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Hi guys, How should a baseplate properly overplated? The boat had a normal flat 10mm baseplate. Are their standard/best/marine practices? Are there any 'less than practices best practices' to be aware of? Many thanks. James.

When my boat had its pre-purchase survey it was pointed out that the base plate had 'a rash of pitting' and the sacrificial chines had been eroded to such an extent that the only economically sensible option was to overplate the base. (surveyor's recommendation), the other sensible option was to walk away and let it be someone elses problem - but I really liked the boat... I'd read on here (thanks everyone) recommendations for Kedian Engineering so approached Martin for a quote. Followed an enjoyable conversation and an exact description of the work that would be done (another company had quoted me also but were so vague in the work schedule that I walked away), how long it would take and when he would be able to do the work. Oh, and a price too... On the way to Kedian from my home mooring coolant temperature got a bit too high on several occasions - not quite to overheating properly but worrying nonetheless - so a phone call to Martin asking if a skin tank could be fitted while he was overplating. "No problem!" from his end. Martin had posted a couple of pictures in the last overplating thread so I thought I'd add a couple more from the work-in-progress collection. As can be seen, he has done a great job, explained exactly what he has done and finished off with new blacking (3 coats) not just over his work but the whole hull. He also added a 'step up' on each side of the hull at the rear - obviously thinking of the inevitable time when someone on the boat decided to take a dip in the canal - to make it easier to climb back on board, or for the Herons / Cranes to have somewhere comfy to stand... Now looking forward to the trip back to the home moorings without 'worn welds' preying on my mind Thanks to those here that mentioned Martin in high regard for pointing me in that direction (even though at that time I wasn't posting, just haunting here) and permitting me to add an equally enthusiastic recommendation for his work.

I bought a canal boat about six months go, it is a 50ft rose cruiser stern canal boat, ex hire and has been extremely neglected over the years. Previously has been over plated. It has been surveyed and the surveyors are extremely happy with the thickness of the steel. Have had welding done, and have put a lot of love and energy into restoring this boat into a live aboard. Really need some help and advice to help me get to the finish line on this project. Whilst Grinding out and de-rusting my bilges inside the cabin of the boat i exposed two small holes of the old steel. Unfortunately the boat was flooded whilst in dry dock lol, and the hulls must have filled with water and now there is water trapped in-between the plates of steel on both the starboard and port sides plus the bottom. The boat is now on hardstanding, out of water but there is still water coming into the cab. When I jump up and down inside the boat I can hear the water sloshing around. The water has not been in there more than two months, but I am worried this may cause serious problems. Is this is a case of drilling into the gap and extracting the water or worse case scenario over plating again. Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thank you in advance, T.

I Recently wrote a post trying to determine the builder of a boat I was interested in buying. Turns out it was most likely a colecraft (I emailed pictures accross to them), it also had just a 6mm baseplate but I wasn't worried about that. The surveyor had a look at the hull today...and I'm now a little worried about that 6mm baseplate Turns out the sides are generally ok with some slightly thinner bits on waterline (as expected). Though since 1984 the baseplate (having never been balcked) has slowly been corroding and now it has widespread pitting on two thirds of the baseplate though is better at the front. The worst areas were found to have been 4.2 and 3.2, leaving at worst case 1.2mm of steel . The surveyor recommended overplating 2/3rds of the baseplate and if the sellers account for this and co-operate with the boatyard for the repair costs then I've no problem and would still buy the boat as I like it quite alot. I'd probably put some of my money in to plating the bow end baseplate also just to make it a complete job and put my mind at ease. If they don't I will obviously walk and shrug off the survey costs as 'one of those really annoying things that can't be helped'. I thinks this definitely goes to show however that it is absolutely, 100% worth blacking a baseplate, as there can be no doubt they corrode, (albeit over a long time). I just wondered people's thoughts on the situation, would you take the same stance as me, as long as the sellers come down and overplating is done well then it should all be happy days!?...shouldn't it? Any views appreciated :-) Pete

I am still a little unclear as a new buyer as to the collected wisdom of buying an already overplated boat, am I wrong to assume that every boat will eventually need an overplate and that it is therefore like a cam belt though to a much more variable extent it terms of when it becomes necessary? If this is the case then buying a newly overplated boat as in this case "All steel hull, 6mm full overplate," is surely a wiser long term purchase as it is an inevitable expense? http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=307404 cheers for any thoughts on this.