Side Plating rippled

[DShK]

22 minutes ago, magnetman said:

The starved dog effect. Common on a lot of steel barges. 

 

Odd to see it on a modern narrow boat. How many hours has the engine done ? 

 

 

 

I assumed it was due to loading and unloading causing movement in the steel. Obviously not the case in the OP boat because the only cargo it has had was people. 

 

Maybe they had a lot of obese people bringing large amounts of beer on and off the boat regularly. 

 

 

I feel it would be a lot more common on working narrowboats if that were the case. Plenty of boats with lovely straight sides. The rippling due to corrosion was told to me by someone who runs a yard and works closely with old boats. It was a factor of putting me off of buying someone else's undercloth conversion. For a boat of that age, you really want to be able to inspect the knees (and the rivets etc).

[magnetman]

8 minutes ago, DShK said:

I feel it would be a lot more common on working narrowboats if that were the case. Plenty of boats with lovely straight sides. The rippling due to corrosion was told to me by someone who runs a yard and works closely with old boats. It was a factor of putting me off of buying someone else's undercloth conversion. For a boat of that age, you really want to be able to inspect the knees (and the rivets etc).

 

 

I was referring to welded boats when I said 'steel barges' not rivetted boats. 

 

 

Having owned an 1884 iron narrow boat I know what corrosion does

Exol pride seems to have it to an extent 

 

 

But as this is a presumably double hulled tanker barge it seems to not be to do with the loading. Or maybe it is to do with the loading. 

 

 

 

 

 

[DShK]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

 

I was referring to welded boats when I said 'steel barges' not rivetted boats. 

 

 

Having owned an 1884 iron narrow boat I know what corrosion does

In the process of buying an iron butty myself, it's being surveyed in a week. Hopefully I don't learn first hand too quickly!

[magnetman]

Sounds interesting. What boat is it? Old station boat ? 

 

 

[DShK]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Sounds interesting. What boat is it? Old station boat ? 

 

 

 

Erewash canal butty Cedar. So basically a star class boat.

[magnetman]

Nice ! What happened about the bottoms? Originally wood. Still wood? 

 

Steel onto iron is an interesting interface. 

[Michael Siggers]

So, the $64000 question is do I proceed with the buying of this boat, in your opinions? Got the survey booked but can always cancel.

 

Mike

[Tracy D'arth]

3 minutes ago, Michael Siggers said:

So, the $64000 question is do I proceed with the buying of this boat, in your opinions? Got the survey booked but can always cancel.

 

Mike

If its more than £30K ------- No, Walk away.

[alan_fincher]

Removed unexplained multiple postings

Edited October 5, 2023 by alan_fincher

[magnetman]

It looks dodgy. It might be fine but if you don't actually like the look of it this can come back and haunt you later. 

 

Sometimes gut instinct is best. 

 

You might get a lot of people asking about it or opinionating when you are out boating which could be a little arduous to deal with. 

 

 

[alan_fincher]

 

What I don't understand is that I have seen dozens of Alvechurch / ABC hire boats to that sort of design, both elderly ones now in private ownership and also elderly ones still in the fleet.

I can't recall ever seeing one that had ended up anything like that,

One can only guess as to how it has occurred, but personally I wouldn't buy it.

[magnetman]

 

 

If you are having a survey it would be interesting to know how the surveyor describes it and if they attribute it to anything in particular or are just baffled and mention it in passing. 

[Tracy D'arth]

Terrible echo in here tonight!

 

Its 20 years old, damaged, and some unlucky soul has spent a lot of money inside and painting outside. All of which can be redone but the shell you cannot change.

[DShK]

16 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Nice ! What happened about the bottoms? Originally wood. Still wood? 

 

Steel onto iron is an interesting interface. 

 

Now steel, she was rebottomed and refooted a little over 10 years ago. Will have to see what the surveyor says about how good a job was done! He's well regarded to look at these old boats.

[magnetman]

I did think the boats from the 30s were steel not iron. 

 

 

[Francis Herne]

The welded working boats built for BW appear susceptible to this. Both Anson and Tow have bows that are now a grid of concave squares.

 

Effingham notably doesn't at all - I wonder whether it received a thorough panel-beating during its recent-ish restoration or just had an easier life?

Edited October 5, 2023 by Francis Herne

[DShK]

16 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I did think the boats from the 30s were steel not iron. 

 

 

Only the bottom portions are steel now, I mean.

 

A of the 30s boats are steel, but particularly I think the star class have a mix of iron and steel boats. Not really sure what the deciding factor there was - both yarwoods and H&W seem to have made both.

[David Schweizer]

29 minutes ago, DShK said:

Only the bottom portions are steel now, I mean.

 

A of the 30s boats are steel, but particularly I think the star class have a mix of iron and steel boats. Not really sure what the deciding factor there was - both yarwoods and H&W seem to have made both.

 

I am sure someone will be along to correct me, but if I remember correctly both the Yarwoods and H&W composite boats built for the GUCCC in the 1930's were Iron, whilst the all metal boats were built from steel. What I do know is that (Yarwoods) Pisces, which I worked on in the 1960's had Iron sides and an Elm bottom.

[Bee]

Often as not that rippling is caused by the plating being continuously welded to the frames, heating and cooling causes distortion. If you want flat plate just use a series of short welds. Narrow boats are really strong and to cause that effect you have really got to treat it hard.

[angelasoldman]

I have worked on military bridges for a long time, all fabricated from aluminium, we call that effect 'quilting'.

Max.

[Peanut]

Just goes to show that you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

I think you have to consider the resale value, and the difficulty you may have in finding a buyer, in a timely manner, at the price, you might like to achieve.

[MtB]

3 hours ago, Michael Siggers said:

So, the $64000 question is do I proceed with the buying of this boat, in your opinions? Got the survey booked but can always cancel.

 

Mike

 

I would not buy it at any price, for a reason I've not seen mentioned in this thread yet. 

 

The cabin sides appear to be bolt-upright with no tumblehome whatsoever. Deeply ugly and bridge-unfriendly if you plan of using the boat to cruise about. If you plan on living on it in a marina and never going out, not so much of a problem. 

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

3 hours ago, Bee said:

Often as not that rippling is caused by the plating being continuously welded to the frames, heating and cooling causes distortion. If you want flat plate just use a series of short welds. Narrow boats are really strong and to cause that effect you have really got to treat it hard.

 

I agree. It looks to affect rather more of the hull side than would be the case if it were purely caused by cross-winding damage. It's an effect of residual stress within the side plates.

 

30 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I would not buy it at any price, for a reason I've not seen mentioned in this thread yet. 

 

The cabin sides appear to be bolt-upright with no tumblehome whatsoever. Deeply ugly and bridge-unfriendly if you plan of using the boat to cruise about. If you plan on living on it in a marina and never going out, not so much of a problem. 

 

 

 

Are you suggesting that ABC hire boats aren't suitable for extensive cruising?

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

Are you suggesting that ABC hire boats aren't suitable for extensive cruising?

 

 

Nope. I'm suggesting the boat in the photo is poorly designed for cruising. 

 

Are you suggesting tumblehome is not necessary? 

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

5 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Nope. I'm suggesting the boat in the photo is poorly designed for cruising. 

 

Are you suggesting tumblehome is not necessary? 

 

 

 

Well they seem to manage to traverse the entire system in rather large numbers and I don't recall seeing examples with damaged cabins so perhaps it isn't necessary even if it does have it's advantages.