Bow problem

[David Florence]

Last night there was a big mettalic "ping" and it seems the weld cover at front of boat near waterline has come away due to rust. Temp repair made with Sikaflex, and obviously I need to get it out of water and repaired. My question is, (and I know its a how long is a ball of string question)  but from the picture below, what ball park costings might I be looking at for a repair? (based in leeds)  TIA

[Machpoint005]

That's only the rubbing strake - no need to panic. My impression is that it's only the weld on the edges of the strake that has failed, so it shouldn't affect hull integrity.

 

The welding will cost a lot less than the haul-out. Take the opportunity to black the hull at the same time.

[Bee]

Can you drill through that half round bit that is flapping about and then through the hull? if you can get to the other side you can put a nut and bolt through it, if you can't get to it then drill and tap it then bolt it.

[RichM]

13 minutes ago, Bee said:

Can you drill through that half round bit that is flapping about and then through the hull? if you can get to the other side you can put a nut and bolt through it, if you can't get to it then drill and tap it then bolt it.

Great idea until the next owner in years to come takes the boat out onto the wash only to find water ingress due to a rusty bolt where you'd hope not to find one!

[Tonka]

Is the rest of the boat that dodgy

[BWM]

It looks like someone has hacked a small section out to install an outlet and not taken the trouble to weld the ends, if you can find a mobile, canal based welder and a place to moor with a low towpath it should be possible to get it tacked back on without a docking. 

[Murflynn]

4 minutes ago, BWM said:

It looks like someone has hacked a small section out to install an outlet and not taken the trouble to weld the ends, if you can find a mobile, canal based welder and a place to moor with a low towpath it should be possible to get it tacked back on without a docking. 

.......................   and replace the missing bit (it's a standard profile that should be available in any canal boatyard scrap bin) so that there is no vulnerable exposed end to catch on something again..

[David Mack]

It doesn't say much for the quality of the original welding that the rubbing strake has unzipped so far back from the point where it has been cut. My guess is there was a token continuous weld along the top edge and just tack welding (or virtually no welding) along the bottom edge.

 

I would be minded to get it welded or bolted back in place for now with the boat in the water, and then when the boat is next out for blacking, take a good look at the welding along all of the rubbing strakes, and get any defective bits repaired before reblacking. Make sure too that the cut end forward of the water outlet is properly secured as well.

 

 

 

 

 

[BWM]

17 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

.......................   and replace the missing bit (it's a standard profile that should be available in any canal boatyard scrap bin) so that there is no vulnerable exposed end to catch on something again..

There appears to be a skin fitting in the gap, my guess is a deck drain or more likely a gas locker vent. With that being the case i would just chamfer the two ends.

11 minutes ago, David Mack said:

It doesn't say much for the quality of the original welding that the rubbing strake has unzipped so far back from the point where it has been cut. My guess is there was a token continuous weld along the top edge and just tack welding (or virtually no welding) along the bottom edge.

 

I would be minded to get it welded or bolted back in place for now with the boat in the water, and then when the boat is next out for blacking, take a good look at the welding along all of the rubbing strakes, and get any defective bits repaired before reblacking. Make sure too that the cut end forward of the water outlet is properly secured as well.

 

 

 

 

 

I think a number of modern boats have stitch welded strakes bedded on sealant, i think the sealant is the visible line that remains at the top. 

[dave moore]

Piss poor practice if that is the case, decent yards weld top and bottom continuously.

[Tracy D'arth]

Don't drill holes in a sound hull unless you are going to rivet. Bolts and nuts or tapped holes in 6mm plate are potential failure points. It ain't Meccano.

Simple job for a mobile welder, heel the boat over as far as possible.

[mark99]

2 hours ago, BWM said:

There appears to be a skin fitting in the gap, my guess is a deck drain or more likely a gas locker vent. With that being the case i would just chamfer the two ends.

I think a number of modern boats have stitch welded strakes bedded on sealant, i think the sealant is the visible line that remains at the top. 

Heard of that too. Tack welded and filler. If it was my boat would have a prod about on the strakes/hull joins looking for proper weld metal. This will quantify how much may need welding up.

Edited August 31, 2020 by mark99

[blackrose]

3 hours ago, Bee said:

Can you drill through that half round bit that is flapping about and then through the hull? if you can get to the other side you can put a nut and bolt through it, if you can't get to it then drill and tap it then bolt it.

 

I'm all for lateral thinking but that seems like a particularly bad idea.  The last thing you want on a rubbing strake is a protruding bolt head just waiting to get knocked off. As others have said you don't want to drill through the hull unless you have to. I'm not sure if that skin fitting is a gas locker vent or something else but you might end up drilling into the water tank for example.

52 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Don't drill holes in a sound hull unless you are going to rivet. Bolts and nuts or tapped holes in 6mm plate are potential failure points. It ain't Meccano.

Simple job for a mobile welder, heel the boat over as far as possible.

Yes, it doesn't really need to come out of the water to repair it.

[mark99]

Who made the shell?

[Tracy D'arth]

12 minutes ago, mark99 said:

Who made the shell?

That welded on angled fillet filler on the front of the baseplate looks a bit Liverpoolish.

[mark99]

Chicken sh*t welding?

 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

1 minute ago, mark99 said:

Chicken sh*t welding?

 

 

I really avoided that as I get labelled as a LP hull hater on here, but yes, I can weld better than that in the dark, ha ha. Not when the arc is struck!

Do they not have any angle grinders in West Lancashire then?

[ditchcrawler]

20 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

That welded on angled fillet filler on the front of the baseplate looks a bit Liverpoolish.

Maybe a different one 

 

 

Anita Jane Built by Unknown - Length : 10.973 metres ( 36 feet ) - Beam : 2.083 metres ( 6 feet 10 inches ). Metal hull Powered . Registered with Canal & River Trust number 522199 as a Private Narrow Boat.  ( Last updated on Tuesday 4th February 2014 )

[Tracy D'arth]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Maybe a different one 

 

 

Anita Jane Built by Unknown - Length : 10.973 metres ( 36 feet ) - Beam : 2.083 metres ( 6 feet 10 inches ). Metal hull Powered . Registered with Canal & River Trust number 522199 as a Private Narrow Boat.  ( Last updated on Tuesday 4th February 2014 )

Not so old then? Builder too ashamed to give his name?  Many Anita Janes listed are there?

 

7 minutes ago, mark99 said:

Chicken sh*t welding?

 

 

I really avoided that as I get labelled as a LP hull hater on here, but yes, I can weld better than that in the dark, ha ha. Not when the arc is struck!

Do they not have any angle grinders in West Lancashire then?

[David Florence]

Yes it's that Anita Jane. Age and origin unknown and undocumented 

[Murflynn]

13 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

That welded on angled fillet filler on the front of the baseplate looks a bit Liverpoolish.

I don't recognise the longitudinal weld below the rubbing strake as being scouse in origin.