Boat Blacking Recommendations 2024

[Lovemyboat]

Hi. I'm currently on the Bridgewater, heading down to Beeston, near Nottingham, via the Trent and Mersey.

I have a 60ft trad stern narrowboat which needs blacking.  I'm also considering whether to have it done with 2pack epoxy.

Can anyone recommend someone who will do a good job for a fair price, on the latter part of the T&M,  Nottingham/Beeston area or that end of the Trent?

Thank you.

[LadyG]

In my opinion, it's a completely different scenario, if your boat has bitumen on it, that all needs to come off, lots of bare metal work, then a primer, then two or three topcoats, all done accord8ng to data sheet instructions, then a week curing, so in reality, it's two weeks with good weather and good facilities, then curing for 5 to seven days.

Blacking over bituminous coating,, its a five day job.

 

[Lovemyboat]

Hi. Thanks. Yes, I understand that. But whichever way I decide, I still need a recommendation of a good boatyard in the area. 

Do you know of anyone?

Thanks again.

[Alan de Enfield]

38 minutes ago, Lovemyboat said:

Hi. I'm currently on the Bridgewater, heading down to Beeston, near Nottingham, via the Trent and Mersey.

I have a 60ft trad stern narrowboat which needs blacking.  I'm also considering whether to have it done with 2pack epoxy.

Can anyone recommend someone who will do a good job for a fair price, on the latter part of the T&M,  Nottingham/Beeston area or that end of the Trent?

Thank you.

 

 

You may find it is too late to book for this year as good yards tend tp be booked up a year in advance.

 

If you can get in, there is nowhere better than ..................

 

Trevethick’s Boatyard                                                            

Canal Wharf                                                                           

Gregory St                                                                              

Old Lenton,                                                                             

Nottingham                                                                            

NG7 2NP

 

The family have been building and repairing boats on the Nottingham Canal since 1908

 

 

 

We had our bottom done there.You can stay on board and there is electric hook up, water and a toilet.

It took 7 days to do it properly - in on a Friday as the previous one comes out.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 10 by Alan de Enfield

[Lovemyboat]

Aaah!!!! My friend, who isn't on Canalworld, just suggested this boatyard!. Thank you very much. I shall pursue this!!!

....and thank you for the trouble you've taken in posting photos etc. Excellent.

[haggis]

Nice dry looking dry dock but it looks like you may not be able to get access to your base plate if you wanted to do it.  

Probably the wrong end of the Trent and Mersey for you but Northwich Dry Dock on the Weaver do a good job (including base plate) either DIY or done for you.

[Tracy D'arth]

Another vote for Northwich Dry Dock. You will find practically everywhere already booked.

Or

Ask Tomaz at Wincham Wharf on the T&M Northwich ( where Harrals used to be ) where you may get it in now on the hard standing and its high enough to do the baseplate too.  Job done for you or DIY.

[Bee]

It is always said that you cannot put epoxy over bitumen. I think that for the actual, real, answer you need to get in touch with the technical dept. of, for instance, Jotun. I think that it is a bad idea but on Bee with bitumen down to the waterline then epoxy below it seems that the epoxy has stuck to the bitumen but the bitumen has not stuck at all to the epoxy (which is red so that is how I can tell) Maybe paint technology has come on a bit- who knows

[BEngo]

It is quite possible to get ( the right formulation of) epoxy to adhere to bitumen.  Once you have done that the effectiveness of the paint depends on how well the bitumen sticks to the hull.  That is at best the same as if bitumen had been carefully applied to the hull.

 

N

 

[Alan de Enfield]

Having asked for assistance in a specific location why is there the urge to suggest a solution 100 miles and 80 locks (7 days 6 hours cruising) from the requested location ?

 

 

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

You may find it is too late to book for this year as good yards tend tp be booked up a year in advance.

 

If you can get in, there is nowhere better than ..................

 

Trevethick’s Boatyard                                                            

Canal Wharf                                                                           

Gregory St                                                                              

Old Lenton,                                                                             

Nottingham                                                                            

NG7 2NP

 

The family have been building and repairing boats on the Nottingham Canal since 1908

 

 

 

We had our bottom done there.You can stay on board and there is electric hook up, water and a toilet.

It took 7 days to do it properly - in on a Friday as the previous one comes out.

 

 

 

 

Can't see how you can stay on the boat whilst they gritblast the hull ready for epoxy 

[haggis]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Having asked for assistance in a specific location why is there the urge to suggest a solution 100 miles and 80 locks (7 days 6 hours cruising) from the requested location ?

 

 

I mentioned Northwich as the original poster said he was on the Bridgewater and was travelling  down to Beeston. No idea if he is on his way or if it is a plan for the future. If it is the latter he will pass the Anderton lift which is a short distance from the Dry Dock and a detour might fit in with his plans. 

[ditchcrawler]

22 minutes ago, Bee said:

It is always said that you cannot put epoxy over bitumen. I think that for the actual, real, answer you need to get in touch with the technical dept. of, for instance, Jotun. I think that it is a bad idea but on Bee with bitumen down to the waterline then epoxy below it seems that the epoxy has stuck to the bitumen but the bitumen has not stuck at all to the epoxy (which is red so that is how I can tell) Maybe paint technology has come on a bit- who knows

Speaking to a surveyor who discussed this very point with  Jotun the reason they wouldn't recommend it is because as you said, the finished job is only as good as the bond between the steel and the bitumen. where as blasted steel to the correct standard and epoxy applied in the correct conditions is what they recommend. 

My view as someone who went down the epoxy over bitumen is that its better than bitumen but not as good as blasting, but then it doesn't cost as much

[Tracy D'arth]

32 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Having asked for assistance in a specific location why is there the urge to suggest a solution 100 miles and 80 locks (7 days 6 hours cruising) from the requested location ?

 

 

Well, its a nice trip.

[David Mack]

Forum member @stagedamager has a dry dock at the top end of the Erewash and may be able to help.

[Lovemyboat]

I find that I can't reply to your individual posts. 

I thank you all for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

I don't understand why people keep offering advice re. Putting epoxy over bitumen. At no point did I say I would do this. I'll either do it properly (the epoxy) or not at all. 

Perhaps i didn't explain myself clearly.

Also, good point Tonka (Hi Jan), but I'm sure I could stay somewhere for a couple of days while they sandblast. 

Thanks again for all your help. I've got good, solid options to pursue now. 😃 

 

........can't reply because I can't find separate boxes to write in!!!

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Lovemyboat said:

I don't understand why people keep offering advice re. Putting epoxy over bitumen. At no point did I say I would do this. I'll either do it properly (the epoxy) or not at all. 

 

I don't know if Trevithics do sand-blasting and 2-pack epoxy - but if you decide to go for bitumin, they are certainly equipped tp do that.

[stagedamager]

Hi Love my boat!!

We are based at Langley Mill at the top of the Erewash, which is about 6 hours from Trent Lock, we can provide serviced blacking or DIY, and are fully insured for you to stay on board whilst in dock. Our current price for serviced blacking is £8.50 per ft, including all docking fees, pressure washing and two coats of bitumen up to and including the guard. Bowthruster tubes and weedhatches are also included. Our DIY rates are £100 for day 1 and £40 per day after.

Sadly we can't offer a blasting service if you were thinking of heading down that route. 

here's a link to our website if you are interested:

Dry Dock – Langley Mill Boatyard Ltd

We have a couple of gaps in the diary but they are booking up, feel free to give Vikki a call in the office, o1773 76o758, we are in and out a bit at the moment so feel free to leave a voicemail and we will get back to you.

I hope this is of some help to you.

@David Mackmany thanks for the mention!

 

Kind regards

 

Dan

[blackrose]

5 hours ago, Tonka said:

Can't see how you can stay on the boat whilst they gritblast the hull ready for epoxy 

 

Why not? I did. I was outside most of the time doing other stuff but if I needed to get inside it wasn't a problem as long as the blasting wasn't at the bow where I go in & out.

3 hours ago, Lovemyboat said:

I don't understand why people keep offering advice re. Putting epoxy over bitumen. 

 

🤣🤣🤣

[LadyG]

9 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Why not? I did. I was outside most of the time doing other stuff but if I needed to get inside it wasn't a problem as long as the blasting wasn't at the bow where I go in & out.

 

🤣🤣🤣

Not everyone with a boat has any idea about blacking the hull, or any other tpoic, so there will always be thread drift. This keeps your thread live, but the longer it goes on, the less specific will be the responses.

Edited April 10 by LadyG

[nicknorman]

We had our boat blasted and 2 packed by Aqueduct marina on the Middlewich branch, just a short detour off your route. They are expensive, but they did a good job. We took the boat out 6 years later but we needn’t have bothered, other than the blacking had gone quite grey. Once cleaned up and before re-coating, you couldn’t see where the waterline was.

 

As I think you know (but maybe others don’t) there is no point in putting 2 pack blacking on anything other than properly prepared (grit blasted) bare steel, or well-abraided previously properly applied 2-pak.

Edited April 10 by nicknorman

[Lovemyboat]

Black Rose you only quoted half of what I said.and took the quote from my post out of context. The point I made was that some people kept offering (good) advice, but that that wasn't my question.

Still, if you amused yourself........ . 

Thank you to everybody who responded. I do appreciate it. 

I think Canal World is an excellent resource, even though a minority do seem to get a bit silly.

Again, thank you..:b

[Nightwatch]

Another shout up for Langley Mill. Dan and Vikki do a grand job and nice people as well. 

[Tonka]

12 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Why not? I did. I was outside most of the time doing other stuff but if I needed to get inside it wasn't a problem as long as the blasting wasn't at the bow where I go in & out.

 

🤣🤣🤣

I just assumed that with the cabin being bagged up to stop the grit getting in that it would be quite claustrophobic to be in it and you increase the risk of spreading the grit inside

[Sea Dog]

12 hours ago, nicknorman said:

We took the boat out 6 years later but we needn’t have bothered, other than the blacking had gone quite grey.

This is encouraging! Have your cruising routes been relatively kind in that period or has it just stood up incredibly well to the scrapes and dings which are practically unavoidable in some areas?