pamaloon

Mmm - answer? Not a floor as such that anyone would recognize - a wibbly-wobbly "topping" of cracked and seemingly baked v. thin laminate - or occasional bits of carpetting - on top of very uneven, not-made-to-fit flooring panels of something like wet sterling board or soggy Weetabix etc etc., the list goes on.... Oh, and a few pieces of boarding that had a dpm on one side but none of them sat correctly and they were laid unevenly - all this on top of the cement flooring/ballast. I am happy enough dealing with cement ballast and, once I've "skimmed" it and made it all level then I can get going on a decent dpm etc etc. She's drying out really well, now that nearly all the soggy Weetabix has been removed right up to wall level. She must sound awful to all of you but she's such a pretty vessel and the hull is totally sound and with a nice sounding, smooth-running engine etc. I feel she's a really strong candidate for a proper restoration. Yup, it'll take time but surely anything like this'd be worth it. Ooops, where's the amber nectar?! Thanks Pete. After writing all that, I feel heaps better! Pam

WOW! THANK YOU - all of you, for the help/advice you've given here. I'd hoped for a comprehensive response but never thought anything'd be this good. All I need now is to run up to Solihull and find Young Catchpole's wallet and nip off to buy the goodies......! Absolutely brilliant and, again, "Thank You" Pam PS Sorry, Young Catchpole, - only joking!

Reading the Forum from Biggles's bits on painting, may I ask those of you who'd like to share info, what you consider the best material to be for lining out our NBs, WBs etc? I understand a lot of up-to-the-minute thingummy-bobs are lined with laminates of one description or another e.g. mock tongue 'n groove; "beech" effect something-or-others etc etc., let alone those with authentic tongue 'n groove in one direction or another but, as I rather like the "Shaker-style" in pastel paint colours, it'd seem rather odd to line everything in a "laminated" material.... Otherwise I guess I could use tongue 'n groove anyway and paint that???? Responses would be much appreciated. Just remember your talking to a nit-wit who needs everything explained in slow, laborious, technicolour! Cheers, everyone

Being available in sizes up to 12mm makes Stokboard seemed a flippin' good idea to me. My cruiser-stern decking needs complete replacement and I've been tempted by the fact that there's a 9mm thickness available; it's darn well pretty tough and could certainly take the knocks and bumps of big and little feet kicking it around. If it's good enough to be kicked by the odd bullock, I can't see any problem. I did think that although it's initially an expensive outlay, it'd last for years and that'd make up for the cost with it not rotting. I'm going to lay a non-slip surface on mine. Whatever happens, it'll be so much lighter than the really heavy floorboarding that's there now. Sometimes I really struggle with the huge "over-the-weed-hatch" section and have decided that when I put the new piece/s down, I'd convert to a two-piece section here. With possible worries regarding excessive heat from the engine by etc., I thought I'd put in some kind of venting. That should fix any possible problems on that score. I'm glad someone else has considered this hardy product. Cheers to you Phillip Davies!

Thank goodness for that, Tony! My mind was beginning to get decidedly giddy! Pam

Cheers for that Biggles. Appreciated. Pam

I like the sound of this very much, Evo but... It's just a shame that I need to make one heckuvva load of pennies before I can afford to have the old girl lifted out but ... boyo-boy it'd enable me to do so many of those awkward jobs and t'other things that'd be made accessible. The final flooring finish would really look fabulous then. Mind you, if the eventual surface is THAT good then I'd love to have saved up enough by then for a wooden/plank floor too. :rolleyes: Oh to heck with it, how much is it to have a boat lifted out anyway - and kept out for a four or five weeks??! I think what is called for here is a very public demonstration and declaration here, on the Forum for something that is needed and I could and should do - because by golly it'd be worth it, namely: I MUST SAVE UP, SAY, AN EXTRA £500.00+++ TO HAVE THE GIRL LIFTED OUT AND DO THINGS PROPERLY (INCLUDING OF COURSE ENOUGH TO BUY PROPER WOODEN FLOORING!) There, I've done it. It's 9 November 2010 and let's see how long this public declaration of intent takes to complete! Yup, thanks to you Evo, I've decided this is what I must do. So, cheers to you! Administrator: Your pages should carry a Health Warning! Gentle words to us readers please to remind us that what we decide to write here is going to be made very public and if we say we'll do something, WE HAVE TO DO IT!!! Oh heck! Pam

Thanks Pete but.........er, exactly which bit that has "worked over the last 40 years"?!

Thanks for that Paul and I appreciate that you gave your response in a way I can understand! Sound clear and a nice method of going about things. I'm very grateful. Pamaloon

Hullo Everyone, Could you help with some advice here please? Reading Starman's Topic, this seemed an appropriate place to come in. :help: In restoring my wee 40 foot early 1970's NB, when we took up all the oddments of wood and chipboard as flooring (uneven of course), we found/confirmed the concrete ballast flooring throughout up to the level of those steel cross-member thingies - ie the cement is flush to these points. So... Although the boat is such a "pretty" little boat, with her distinctive Dutch-style Colecraft bow, she is NOT a "listed" type/traditional Fellows & Thingummy sort and, quite apart from the fact that I could not afford a beautiful wooden floor throughout, I've decided to put down a laminate flooring (possibly ISPL's Aqua-Step)which is about 10mm thick. BUT... The cement flooring is "IT"! There's nowt else there: no dpm of any description - no bitumen paint or paste - nowt!! Just to help in giving you the whole picture, the skin/walling is all coming down to floor level - ie as low as we can get!! All we have left is a lovely steel shell, nice and dry and her original steel paint only showing a few very very small rust patches which are get-at-able, plus of course the original polystyrene sheets cut to fit in between struts and cross-members. So, you can appreciate that I'm able to get right down to the concrete floor level to the full length and breadth of the boat. I would like to seek your advice please on how to proceed "atop" the concrete flooring... (and no, I'd rather not sit on the floor with a cold chisel taking the cement out bit by bit!!!). Before laying any final flooring, should I paint/paste the cement with a bitumistic "gunk", or laydown plastic sheeting, right up to the sides with pleats, say, taken up the sides too for about 6 inches ... or anything else? After a DPM of whatever description, should I lay something like CMS's Damping Sheet Type DS so as to get a really flat floor? I'm sorry to show to you all my ignorance. I've waited a long time to have such an NB and I'd like to do things properly. Ok, to begin with she was just a "part-restoration" but the more I saw in depth, the more I wanted to get everything right. She's lasted since the early 1970s - I'd like to make her last another 40 years!! Optimistically I'll say Thank you very much for considering this. Best wishes, Pamaloon

Hullo one and all. May I ask for some advice please regarding what I call the "channels" which, on my old boat have become quite rusty and gunky (those channels into which we lower the boarding/decking so that they can slot into place... sorry I don't know their real name). I'm sure they're a major contributor to stopping rainwater draining away off the deck as it should...???? Once I clean them thru, gently using fine wire wall, and get rid of any accumulated grime, leaves and "gunk" they still look scruffy. So... Does anyone have a remedy/cure to keep the rusty finish at bay. I know I'll never completely get rid of it but I can at least clean the channels as much as I am able and feel that there must be some anti-rust "stuff"/paint that I can use on the steel to i) protect them, even if I have to do it every year which would not be considered a hardship - and ii) make 'em look clean and tidy! Any suggestions anyone? I could also do the same thinguse the for the gutters at the bow, where the cratch meets and slots into short, currently grimy and slightly rusty channels. Thanks for reading.................

Wow! To get so many responses is fabulous! THANK YOU - to each and every one of you who's taken the time to write and offer words of advice. Now to get cleaning and "drying out"! Cheers from Wiltshire...

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT BS-Pud! :clapping: I'M IN TOTAL AWE - AND ONE DAY, WHEN I GROW UP AND CAN MANAGE JUST ONE LOCK WITH EASE AND WITHOUT BEING MADE TO FEEL A RIGHT NAFF-TWIT BY SOME SMART A--E, THEN I'LL BE PROUD... BUT FIVE! INCREDIBLE AND HATS, BERETS, POMPOMS - EVERYTHING OFF TO YOU. WELL DONE! I'll keep watching "your space" for further words of inspiration. If I ever catch up with you I'll buy you the smartest drink you'd like to enjoy! Cheers to you from Avon, Wilts

Yup, I've just looked at the tin: it can be applied both to "directly onto pre-painted metal" and "rusty metal". What it doesn't say, now I've looked properly is, that although it's for "external use" they don't mention any hint of the word "waterproof"! I'd got the tin anyway for something else. That'll teach me for thinking I could just pick up any old tin I had and go and use it willy-nilly! As Dad always said, if you can't do it properly, then LEAVE WELL ALONE! To the chandlers I go methinks....! to you for helping me sort things out.

Thanks for that Alan - and I'm grateful to you for pointing things out about the Smooth Hammerite. (That was only because I happened to have a brand new tin of the "bright red"!) - I'll make doubly sure I get the right stuff for external steel work. Thanks too for the tip about Vactan; all much appreciated. Cheers for now, Pam

You're all probably sick to death of the following question but rummaging through the Forums my eyeballs didn't settle on anything that exactly responds to my question so... here goes (and I'm sorry to be such a nurd...): I'd really like to freshen up the paintwork on Muis so.... when repainting/brightening up our steel paintwork e.g. the grabrails etc, prior to using paint such as smooth Hammerite, should we "prime" the steel first by sanding it - or using the finest wire wool, to produce a "key" for the new paint? I felt that with everyone doing maintenance as an ongoing "task", you might have some hints and "don't do THAT" type responses - she said hopefully! Cheers for now.

Thanks John. Just the sort of reply I was after. That's perfect - and thanks so much for responding so quickly and comprehensively, Cheers to you Pam

Hi! I know that good old elbow work is the best cleaner in the universe but... have any of you any secret potions that you wish to make nonsecret by letting me in to... "what's the best cleaning substance to use on a very damp and somewhat greasy engine bay?" My acquisition has been left somewhat to the elements and after all the rain got in she's very wet and, er, as above... all dark and "greasy" to say the least! I know I've got to clean out the draining channels; their being blocked really caused the problem but since the batteries and engine are all so good, it'd seem really piffling not to clean her back end out! Short of an enema, can any of you give your secrets away? Like a boat version of good old-fashioned "Chemico" or some'it?! Oh, and any recommended paints for inside of engine bay once she's all clean, spick 'n span? All advice will be gratefully accepted! I'll be optimistic and dare to say "thank you" - in advance! Cheers, Pamaloon - Wiltshire

I know that it's now Sept 2010 but I still find looking at your boat gives me great inspiration to carry on looking after her and then one day, when she's grown up, she too will look as smart as yours! Fabulous job. Enjoy your hard labours. All best wishes from Wiltshire.

This has still got to be one of the best ever "at home" pics! Brilliant... warms up a cold day anytime! Thanks for posting it.

As a lass who's actually not superstitious - oops, sorry a seagull's just dobbins'd on my shoulder - I'll play safe and instead of walking or running around Muis three times, I'll just swim around her while she's on the pontoon, pull myself out, wave my knickers in the air three times, all at the same time as raising a glass of something like elderflower juice - just in case "he's" off the bottle at the moment - and Praise Poseidon out loud! That should just about cover everything...