Replating - Any advice welcome

[Ian M]

And just for the record, the best way to live with any old boat that comes cheap, whatever it is made of, is to bodge it up the best way possible, to make it usable. And then take it onto the waterways and enjoy it cruising around our lovely countryside.

 

That's what I like to hear. Been hearing more positives from all angles the last couple of days. Right now, I'm just thinking about having my first xmas on the river (instead of dry dock)

 

Cheers all

 

Ian

[Supermalc]

That's what I like to hear. Been hearing more positives from all angles the last couple of days. Right now, I'm just thinking about having my first xmas on the river (instead of dry dock)

 

Cheers all

 

Ian

 

Good to hear after all the waffle some good has come out of it. Makes it all worthwhile.

[denboy]

just a thought how about putting a couple of good thick coats of gelcoat over the whole bottom then bitcho over it I did a bdge job on the back of a boat like that 3 years ago still floating and that had holes in it

[Supermalc]

just a thought how about putting a couple of good thick coats of gelcoat over the whole bottom then bitcho over it I did a bdge job on the back of a boat like that 3 years ago still floating and that had holes in it

 

Actually that's an excellent idea......better still, proper matting a fibreglass first. You'd have to check out the cost, but I doubt it'd be prohibitive.

 

Could possibly be the best long term 'bodge' of them all.

[Maverick]

just a thought how about putting a couple of good thick coats of gelcoat over the whole bottom then bitcho over it I did a bdge job on the back of a boat like that 3 years ago still floating and that had holes in it

 

Shame on you. Hope you didnt stitch some poor newbie up?

[denboy]

Shame on you. Hope you didnt stitch some poor newbie up?

no it was on a friends boat who had baught it in good faith till we got in to dry dock and it was rotten through on the stern at the water line all the way round the jet wash went straight through it so had to do a quick bodge and some dodgy welding then fibreglass and gel coat over the weld its probably the hardest bit on the boat now

[Boot wharf man]

Wow

That's a lot of response. Thanks all.

 

Well, the boats been blacked and it's going back in the river this week. Gotta get out of that boatyard!

 

I'm waiting to speak to a couple of people about the work but I'm thinking the reblacking will give me a while to think and maybe offer it for sale as a project. If there ain''t any takers (and I'm gonna be honest about it so that's a definate possibility) then I'm off to Devizes with a big fat cheque.

 

I'm not about to attempt it myself. The US readings I got were all above 4mm (just) I was told it was gonna be a lot thinner in places on the bottom, unsure why there weren't readings to back that up.

 

Anyway, thanks for the responses

 

Ian

 

 

I have encountered several springers over the years and most of them were only built out of 3mm thick steel built from recycled gas silos. (4-5mm is often an optimistic hope). So 4mm is excellent shape. Am I right in assuming the survey was done with the boat out of the water? If so to not have readings to back up the claim that it is a lot thinner means that he has not performed a proper survey. On the yard I work in I am only a part timer yet using the survey equipment is the easiest and quickest job to do, within ten minutes you can take at least as many accurate readings (obviously I was shown how to properly do this before being let loose at customers boats). I would personally query the bill.

 

Re-plating of springers hull should not need doing unless the hull thickness is less than 3mm as normal pitting is a maximum of 2mm anything bigger should not have time to fully form before the boat is in need of a re-blacking and therefore another visual check. Most surveyors familiar with springers will say that this is fine.

 

Another query I have is the price you were quoted for a full re-plate. At £13k he should be gold plating the hull for you. 3 months ago a boat was bought in to us by a man an a very similar situation to yourself but with a 60ft narrow boat. It had been in the water without maintenance for 25years and was kept afloat by large chunks of mould plugging the 30 or so small holes in the side of the hull. This was fully over plated in 6mm underneath and 12inches up the sides given a similar treatment to the counter and was given a whole new rudder, skeg and tiller assembly as well as other hull patches and the job didn't come to much more than £10k. There is a place at whilton marina, which also uses preformed plates and is highly experienced. Other yards such as the one I work at use a set of 4 long plates overlapping each other to protect the welds between the pieces which should result in a coverage lasting at least a decade or so even if you specify quite thin plate. Even £7,000 should get you a very good quality job, but be sure to shop around. Also to shot blast a boat before a re-plate is pointless excess on most narrow boats especially a Springer. The costs are way too much for the very slight if any difference it will have on the life of the job over standard cleaning methods.

[Yoda]

The economics of replating a hull have changed recently. A full replating is so costly that you might as well add a few knees and make a new hull. A hull that needs replating should be considered scrap, cutting the bow and stern off for a new build.