Sphinx123

Thanks for the recommendation!

Agreed, that's why I'm asking for electrician recommendations on a canal forum and not a house building forum. There are no electrics on the boat currently so it needs a full system. And no cladding on the walls so now is the time for it.

Hi all, Can anyone recommend a boat electrician / 12v electrician in the west midlands area? Looking for someone who can hopefully install an entire new system for me. I'm wary about doing it myself but could give it a go if necessary. However that's my last option and I'd like to try and find someone first. I didn't think it would be hard to find an electrician but it seems to be!

Ballast bricks are mostly on the baseplate. The big cement ballast is on rubber strips. Some of the ballast was in there for 33 years without rubber under it and it’s been fine all that time so I’m not worried about it Does anyone have any solutions for insulating under the floor then or do people just not do it? one idea I have is putting foam boards down without the tape around the edges so that it can breathe more but still at least have some insulation. Or I’m thinking I could use an insulation blanket (like https://www.screwfix.com/p/ybs-thermawrap-general-purpose-insulation-10-x-1-05m/9691P?tc=RT9&ds_kid=92700065972061640&ds_rl=1249407&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk5ibBhDqARIsACzmgLTEZZ6qaYkUBM7I9ujdapSPy4XJj-JUDbC710z7bUcoVAyRWDDUVvMaAth9EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds ) but simply not cover all of the bilges? any alternative ideas for insulating (or recommendations to not insulate) are welcome. I’d like to get it right so I can proceed with the project. Thanks all.

The foam is on top of the ballast. So, suspended above the baseplate

Hi, I recently saw a few boaters insulate their bilges, underneath the subfloor, like the photo attached. I like the idea of insulating down there as it would help keep the heat in the boat. But is it okay to do so like in this photo or advised against? I've seen some people say that you shouldn't insulate under there because it'll trap condensation. Any advice from experienced people is welcome.

It's grey oxide primer by Premium Paints: https://premiumpaints.co.uk/products/paintmaster-anti-corrosion-metal-oxide-primer-heavy-duty-20-litre?currency=GBP&variant=14649009307690&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyOuYBhCGARIsAIdGQRMV5-yJA4qBfbVonNYbFN0ANeTE40w5fg1HoNexVgMxqfW3G1p1IWYaAk1YEALw_wcB

Hi, I've painted my boat in grey oxide. I can't paint the undercoat and top coat on for another 6 weeks or so... How long can you leave your boat in the elements with grey oxide on? Will it be okay? The plan is to take it back under cover in about 6 weeks, sand it, undercoat it x2 then top coat it x2. It has to come out from under cover tomorrow so I only have today to paint it with the final coat of oxide (it has already had one coat, plus filler/stopper in areas.)

Good to know about the pitting. And thanks for all your advice! I appreciate your balanced viewpoint and common sense approach.

Yes, to confirm, it corresponds with the area of 2mm plate loss. OK, thanks for your input on the ultrasound reflecting the sound steel and not the rust.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. They seem to have used blocks of cement as ballast and it isn't sitting on top of anything like roofing felt. I plan to replace all the ballast as I read that cement is not a good material to use as ballast in a boat. The area where I found this particularly rusty spot is where the bathroom was, so I assume water was somehow leaking under the flooring.

I understand, and don't worry, I'm wary of what advice I take. I mainly asked this question to get a general consensus on whether this was alarming and an ultrasound would be worthwhile. However, yesterday I asked the boat builder I hire for the odd job if the ultrasound was worthwhile and he said if the surveyor did one then it should be ok, and that an ultrasound from the inside while the boat is on water could give false readings, but he's advised me to speak to his boss to be sure. I'm also going to contact the surveyor today to show him photos, ask for his opinion, and also ask him to rectify the typo in the survey. Thanks to everyone for pointing out the survey typo!

He walked us around the boat for an hour after the survey and explained that there is barely any pitting. The boat has also been blacked every two years since new (it was built in '89.) This particularly rusty area is where the bathroom used to be, and I was told that the previous owner used to have washes in a tub and the water would go everywhere... so I'm assuming that may be one reason why this area is notably worse than the other areas so far on the boat.

Thanks for your comment, I'm definitely going to consider it. It's a nuisance and they will probably say what I was told in the previous post (as someone offline also said the same thing) but I'm going to inquire about getting one whilst the floor is up I think.

Wow, that's great to know. Thanks!

Hi, Before purchase, we had a survey done and he did an ultrasound. He told us the hull is in great condition. (I've attached a PDF of the ultrasound results.) However, the survey also says he couldn't examine the internal hull. After buying the boat, I’ve taken up the ply flooring and scraped the rust off the floor. But some sections had huge sheets of rusty steel coming off (see photos) which has alarmed me. I spoke to a boat builder who works at the boatyard we're moored at he suggested possibly getting an ultrasound. My question is… is it worth getting one even though my pre purchase survey included an ultrasound and the surveyor said the hull was in great condition? Am I overreacting to this rust? Or should I invest in the additional ultrasound to be on the safe side before I pour more money into this project? We are going to treat all rust with rust converter, then two layers of red oxide paint. But before doing that, should we get the ultrasound?

Hey everyone! We are insulating our boat next month and torn between closed cell spray foam or celotex. Many people say spray foam is best for boats, but I'm starting to see a lot of people saying celotex is just as good provided it's a tight fit with no air gaps. Celotex would be faster for us to fit because the spray foam requires more prep work beforehand. But I don't mind investing in spray foam and giving it the extra time if it's really worth it. So, celotex or spray foam - what are your thoughts?

I'm wondering... Can you moor up on a stretch of the canal and move say a few miles down it every two weeks (unless signs say otherwise) and then find a turning point, go back to the beginning, and do the stretch again? We're refitting our narrowboat and just trying to figure out if it would be feasible to do this while we refit it? (We're brand new to boating so my apologies if this is a stupid question!) My other idea is to moor at a marina and take it out to a quiet part of the canal for all the loud jobs, and do the quieter jobs in the marina (painting, tiling, cleaning engine bay, plumbing, wiring etc) I can't seem to find a boat yard nearby where I live so I'm not sure if that's another option

Wow! I could never haha.

Funnily enough I was watching one of their videos last night! I'm aware that it would be a big project. I've gone through a whole range of emotions over the last 9 months while thinking about whether to do this to be honest haha - terrified, unsure, excited, determined, back to terrified... but now I'm more confident about it. I want a project to work on, and my partner wants a project to work on. To us, it does seem hard and stressful. But it also seems fun. And if worse came to worse, I can sell whatever boat I purchase. I know there's a chance we may not break even if I sell, but my partner reminded me today that it's more about the experience and the boating life than it is about breaking even (although, if did sell, that would be great!)

True. Thanks for your suggestions about what to do with the water/oil situation. You're right, buying some mats and clearing that up asap would probably be very worth doing before the survey. Me and my partner are happy to take on a project so long as the hull is sound, since we are handy with carpentry and mechanics but neither of us know how to weld. But as you said, I'd need a survey to see the condition of the hull I'm thinking of going in at a lower offer than £28k though to be honest, since it's a project and the owner told me he's keen to sell it now and isn't sentimental about it because he has the memories. I have looked into shells but not a whole lot. Maybe I should do some more research on that. I think though, if I recall correctly, a 45ft may be more than £28k

Definitely. My partner *loves* mechanics and spends his spare time working on engines for fun haha. (I'll never understand it!) So he is pretty confident he can sort out the engine. I guess my biggest concern would be the hull and the only way I'll know if there's any major problem there is through a survey. The interior of the boat was pretty bad - his son and I both agreed it needs to be totally gutted and refitted. So that makes me concerned about whether he truly has looked after the hull. But his son said his dad did really take care of it and he's confident it's a good quality hull. He told me of the guy who pulls the boat out the water and blacks it and said I'm welcome to talk to him, but I couldn't find him in the marina on that visit. So I'll have to decide whether to proceed with a survey! Feeling nervous haha

Thanks David! You make a lot of great points. No result came up for the boat name but I'll ask for and try the index number. The only reason I thought the hours may be low is because I was told his dad has "been everywhere on this boat." But I guess one man's everywhere may not be the same as another's. Or, as you said, it could be broken etc. Ok, thank you! Really appreciate your help & everyone else's. There was oil in the water around the boat. So I asked to see the engine and it looked like this (image attached)

I'm not sure how I'd check this to be honest haha. But it seems like it is. He said he and his sister are selling it together. She has started painting the exterior but didn't finish, so the boat needs a total refit inside but also painting outside.

Hey Jen Yes, if I want to proceed with the boat I'm getting a survey and he said I'm welcome to. And you're right, I shouldn't take niceness into consideration. Good reminder. Gotta keep my wits about me with something like this.