Balance 526 Mk II. What is new? Lots to love but a few thing still on the wish list.

This is a guided tour of the Balance 526 Mk II by Phil Berman (Founder and Designer) at the 2023 Annapolis Sailboat show. It showcases what is new and improved on the 526 Mk II vs the original model. There is a lot to love in this boat as it is a performance catamaran that also gives great interior comfort and storage. At the end I highlight the areas I loved (Versa Helm being the biggest feature) but do mention a few things I wish it had, such as an electric propulsion options and shaft drive vs sail drive but overall this would be a fantastic boat to live on while you circumnavigate the globe.

[@onemoretime2055]

Nice to see you back reviewing boats again.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Ya. COVID stopped us for a couple of years. Fun kicking tires again.

[@ronaldharmon9891]

That was a GREAT tour, you and your camera work and Phil with his thorough explanation.👍

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Thanks Ronald. You are always so nice.

[@kirkb3473]

Hey there, great video and it was nice to meet you and Janice at the Balance booth! Just a quick note that you might not be aware of, the latest boat to launch Edisto actually does have shaft drives, so if that’s something you really want you could choose them. With the electric propulsion I’m with you but the tech just doesn’t make financial sense yet as it adds $100k to the cost of the boat, and these boats sail so well they only use $3k/yr in diesel, so the payback is 33 years if you never used a drop of fuel. We investigated this option when we purchased ours (hull #29) that launches next year.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Nice meeting you too. That’s is great news!!! Shaft drive would make this boat near perfect. And you are right about electric. In theory I’d like hybrid electric propulsion but probably not if it jumps the price of the boat up massively. Send me an email, I’d love to pick your brain. [e-mail]. Thanks for giving me this info. Craig.

[@kirkb3473]

@@Bowmans-Woodswill do Craig, talking boats is my favorite subject! Lots of stuff we learned during our search that we are happy to share with others 👍🏻

[@SV-DEDICATED]

Lagoon - owner's versions are readily available on the used market. The most catamaran you can get at the price point. Probably the most comfortable, roomiest and livable sailboat. A couple can handle a 42 easily. & glad to see you uploading again.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Thanks. It’s good to be missed. Lagoons are large inside. No doubt. Just some concerns for some bulkhead cracking and quality issues. Plus I believe they still use a balsa core and are heavy. So probably not the best for light wind sailing. But don’t get me wrong, you could comfortably live on one because most people spend 90% of the time anchored or stationary and you can’t beat the living space.

[@SV-DEDICATED]

@@Bowmans-Woods I believe that bulkhead issue is only the 45 and a certain year group. It's not happening in the 42. Their quality is no different from any other production cat.

[@tonyhalsall3170]

I just posted exactly the same thing and then read this. I agree 100%. I have sailed on four different ones all set up slightly differently, but they were all great boats. Like anyone, I would try to make some changes as standard refrigeration is not sufficient and there needs to be a better option of having either two 300 litre water tanks or one water tank and a generator. 300 litres of water is not enough especially if the fresh water head flush option is chosen - it uses a lot of water if the boat is crewed and on passage.

[@jamielancaster01]

It also helps if you don’t video yourself & upload it to KZbin wrenching down your mast so tight you break your bulkheads then try to blame it on the manufacture.

[@stefanhoezda3342]

Great job guys

[@handroids1981]

Great work for a rushed tour. Compliments to the Balance crew on another fantastic boat.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Thanks. Surprise guided tour, still worked out decently.

[@handroids1981]

@@Bowmans-Woods Absolutely. BALANCE are putting out End Game product, year after year. Top quality boat works.

[@davidlevitz3119]

GREAT AS USUAL !

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Glad you liked it.

[@conjaso]

Here are some opinions to your concerns at the end of the vid: The electric propulsion idea isn’t far enough along for it to be practical. If you are caught in heavy seas, or need to power thru a strong headwind and need to get somewhere safe, trust me you want diesels. Also, you can find diesel mechanics anywhere in the world, but not electric motor mechanics. Diesels are tried and true, take care of them and they will take care of you. You get a boat that can sail in light winds and you are only firing up the motor on and off anchor, burning very little fuel. Balance is working with integral and they will be introducing a hybrid drive motor soon All the electric catamarans still carry generators and have to burn fuel quite often. Cloudy days are plenty and solar panels aren’t efficient unless the entire panel is exposed to sunlight. You’re going to be firing up the generator I’m a green conscious guy and I would still urge you to get new diesels. The cost of hybrid isn’t worth it. Also shaft drives have become much more reliable

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I agree that the range on electric is just not there yet. Hybrid maybe but all electric is probably not a great choice for ocean crossings

[@tonyhalsall3170]

You won’t get much more value for money than an owners version of a Lagoon 42. They are so well sorted now after so long in production and have no known production issues. I have just helped to deliver hull number 867 and it performed flawlessly under engine, engines, and at all points of sail - sustaining 8 knots up the English Channel in a southwesterly.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

OK. Good to know. 42 is below the size we would generally look for but I know Lagoons feel bigger inside than their water line would indicate. Wide hulls. I know a Lagoon 45s are quite large. They almost feel like a 50'

[@tonyhalsall3170]

@@Bowmans-Woods I have also helped deliver a new L46 and the L42 was hands down a more practical and ergonomically sensible boat than the L46. You are correct that in terms of hull length it seems “small” but it really isn’t. You do however need to fix a few issues relating to how the boats are set up. For example, as standard, the refrigeration set up is poor in terms of both capacity and quality of units. Also the choice of either an extra 300 litre water tank or a generator is not ideal, especially if you have freshwater flush in the heads and also want a generator. 300 litres is not enough. Good luck with your ongoing search.👍

[@Bowmans-Woods]

@@tonyhalsall3170 thanks for the experienced insight.

[@laurapitre5797]

People looking at Balance 526 or any other Balance aren't likely to be interested in Lagoons.

[@mrmped1]

I didn't see a nav station. The main cabin seems really tight for a live aboard and ventilation seems lacking. I wish they would extend the cabin and add a forward cockpit, I don't think it would be that much heavier, but it would be far nicer for a live aboard.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

You thought the cabin looked small? I thought it was great for a performance cat. Narrow performance hulls do not allow 3 sided access bed. Plus a lot of the open space is used for all the storage. I really appreciate the storage so I think it was a great use of space.

[@kirkb3473]

These are all custom boats built to their owners' individual specifications. Most delete the indoor forward facing nav station as they know from experience that it's not an efficient use of space and you never sit there on passage. I've noticed that the only people touting it is necessary are KZbinr's who've not done blue water passages on a catamaran, those who work full time still and need a desk, or those who are just repeating what they've seen in other videos and have no personal experience. Balance also has a larger cat with a forward cockpit if that's what fits your cruising style best.

[@aPL330]

how do you access your lines, when the roof is closed (bad weather) ??

[@Bowmans-Woods]

That is a question for Balance to answer.

[@antonditt1661]

Why do only few cats have large opening windows forward in the salon?

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I hear you. Some cats like the Seawinds and the new HH models have huge open front windows but most time sailing through waves the spray is hitting the windows so they need to be closed. But at anchor it’s a nice feature for airflow.

[@antonditt1661]

@@Bowmans-Woods I used to have one with tiny openings in the front screen and I could hardly use the salon at anchor under the carebbean sun.

[@marktaylor484]

Just wondering whether Phil has to wear sunglasse's below deck (I have reacotolite's), that would deterimine ego above service for my money.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Not sure but, as you would know, lots of people have very sensitive eyes to bright light. I don't think it is ego.

[@FlesHBoX]

I really love the style and build quality of the Balance, but I just cannot stand how aaggressively anti-green energy they are. Good luck waiting for Balance to have a hybrid option without them trying to talk you out of it (I swear Phil has to have stock in oil or something). Honestly, in the price bracket that balance is in, I would probably lean more toward HH. Not only are they building even higher performance cats, they seem significantly less "used car sales" whenever I've seen anyone from HH in videos. I still remember the first time I saw Phil in a video, I legitimately thought he was a former used car salesman who made the switch to yacht broker, before I learned that he owned the company and is actually a pretty accomplished sailor, lol. That being said, I don't think I've ever heard anyone who's been on a Balance have a single complaint about the boat, so if HH wasn't an option, I would feel great about going with a Balance (I'd just fight them at every chance to get rid of the Diesel reliance).

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I didn’t expect your comment to end the way it did. It kind of made me laugh. A begrudging endorsement. 😁👍

[@FlesHBoX]

@@Bowmans-Woods lol, yeah, like, as near as I can tell, they truly are excellent boats, and my only real issue is with their stance on electric.

[@Bowmans-Woods]

@@FlesHBoX Some builders just want to wait until the technology is proven and less expensive. I remember asking Tamas about electric propulsion when I sailed the X5 and he said no way. Now they are fully onboard with hybrid electric. So things will come around on all the builders eventually. May just need the price bump for electric to come down before more mass adoption.

[@FlesHBoX]

@@Bowmans-Woods It sure would be nice to see Balance hop on board with electric. Their cats would be amazing candidates for full electric, given how they've bragged about customers coming back to the factory after a year of sailing and not having burned through their first fillup of diesel, lol. Unfortunately I suspect they will only go that way when it starts losing them sales. They have several videos specifically about how terrible electrification is, all based on poor science and bad examples. It really is unfortunate, because I think Balance really could be a leader in pushing electrification since their cats are such good sailing boats.

[@laurapitre5797]

For the average cruiser and probably Balance customer electric is not ready for prime time. I don't see the problem with an owner trying to steer customers away from systems that may cause them to have a less than optimal experience. Adding 100k to the price of a boat while adding complexity may not be the best decision for those planning on remote cruising.

[@richardweil854]

One day you wiil have a cat ....or not !

[@Bowmans-Woods]

Oh, we will have a Cat. Just may have to be looking at the used market for it. The price of new Cats goes up faster than we can save money. Its like running on a treadmill. You know you are working hard but you are not getting anywhere. :-)

[@SirHackaL0t.]

Looks lovely but trousers and no socks? Eww

[@Bowmans-Woods]

I think you would see that a lot down south. No one wears socks.

[@robbbbbie12]

Yeah, you’d get strange looks here in Florida if you wore socks with khakis.

[@glenn2745]

Another electric propulsion hack. Many of us do not want to overpay for more complex and very expensive systems that based on C02 equivalents analysis have WORSE environmental impacts than diesel/high capacity alternators/lithium (Phosphate is less efficient, you'll need a lot more of them). I cited all this on the Balance channel on their most recent video in the comments, I won't reprise it here. But the idea that electric propulsion is better for the environment is nonsense. Period. Supply chains matter to total environmental impact. If you have a fetish for electric propulsion, go buy some other boat. Phil is building for serious, long range cruisers who may be away from civilization for months at a time, who may have to effect repairs themselves with minimal parts/supplies. Sure, if you want to do 2500 miles per year, coastal, get electric so you can show off. You probably also drive a Tesla and let charging your car determine how and when you travel too, lol. EVs are going the way of the dodo bird, folks, the future is hydrogen, period. Do your research, you'll see I'm correct. Do not make the same mistake with your boat...Last. The idea that any form of 'yachting' can be environmentally friendly is a joke. Do the analysis the supply chain for your boat, no matter how many C02 credits you buy, you will never offset it. If you are a cruising sailor, you are an environmental disaster, wake up. Lol. I'm so tired of this idiocy, sorry.