Prairiekid

This is a timely thread for me. I discovered a lot of loose flaking rust on the inside of the bottom plate of my aged (1976!) 45' steel narrowboat this fall. I did a lot of scraping, rust treatment and paint, but am obviously considering whether overplating is in order, especially since the original steel was only 6mm thick. However, accessing ballast from the inside of the boat would be a total nightmare. (Aside: I think the rust was due to water collecting in the cabin bilge for a long time before I owned the boat. Since I got it dried out there's been very little accumulation, so I feel reasonably confident it's not an ongoing issue.) I've got a few questions: Keeping Up: How much overplating did you have done? I'm worried about the ballast issue so when you said your boat is 1" lower, that seemed less than I expected. Anyone and Everyone: What else do I need to be aware of when considering overplating? Will it make the boat "like new"-ish? Or is this a silk purse/sow's ear situation? Thanks, Pam ("Lucky Nickel")

So it sounds like I may have scuppered myself with the fridge I bought, having neglected to note the manufacturer does not intend it for marine applications. If I was to consider a different model, is there an LPG fridge with similar size and features that could be installed by an appropriately credentialed person and be BSS compliant?

To clarify, this is a used boat (circa mid-1970s) that I am renovating. The intention is to live aboard full time. I have no specific plans to sell within 5 years, but I can't be sure it wouldn't happen. I don't think this is a question of face-saving - they're already going to fit a new gas-fired water heater. (Though they had to be somewhat forcibly required to admit it was actually room-sealed. They were making an assumption.)

Thanks very much for this. Any thoughts on how to get clarity from BSS? And how do I know if I need to comply with RCD?

I'm a novice boat owner having new equipment installed on a 45' narrowboat. The boat did not come with a fridge on board, so one of my purchases was a Dometic RGE 2100 two way (electric and LPG) fridge. When I asked the marina to install the gas supply to the fridge, they said they couldn't do that because BSS regulations don't allow non-room-sealed appliances. Perhaps I didn't do enough research before I bought this model, but can anyone point me at LPG fridges that are room-sealed? Are they available? If not, what are my options? I'm loathe to rely solely on electricity, since I don't have access to shore power. Thanks! - Pam

I had a very promising response from High Line, who may even go look at the boat in my absence in order to quote more accurately. Still waiting to hear from Uxbridge and Harefield, which I hope will happen when everyone is back at work next week.

Thanks again - I've sent emails to both High Line and Harefield and am hoping for some useful responses when everyone is back from the holidays. As for Uxbridge Boat Centre - do they do works? I'd heard that they're mostly chandlery and DIY space now, though perhaps I've been mislead. If I was more reliably in the area, I'd happily call the mechanic mentioned, but as I'm in and out of town I think I need a one-stop-shop where I can simply leave the boat for all the work that's needed. I think Denham Marina don't have the servicing I need, and the lads and Denham Lock seem to be swamped these days (not literally!).

Thank you for the suggestions. Does anyone have experience with High Line Yachting on the Slough Arm near-ish to Bull's Bridge?

First post here, and I'm hoping to get some recommendations for somewhere I can take my boat to have a long list of work done and also have it stored safely while I'm working overseas. It's a 1970's era 45' narrowboat that I bought this summer with a plan to do it over and live on it full time. Right now the boat is in Uxbridge with some engine trouble that means it won't start, so it'll likely have to be towed wherever it goes. Closer to Uxbridge would be convenient, but I'm most interested in finding somewhere I can trust to do the work well and keep my boat safe while I'm away. Here's a list of the work I'd like to get done, I'd love to hear recommendations for good places contact: - Get the engine running (suspect it's a timing issue...) - Move throttle column and replace existing throttle - Install new gas water heater - Install new LPG refrigerator - Replace existing water tank with new, larger tank - Install new leisure batteries and new battery box - Dry dock and black the hull, inspecting for whether overplating might be needed - Exterior scrape, prime and paint Thanks for the help, - Pam