Hello everyone,
I wrote this topic and am writing now for my neighbour (we both have narrowboats currently on hardstanding) who is having these issues, so I will try and reply as best as I can.
As I understand it, the boat was over plated before he bought it. He has had it surveyed and the surveyor is very happy with the thickness of the steel and quality of the over plating.
Whilst waiting to be lifted out and go on hard standing (our boatyard like to take their time) he got a slot in a dry dock, took it and started blacking etc. as he is on a tight schedule to get this boat finished and move in. The boat had a sea toilet (don't ask! We don't know either) and this was removed during this time, leaving holes in both of the plates of steel? As I am imagining anyway. Whilst in the dry dock the gates failed (wooden and old on a river rather than canal) and the boat sunk, river water came in through the exposed old sea toilet holes. These Holes where temporarily bunged up and after the gates were fixed and the dock drained he used a wet vac to remove the water from the gap as much as possible and then had welding done to several areas of the boat, the old sea toilet holes, a new deck, hatches, doors etc. Obviously wet vaccing the exposed gap has not successfully removed all the water and some is still trapped in between the over plated and the old steel hull.
He has had an incredibly stressful six months with this boat so far and is quite concerned about the water trapped inside. What he wants to know is wether the water can damage both but particularly the outer layer of steel and what the best and most painless way to remove it would be.
Hope this clears this up
Thanks for your help
Megan and T