Blacking

[davel]

-- between what you buy in the chandlers and the stuff you can get at the builders merchants.

 

I know of one forum member who uses Wilkinsons bitumen paint and one of the boatyards we visited used Jewsons.

[RobinJ]

-- between what you buy in the chandlers and the stuff you can get at the builders merchants.

 

I know of one forum member who uses Wilkinsons bitumen paint and one of the boatyards we visited used Jewsons.

Put on 3 coats of chandlers stuff (much thicker and more flowable?) lasted 18 months before it went greyish.

Put on 7 coats of builders stuff (very runny) lasted about three months and went greenish!

[STUBAG]

Put on 3 coats of chandlers stuff (much thicker and more flowable?) lasted 18 months before it went greyish.

Put on 7 coats of builders stuff (very runny) lasted about three months and went greenish!

So, Robin, after 21 months you now have a greenish, greyish blue boat...no?

[RobinJ]

So, Robin, after 21 months you now have a greenish, greyish blue boat...no?

Nope, it was greenish and now its greyish

[Timleech]

Put on 3 coats of chandlers stuff (much thicker and more flowable?) lasted 18 months before it went greyish.

Put on 7 coats of builders stuff (very runny) lasted about three months and went greenish!

 

Never mind the colour, it's only an old barge, how well did they stay on & protect the hull?

 

 

Tim

[STUBAG]

Nope, it was greenish and now its greyish

Ah, I see...well nearly ,you're six miles away!

[RobinJ]

Never mind the colour, it's only an old barge, how well did they stay on & protect the hull?

They both seemed to protect the hull, although the builders stuff not as long as it seemed to dissolve more than rub off!

When they were put on during the frost they both peeled a bit, so adhesion is the key.

I think it depends on how often you want to do it, with builders stuff, you'll probably need to redo it every couple of years, with the good stuff you might get three or four years!

[DeanS]

You need to put on something that is compatible with what was on the boat before. Mine had Comastic, and was reblacked with Comastic again, although there was a cheaper alternative. Horrible to get off your hands....seems to always get where you dont want it....I bought a set of paint suits which I wore over my clothes, and still somehow got blacked myself.

[STUBAG]

We use chlorinated rubber..it has lasted 6 years and now needs a little touch;up.

[ditchcrawler]

We use chlorinated rubber..it has lasted 6 years and now needs a little touch;up.

Sounds a good choice and a good range of colours. Anyone want a red bottom?

[Ange]

Hmm so from the replies so far it's looking like it is worth spending the extra money and buying the marine stuff.

 

We're always wary because we've found if you put "marine" or "boat" with the product they double or quadruple the price, when you can buy an equivalent product that does the job for far lass money.

 

It'd be nice to have a little bit more input before we spend our money, please

 

Just to add there's a certain amount of immediacy in this question - we're out of the water this Sunday to black our boat for the first time (well I'm sure Iona's been blacked many times but it's our first time!)

Edited May 19, 2012 by Ange

[LoneWolf]

You need to put on something that is compatible with what was on the boat before. Mine had Comastic, and was reblacked with Comastic again, although there was a cheaper alternative. Horrible to get off your hands....seems to always get where you dont want it....I bought a set of paint suits which I wore over my clothes, and still somehow got blacked myself.

 

So if its got Comastic on already you have to use it again.

and if it was bitumen would you have to use bitumen again?

 

I just googled comastic to see if it was a brand or a type and this came up a most useful thread

[carlt]

I just googled comastic to see if it was a brand or a type and this came up a most useful thread

Link doesn't work...Try: Clicky

[Ally]

Our neighbour used the marina blacking last autumn, did a very thorough prep job, got 5 coats on,.....and it's ready to be re-done already, loads has come off. Conversley, on my own first boat I used some from the Farm Supplies place in loughborough, big 25lt tins, 6 coats and it lasted 4 years happily....probably would have been fine another year.

(I have 2 pack on my current boat though )

Edited May 19, 2012 by Ally

[LoneWolf]

Link doesn't work...Try: Clicky

 

d'oh. thanks carl

[dor]

In my experience, the time and conditions matter more than the source of the bitumen. If you have warm dry weather, can put on a coat and leave it to dry for a couple of days, put on another coat, leave for a couple of days, put on a third coat, leave it for 3 days, then go back in the water it will last a lot longer than typical boatyard job where the boat is barely dry before the first coat goes on, second coat later in the day, third coat (if you are lucky) and back in the water later that day.

 

Having said that, I believe Intertuf 16 is better than standard bitumen.

 

And if you are paying a boatyard to do the blacking, the cost of the actual black stuff is a small proportion of the total cost of slipping, steam cleaning, scraping and returning to the water.

Edited May 19, 2012 by dor

[Ally]

.....and some boatyards thin the blacking down when they do it.

[Ange]

Thank you folks. We are booked in tomorrow at 10am to have our boat/home taken out of the water.

 

We've decided to go on the recommendation of a former forum member Denboy (try as I might I just can't get him to come back!) Still a friend on Facebook so got the benefit of his experience. I hope Den won't mind me posting it for others that are wondering:-

 

http://www.dacrylate.co.uk/

 

Will probably post pics on this thread of Iona leaving the water tomorrow - I'm feeling quite nervous! It'll be interesting to see what the annodes look like seeing as we've not been in a marina environment since they were put on in 2008.

 

Denboy - if you're reading this - come back to the forum - we miss you!

[Ange]

Well that was a bugger. We arrived at the marina this morning just before 10am as arranged. Lined up the boat to be pulled out of the water, then their tractor unit broke down. No chance of getting the parts for a repair on a Sunday, and it might take weeks anyway to source them apparently.

 

That's our plans for the next week scuppered