Hull steel thickness

[joe c]

I am looking at buying a narrowboat but have a question reguarding the thickness of the steel on part of the boat. The hull is 6mm but for the keel and stern areas the boat builder have used 4mm steel. Is this ok as I am concerned these areas take some wearing from knocks. Would overplating these areas be advisable. Any advice please for a first time boat buyer. 

[Tracy D'arth]

Narrow boat with a keel? Most are flat bottomed.  Never known a narrowboat with any 4mm steel other than an early towable Springer which has a V base..

What part of the stern is 4mm?

 

What is the boat? Builder?

 

At 4mm with any corrosion it is not insurable comprehensively.

[Alan de Enfield]

As is oft quoted - It will not sink until it gets to 0.0mm thickness, however at 4mm you will struggle to get it insured as the insurers think it is so thin that if you 'run over' a shopping trolley, bike etc etc then it will puncture and sink.

 

50% of the forum will tell you don't worry and 50% will probably say 'walk away and find a boat you can insure'

 

Unless it is priced at 'scrap value' and you are an experienced boater I'd say 'walk away'

[joe c]

Sorry new to this game, i mean the bow at the front and the backwhere it narrows

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, joe c said:

Sorry new to this game, i mean the bow at the front and the backwhere it narrows

 

No problem we were all 'new' once.

 

How do you know it is 4mm ?

Have you had a survey ?
Are you working off an old survey ?( If so it will only have got worse)

 

Details on the boat or link to advert so we can look in more detail for you.

[joe c]

The broker told me today he said it had been made that way

[Mad Harold]

My old boat was built 6,5, 3mm but the counter plate ( the steel above the prop with the weed hatch in it) sorry still don't know if it is called the Uxter plate or the counter plate,was 4mm as was for whatever reason the baseplate where it tapers to the bow. 

The boat was built in 1978, 

I am told that this was quite common in the 70's. It wasn't a Springer but was built by Hesford Marine of Lymm Cheshire.

So if it is an old boat you are looking at, the broker is probably right.

[joe c]

it was built i 2006 by Taurus Narrowboats i was told 

[Tracy D'arth]

2 minutes ago, joe c said:

it was built i 2006 by Taurus Narrowboats i was told 

I would be surprised if it was built so thin. Is this a thickness measurement taken at survey? If so I would walk on by.

 

Taurus Narrowboats still exist according to the net, why not ask them?https://find-open.co.uk/balderton-newark-and-sherwood/taurus-narrowboats-limited-3372866

Edited April 6, 2022 by Tracy D'arth

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, joe c said:

it was built i 2006 by Taurus Narrowboats i was told 

It would be unusual for a boat of that age to be built with less than 6mm hull plating. 

The broker is not necessarily a reliable source for this sort of information. 

That said, any 1978 boat is going to have rather thinner plating today than it had originally, and many will have been partly or completely overplated by now. Current plate thickness of less than 4mm is not easily insured fully comp, so your only option may be 3rd party only cover.

If you really like the boat and it is sensibly priced, then get a survey to check hull thickness and condition throughout before you buy. If not probably better to walk away now and keep looking.

[joe c]

Hi all thank you all so much for your comments. I have looked into this type of boat further and think we have had a very lucky escape. We are looking for our first boat so much appreciate the help we have had. The previous posts regarding thickness of the steel and poor quality build by Taurus has been posted previously on the forum and they have apparently changed their name to Victory boats or the like.  Will definitley ask advice again on the forum.