Should welding be avoided?

[Amphibian Man]

Hi all,

I am interested in a narrowboat. Lots of recent work carried out. However the seller says he had some welding done along the waterline. Is this something that can be done successfully or should I avoid? Any thoughts or experience?

Cheers

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, Amphibian Man said:

Hi all,

I am interested in a narrowboat. Lots of recent work carried out. However the seller says he had some welding done along the waterline. Is this something that can be done successfully or should I avoid? Any thoughts or experience?

Cheers

 

It sounds as if you are looking at the cheaper / older end of the market, in which case it will not be uncommon that the hulls are patched up to cover the corrosion / pits / holes

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Any thoughts or experience?

 

The problem is you never know to what standard the plating has been done (properly or bodged).

If you have a choice between an overplated and a non-over plated take the non-over plated.

[Bee]

Depends on the age of the boat and general condition.  The older the boat the more likely repairs are.  Anything over perhaps 30 years old is likely to have had repairs.  A surveyor will have an opinion on what needs doing and what has been done but if I was buying a steel boat I would not reject a boat unless it was covered in bits of steel patched all over the place. 

[Bobbybass]

I looked at a boat that a couple had owned for two years. They had bought it with a supposedly full survey that said it was good.

 

Sprung a leak and cost £12,000 in plating.

 

I figured that the recent plating should be ok but commissioned my own hull survey. Turned out to be a total colander at the stern... needing another £10,000.

 

I walked away...