Repairing boats

[Arthur Marshall]

I've noticed more and more posts here and on FB asking for recemendations of tradesmen to do what look like fairly basic boat repairs - bits of carpentry, plumbing, wiring, fabrics or paintwork.

I'd always assumed most of us do the basic DIY stuff ourselves - part of the fun (and sometimes hell) of boat owning.

Is this the case for most of us, or have boats got so complex now it's not practical any more?

[Rob-M]

I find having the time to do anything more than minor jobs is my problem so would rather pay someone to do a job whilst I am not on the boat, leaving me time to go boating rather than spending it painting or doing other jobs.

[Thomas C King]

I think most likely is a changing demographic. People who simply don't have those skills, or people who don't have the time. I doubt plumbing and carpentry have become more complicated, although I suppose electrics sometimes are (slightly).

2 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I find having the time to do anything more than minor jobs is my problem so would rather pay someone to do a job whilst I am not on the boat, leaving me time to go boating rather than spending it painting or doing other jobs.

 

It feels like finding someone takes a lot of time as well. Even for a simple job, it took us months to get someone to plumb in a new whale gulper (previous plumbing was a botch). We've been waiting six months to have our wood burner door replaced, even after a reputable tradesperson agreed to do it.

[Ray T]

Also, I find the age factor creeping up.

 

I am still able to get upside down to get at the oil filter but getting right side up is a different proposition.

 

It is often easier to employ a tradesman now even though I still have many of the skills required.

 

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Ray T

[Rob-M]

11 minutes ago, Thomas C King said:

I think most likely is a changing demographic. People who simply don't have those skills, or people who don't have the time. I doubt plumbing and carpentry have become more complicated, although I suppose electrics sometimes are (slightly).

 

It feels like finding someone takes a lot of time as well. Even for a simple job, it took us months to get someone to plumb in a new whale gulper (previous plumbing was a botch). We've been waiting six months to have our wood burner door replaced, even after a reputable tradesperson agreed to do it.

Certainly finding someone to do the job in a timely manner and do it properly can be a challenge.  I have a few people I trust to work on our boat for engine, gas, electrics, plumbing and painting so most things covered but they are always very busy.

Just now, Ray T said:

Also, I find the age factor creeping up.

 

I am still able to get upside down to get at the oil filter but getting right side up is a different proposition.

 

It is often easier to employ a tradesman now even though I still have some of the skills required.

That is another factor, I find my back disagrees with me doing some jobs.

[Thomas C King]

1 minute ago, Ray T said:

Also, I find the age factor creeping up.

 

Ahah, I was assuming it was increasing numbers of younger boaters without experience or confidence (e.g., from owning a home), rather than ageing boaters. Could be a bit of both.

[Tony Brooks]

I blame the vast increase in university education that all too often produces highly qualified practical idiots, plus the easy of using social media etc so there was no time while growing up for more physical practical experiences.

[Steve Buxton]

We have just bought a small narrowboat after years of wanting one but never being able to afford the time or money. We were going to get a Viking but SWMBO couldn't get over the side safely and the narrowboat has proved ideal.  Even in my younger days my ambition for DIY often exceeded my skill level.

 

Trying to get a gas engineer to do a simple job has proved impossible so far, and trying to get any tradesman to work on a boat usually starts with a sharp intake of breath followed by a refusal.  Anyone who has a little black book of recommended tradespeople could probably sell it for a fortune.  I am H&S minded so much of the minor alterations I need doing I would want someone experienced on boats.

 

 

[Peugeot 106]

4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I blame the vast increase in university education that all too often produces highly qualified practical idiots, plus the easy of using social media etc so there was no time while growing up for more physical practical experiences.

“Clever  Daft”

[Alan de Enfield]

10 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I blame the vast increase in university education that all too often produces highly qualified practical idiots, plus the easy of using social media etc so there was no time while growing up for more physical practical experiences.

 

6 minutes ago, Peugeot 106 said:

“Clever  Daft”

 

Metally adept,

Anything 'practical' - inept, incompetent, incapable, hopeless, unable, clumsy, inadept, awkward, unskilled and inadequate

Edited June 29, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[MrsM]

The same could be said about work on houses, with fewer people having the necessary skills or confidence compared to previous generations. But take cars for example; modern cars with computer control units etc are not conducive to being tinkered with so people are not having the same opportunities to learn. Our son is doing an apprenticeship through the heritage skills academy to learn the sort of things that young people don't get exposed to any more. 

[Tracy D'arth]

4 minutes ago, MrsM said:

The same could be said about work on houses, with fewer people having the necessary skills or confidence compared to previous generations. But take cars for example; modern cars with computer control units etc are not conducive to being tinkered with so people are not having the same opportunities to learn. Our son is doing an apprenticeship through the heritage skills academy to learn the sort of things that young people don't get exposed to any more. 

Excellent, he will be assured of a busy, prosperous working life.

[Lady M]

Some of it may be like other skills that have diminished over time.  The current generation do not know how to do some practical tasks because their parents did not learn from their grandparents.  Cooking, for example.

[David Mack]

16 minutes ago, Thomas C King said:

 

Ahah, I was assuming it was increasing numbers of younger boaters without experience or confidence (e.g., from owning a home), rather than ageing boaters. Could be a bit of both.

I am of the generation that never had the opportunity to do woodwork or metalwork at school, but I learned DIY skills from my father and from books, putting them into practice in the parental home and later on boats and my own homes. But my son showed no interest in these things until he became a house owner himself, and he has since embarked on a variety of projects. He is also on his second woodturning lathe.

If you don't have the skills it is now easier than ever to learn with YouTube videos and other online resources. And the Internet also offers a wider range of tools, equipment and materials than could have been found in my youth.

[Grassman]

I think the issue is as much to do with a shortage of decent mobile boat mechanics as the amount of people wanting their services. Most are self taught (nothing necessarily wrong with that though), and are people who have a 'boaty' background. Most general mechanics and repairers I'm sure prefer to work in a nice heated workshop than crawling around in the confined space of an engine bilge of boat cabins.

[bizzard]

I remember as a kid standing on the toilet seat re balancing the ball cock lever in the overhead cistern with bits of meccano, it lasted well after my folks sold the house.

And it was the only room in the house with a lock on the door to which I scarpered to when dad was after me with his belt for being naughty.   DON'T FORGET TO PULL THE CHAIN.   I still do Meccano.

Edited June 29, 2022 by bizzard

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, bizzard said:

I remember as a kid standing on the toilet seat re balancing the ball cock lever in the overhead cistern with bits of meccano, it lasted well after my folks sold the house.

 

Absolutely, wonderful stuff. Lego is not a patch on it for learning mechanical skills and reasoning.

[Dav and Pen]

My father was totally impractical, if he tried to mend a puncture he made 2 more putting the tyre  back on. Mother did the wallpapering and put plugs on etc. I learnt a variety of skills in the Merchant Navy some of which served well when we got the narrow boats and then we learnt as went along due to money being tight. 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Dav and Pen
Spell helper.

[bizzard]

They had trouble getting me to school because of it.

[blackrose]

29 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I blame the vast increase in university education that all too often produces highly qualified practical idiots, plus the easy of using social media etc so there was no time while growing up for more physical practical experiences.

 

I do everything myself; plumbing, electrics, engine servicing, basic carpentry, metal fabrication, painting, etc. The only things I don't do are welding as I never learned how to do that and although I've taken off cylinder heads I've never had to rebuild an engine, but I'm sure I could learn pretty quickly.

 

I have a university degrees, masters degree and a PhD. I take your point Tony, but there are plenty of people who are both academic and practical. 

[Athy]

31 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Metally adept, 

They'll be O.K. at welding, then.

3 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

 

 

I have a university degrees, masters degree and a PhD. I take your point Tony, but there are plenty of people who are both academic and practical. 

My Dad was one of them, perhaps because, although he went to university, he was the son of a builder and worked for his Dad during the student vacations, becoming adept at things like bricklaying.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

A lot of "the youth today" posts here. I've not been a youth for a long time, though I was always happy to try DIY'ing things, I wouldn't have had the confidence to do a fraction of the projects I'll happily take on now. It takes time to build the experience. You start off with the simple stuff, often with the help of a more knowledgable friend, or relation and expand your repertoire over the years. It also takes time to acquire the tools needed. Each new thing likely needs one, or two new to you tools you have to beg/borrow/buy/steal and learn to use.

Youtube has become an excellent substitute, or adjunct for the knowledgable friend, or relation, when learning new DIY skills. Their quality varies from excellent, to abysmal and dangerous, but that was always true of advice from friends and relations! 😀

Jen

 

[PaulJ]

I dont think its really much different to how its ever been as such.

What has changed though is the proportions-there is an incredible amount of first time liveaboard and inexperienced owners at the moment - presumably that means either there are proportionally less established owners left or more boats that were never used and had no maintenance are now in circulation.

 

 

 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

I blame the vast increase in university education that all too often produces highly qualified practical idiots

Nothing new in that. It was said that some of the students on my university engineering course (late 70s) didn't know which end of a nail to put into the wood and which to hit with the hammer.

[bizzard]

Many folk these days are obcessed with power tools with little knowledge of how to use them properly. Getting out a power drill and rigging it to drill one little hole while 10 could be drilled in the same time with a hand drill. Chain saws to saw a few twigs. Power sanders to sand a tiny patch. Pressure washers to wash a boat when a trickling hose and a sponge does it quicker.  Arc eyes trying to weld. And the power tool injured folk that turn up at A&E hospitals at weekends and holiday times is pretty large.  Learn hand tools first I say.  Opposite my garage was a s/h car sales lot that gave me jobs on their cars. On day the salesman popped in, ''Can I borrow you Mig welder to mend our busted chain link fence please'' Yurst I said, and off he went wheeling my welder and shield mask. Lunch time came so I strolled over to see how he was getting on, no activity. I went up into their office and there he lay wreathing on the floor in terrible pain clutching his Arc eyes with his father tending him. I sent his father to the chemists for a bottle of caster oil to sooth his arc eyes which I took great delight in administering. He had told me he knew how to weld but couldn't get on with the shield. That'll larn im.