are beautiful motors. It's nice to see that good craftsmanship can stand the test of time; I'm hoping the same will be true of the Balboa. I know I've got my work cut out for me when I'm getting directed to "antique motors" sites...

Thanx again,

Frank

 

[Seattle Scott]

Frank, I think I am your wife's dad's girlfriend's late husband and I report I am not dead and would like my outboard back ( once you get it fixed up).

 

[philwsailz]

Ah hah.....

tip 1:
Before replacing lower unit seals, drain the lower unit lube, then pressure test it with a pressure pump and gage screwed into the oil fill screw hole. It should hold 10 lbs for a decent long period of time. If it does, refill with 90 Wt Hypoid oil and move upward. If not, you need to rebuild, or at least change lower unit lube often. It is real easy to get water in there if it is not sealed.

tip2: You need a water pump. Before running it for any length of time install a new one. While running it the other day, you may have broken off vanes, so if parts are missing from the impeller when you remove it, search for them. They can block flow and cause an overheat. After sitting for 25 years, there is no way the pump impeller is good.

Looks like you are on the carb, so regarding the fuel:
tip3: NEVER run that motor on 50:1 or 100:1 mix, you will burn it up. Go with 24:1 which is roughly a quart per 6 gallons of fuel. Use TCW-3 oil, not 30wt as is probably stamped somewhere on the gas tank.

Do you have a tank integral to the motor or separate? I cannot tell.

 

[philwsailz]

I should also add that there is a significant probability that your water pump is just under the powerhead, and not in the lower unit. I have only worked one one 5-horse motor and it was 2 or 3 years newer, but the pump was under the power head.

Noodle around on this site I found; it might help with this little motor of yours: http://hoodad.fortunecity.com/index2.html

 

[leftwing24]

"I'm not dead ... yet"

Hi Scott,

Thanx; I really needed a giggle. It's frustrating to look at the motor and to not be able to justify spending $100 on parts to get it going; I really want to be out on the water.

Fair winds,

Frank

 

[leftwing24]

Re: Motor tips

Hi Phil,
Thanx for the tips; these are the kinds of things I'm looking for. I already know that I can take the motor apart and replace everything; it's all those little things that only experience can teach that I need to learn.

I've had more than one person tell me to mix the fuel to the motor's required ratio, modern oils notwithstanding. I've got the 24:1 mix for this motor, using the TCW-3, and will not thin it for any reason.

Most items, like water pump impeller, seals and gaskets, etc, will be replaced as cashflow allows. I'm not so optimistic as to believe that, because the motor started, that everything is fine. The motor is older than I am, and hadn't been run since Reagan was president, so I assume there has been deterioration of seals, gaskets, and lines. I am less concerned about durable parts (plugs, points, casings, etc), and, as it turns out, the metal ignition parts are perfect.

If I have a few nice days this week, I may open up the lower unit and do some inspecting. I am under the impression that the impeller IS up under the power head, as you indicated in the other post. Some info I found on this motor suggests that it cannot be run in a barrel, but needs to have a special "test prop" and an adjustment on the lower unit itself to get cooling water to flow correctly.

The tank is integral; It looks like it will hold about a gallon of fuel. There is no provision to connect an external tank. I may look at retro-fitting something in the distant future, but, for now, the only sailing I'm likely to be doing is lake or very near coastal sailing, so a full tank and a couple of gallons in the can should be plenty.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help and feedback. I love to learn new things, sometimes just for the heck of it, but it's always more fun and informative to be able to talk to someone about it.

Now if I can only get a return email about those @%#&$ parts; I'd really like to know if they will fit my motor...

Thanx again and fair winds,

Frank