falklandfred

I am sure that this has been dealt with before on the forum, but I can't find the answer for looking. We are just buying a 2005 boat that has been out of the water for some time. The hull in in decent condition, but needs reblacking - the exising blacking (which I think is just bitumen) is flaking and it is possible to pull bits off leaving a rusty gap in the black. So, two questions: 1. what sort of preparation is needed - just a pressure wash and steel brush, or something more? 2. what is the best sort of blacking to use? Someone suggested Comastic, but I am not too sure what the difference is between them all - is there a particular recommendation? Thanks for the the help, in anticipation....

Has anyone had this done recently and if so haw much was charged per ft - I seem to be getting some very different quotes.

Thanks for the feedback so far. It currently has Blakes Broad anti-foul, which is copper-based. I am told that International Waterways Plus (a hard scrubbable anti-foul designed specifically for inland waterways) might be better all round - for the boat and environment. Has anyone used this? Does anyone know if it can be overpainted onto a copper-based without any barrier treatment?

When we bought our boat a couple of years ago it had recently been given a nice shiny (?) new coat of anti-fouling (Broads). It is, of course, now due for a bit of maintenance. Few boats on the canals seem to be anti-fouled and most are blacked. I suspect that there is a reason for this, and would welcome advice and opinion! Moving on from that, where should I go from here when the boat comes out at the end of the summer? If sticking with anti-fouling is the way ahead, how do you prepare the boat and slap it on. If blacking is the way ahead, does thin involve removing all the old anti-foul, and if so how easy is this? Thanks for all your advice to a bit of a newbie!

Our has been happily pushing 57 ft of blunt steel around for 14 years and remains quiet and reliable. If only they made engines like this today .....

I need to get two new chairs for the living area of the boat - any recommendations for comfort vs value?

Is there anybody out there who has installed a solid fuel cooker (Rayburn etc) in their boat and can offer any advice on installation and use, and also whether they have also used it for heating water etc.

Thanks to everyone for advice so far! Perhaps the most extreme suggestion is removing the engine ..... Anyway, nappies have done the trick as far as water is concerned, but I am now left with a brown emulsified goo all around the engine bilge which the nappies do not want to suck up - it is, I think, the emulsified stern gland grease from when it all overflowed. The problem is, of course, access. Even with all the hatches and supports off the cruiser stern, you would have to be a midget contortionist to make any impact with it. Do the sawdust affectionados reckon that it would absorb the goo, or is there a danger it would form a hardened goo/wood mix? Or any other ideas (short of taking the engine out, preferably....). Or is there a midget contortionist somewhere out there on the cut making a living from this sort of thing?

Pig mats look clever, but it looks like they only come in jumbo packs of 50 at around £45 a pack - unless anyone knows where you can get them in smaller quantities (or would like to go halves on a box??)

I have a bit of a confession. My bilges are a disgrace! I have had a leaky stern tube and a rather temperamental bilge pump. The result is that the stern bilge overflowed into the engine bilge and I am now left with a slimy, greasy, oily mess under my engine. Using a manual oil pump, I have removed most of the excess water (and disposed of it properly), but still have this unsightly slop under the engine which is hard to get at and even harder to clean up. Any advice please?

Following all your excellent advice, operation completed today without a single dirty mark! Thanks to all

My lovely narrow boat is now 14 years old and I need to have a look at the electrics. She is currently fitted with a single isolator (of the on/off lever type), a single alternator (on a Perkins MC42), a single starter battery, and 2 leisure batteries. The isolator has just given up (requiring a bit of local hotwiring!), and I need to replace that. However, things have obviously moved on a lot since she was built and I wonder if I ought to bring things up to date a bit. Magazines are full of wonderful looking things to protect the batteries, complete with lots of lights and dials, all at a suitable price, but I wonder what you would all recommend at this stage of the planning. The boat is only used for holidays and the like, and will shortly be kept in a marina where there is access to shore power, although the boat currently does not have a hook up (which I would like!). All advice welcomed!

Alex, the devil is in the detail. Get out all the paperwork you were given, and in particular the quote/contract. It must have some mention of an engine in there - what exactly does it say?

Thanks everyone for a brilliant response - assuming the snow stops, I'm off to the boat tomorrow and will do the dirty deed!

Silly question, probably, but is there a knack to filling the stern gland greaser? Do you simply unscrew the 'tap', take the top off and spoon the new grease in, or do you have to avoid air, or anything else. I am sure it is blindingly obvious, but as a bit of a newbie I don't want to make a complete hash of it..... Thanks