Rory_d

Evening all! ok so I’ve really been progressing with the boat project the last few weeks and am currently sourcing all leaks to get the boat water right. basically every single window leaks, I’ve spoken to channel glaze and seals direct to no avail! Basically I need to replace the external seal that pushes into the frame that the top hopper window pushes against when it’s closed. channel glaze have told me that there seals don’t fit as mine weren’t manufactured by them and seals direct don’t do a seal that matches my profile. channel glaze have told me that the windows were manufactured by a company called hardall or ardall and they seized trading many years ago. can any body tell me or have any advice or ideas as to what on earth I can do to rescue these windows. ive piled thousands into this boat and really can not afford the expense of replacing the windows. Also do another window issue is the bathroom windows are total pants, they screw in at the top outside then flip outwards yet the seals are totally shot and there is no window casements for them. Thankyou all in advance!

The whole interior has been stripped out and ballast removed and readings taken from inside too. I was lucky in the respect that the readings are continuos through out as the bathroom was that full the water was at the height of the ply floor boards

I did have an idea, however I wanted to keep the boat as original as possible and due to the state of it I want able to get a good reading. i was wondering if it was Common practice to use a certain gauge of steel or whatever was available at the time.

I have tested the thicknesses throughout the entire boat, the lowest reading on the main hull was 4.7mm at the front under cabin area the lowest was 2.5 which busted straight through, so may end up replacing the base plate throughout but I am not a fan of overplaying, having spent most of my working career doing classic car restoration I will literally cut out the bad and replace with new. Plus it looks a lot better. i would imagine that the base plate would have been 6mm thick and the deck floor about 3mm. i will replace the deck with 5mm, that should sort it for another 50 plus years done right

It’s not that bad, I’m a welder by trade and will order the steel through my business . as for a hull survey the main hull is absolutely fine, ive done thickness gauge readings all over, it’s literally just the front area under the deck which I will address as soon as the deck is all removed. i only paid 5k for the boat so a grand of steel, and a few weeks worth of welding and fabrication should see it effectively a dam good boat

Well I spent all day yesterday on the deck! I built a temporary cratch cover to keep it all dry and stop and rain water gushing in! I removed the fiberglass liner which I thought was a factory job to find it was actually a bodge job added at a later date! There were 2 big holes, one had a piece of thin metal loosely covering it and the other had a piece of ply ! heres some pictures of what I have found! i am getting thickness readings under 2mm in the best places so I will cut the entire deck out and rebuild the lot with new steel, the first picture is the fiberglass liner the rest are after it was all removed

The drain holes are in the sides in line with the doors and are totally rotted away, I think the fiberglass liner was a factory adddition and where it had split near the doors the rain water has got underneath it and totally rotted the deck plate away which in turn now means the water is leaking into the boat and filling the bilges up! I hoovered 4 vax loads out of it this morning! After it being bone dry a couple of days ago. The main base plate under that section and about a foot into the cabin area has also rotted away from the inside out! Good thing I’m qualified in welding and fabrication!

I’m going to cut the entire front deck out with the plasma cutter over the weekend and start replacing the box section framework. I want the boat to last a very long time so will weld a 5mm deck plate on. just wasn’t sure if there was a standard size, thanlyou for your responses

Hi, does any body know what thickness the steel deck plates generally are? mine is totally rotten away and covered with a couple of mm of fibreglass . im trying to keep the boat as close to original as possible. I am going to order the steel tonight to I can chop the whole front out and weld in new. unfortunately it’s that far gone I can’t use the thickness gauge on it

The boat was definitely all steel, reason for this is the welding matches exactly to the hull, also the factory undercoat is identical inside throughout. the only fibreglass is the on the front deck

Is it normal practice for a boat builder to line over the steel deck at the front with fibreglass? My deck all beit steel it has got a fibreglass liner over the top, the fibreglass has been done professionally in my opinion purely by the way it has been finished off around the edges . The fiberglass has split over the years and unfortunately the steel work underneath is totally rotten meaning I’ve got to replace the whole deck but that’s another story. was thinking if this is or was normal practice for certain builders in the 80s it could potentially lead us to a specific builder

After spending hours online google images I can’t find a single springer narrowboat with the same handrails as mine. I can’t even find one with a matching foredeck , there was was a picture of a harborough the other day and the side was identical to mine, even the welds were in the same place but I can’t find the flipping picture again for love nor money! Im at a total loss now

Here’s a couple more pics I took, please excuse the quality my phone camera is far from great!

I’m going to take a picture of the back as it is different to the one pictured. My hand rails are square box section with abrupt ends. No curves or slopes down to the roof. There is also a high bench at each side of the tiller . maybe it could be a springer but I’m desperately trying to find out if it is or not as i am after fully comp insurance but nobody will touch it because it’s listed as a springer.

That proves me wrong! Have you got any pictures of the hand rails?

Which one sorry?

Just looking at springer bows and they all have that dodgy moustache and look quite boxy on the front end nothing like mine!

The front of my boat is very similar to this although the sides of the hull look flat on this whereas mine are sloped

I’m just having a look again on google images now and have found a Harborough Marine narrowboat and the front is identical to mine, it’s a bugger I can’t copy the pic

The engine is a bmc and the boat is all steel. I’ve been advised mine is one of the first to have a dry bilge and steel top in early 80s

Ah ok if you mean the roof rails then I think they are square if memory serves me right

The main base plate is flat it’s literally the lower sides that slope inwards,

Here’s a pic of it that was from the original advert, I will get some more when I return to the boat. the front of the boat has got an upwards sweep to it plus it hasn’t got the dodgy moustache that all springers seem to have

Thts why I beilieved it was a springer but people who have seen it argue otherwise, according to the surveyor the v bottom is way too shallow for a springer, the sides at the bottom slope in at about 20 degrees then the base is about 10 degrees to the Center . Il see if I’ve got a photo

It Is a v but extremely shallow Il ring the crt Monday and see what they say