Narrowboat Painting

[Neildudman]

Hi All,

 

Just been on a hired narowboat and was astonished at the paint finish and how easy it scratched and came off.

 

Tell me, is there a standard painting rule? ie how many coats?....baked?..... etc etc.

 

I guess the quality will differ from company to company. Would have you guys got?

 

Neil

[Sir Nibble]

Narrowboat steelwork has a hard life, if the paint scratches off it's either bad paint or badly applied.

[John Orentas]

Hi All,

 

Just been on a hired narowboat and was astonished at the paint finish and how easy it scratched and came off.

 

Tell me, is there a standard painting rule? ie how many coats?....baked?..... etc etc.

 

I guess the quality will differ from company to company. Would have you guys got?

 

Neil

 

 

Hi Neil.

 

There is no standard painting rule, you can do it yourself with a couple of tins of Dulux or you can thrust four figure cash sums at a professional. The accepted method for a good job is roller/ brush painting with enamel paint developed for the job, though spray paint is getting popular especially with the builders.

 

Don't know why but household paints just don't work. The important thing is to get the best possible finish on the cabin sides, the rest you can be a bit less fussy. Please don't try to do sign writing yourself.

 

For the hull areas, (gunnel's and below) put the minimum of paint on there, they inevitably get scratched and knocked if you have thick paint it is almost impossible to rub down and touch up.

[Neildudman]

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

I was worried about the spec as I am in the market for a boat of our own didnt think 'this' boat should have aged like this (1 year). Although not everyone will treat a hire boat with respect like myself and my family. Boats should be loved, even when they are hired.

 

I am in the hydraulic power pack industry and we manufacture reservoirs and we use 2 pack epoxy, stove enamalled finshed. I wondered if boat have varying qualities. I do not want a boat that the top will need re painting every 4 years to make it look nice.

 

Sod the lower half...thats why they are called barges!!

 

Neil

[Breals]

Just been on a hired narowboat and was astonished at the paint finish and how easy it scratched and came off.

 

Perhaps they find it more economical to repaint cheaply every couple of seasons than apply a long lasting finish - given the abuse the boats probably get.

 

When you get a boat, you'll probably you'll lose more sleep on the paint on the lower half than blemishes on the cabin sides!

Edited August 22, 2006 by Breals

[bottle]

 

Perhaps they find it more economical to repaint cheaply every couple of seasons than apply a long lasting finish - given the abuse the boats probably get.

 

When you get a boat, you'll probably you'll lose more sleep on the paint on the lower half than blemishes on the cabin sides!

 

Hi

 

Breals has it right, some do a 'blow-over' every year and if you look closely the coach line is sticky tape.

[DHutch]

We (rather unusally) use two-pack urethene paints on our topsides, which we (again increasingly uncommonly) appliy ourself. (by brush and roller).

- Rather than paying £#### to have other paint profesnaly sprayed in a paintshop.

 

The paint comes from Leighs of Bolton. Who suppliy paints for many apllications. Bridges, Roads, Boats, Ships, Offshore Equipent, and i beleave JCB. etc.

 

The paint is a little more work, and a little less stright forward to appliy, and a little softer that some of the more "tradianal" finshes. Howver we have always been very happy with the results.

- It never looks quite a show-room as some of the harder laqueers, however it adhears exceptianly well, and seams to protect the steel extremly satisfactally indeed.

- It also lasts a long time. We only repainted the topsides for the second time in 15years this summer. And the only rust was one area about 2"*5" and the bottom of one of the cabin sides, and afew other small areas where the paint had been poorly applied prevously.

 

On the bottom we now use lieghs to part "pitchfree vinal undercoat" after using there now discontued epoxyblack for the first few years.

- We are also very impressed with this. When it comes out for blacking after four years hard use, we get people (inclusing the yard owners) who are vissably suprised that we're bothing to redo it "so soon" which considering most people aim to black avery 2/3years, is pritty good going.

 

If you want more info, ive written 5/6 times about it otherwise, send me a PM.

- If your at the IWA bealepark rally, your welcome to comeand look at the boat and the paint (includinding some as yet un-repainted, perfectly sevisable, 8year old paint)

 

 

Daniel

 

PS, i have nothing to do with leighs, other than using and being impressed with this, there products.

[Neildudman]

Thank you all.

 

Daniel, I will see you at Beale park, maybe Saturday but 100% there on Monday!.

 

Cheers

 

Neil

[TeeELL]

Whatever you do, make sure you keep the waterline painted otherwise Daniel will whinge!!

[DHutch]

Daniel, I will see you at Beale park, maybe Saturday but 100% there on Monday!.

Yeah cool, we're geting there "intime for the evening meal" on saterday. As we're actally on holiday still saterday morning, and coming stright on to beale. But i would love to meet you. Seeyou there. (we're the green dutch-style steam narrowboat, on the lake)

 

Whatever you do, make sure you keep the waterline painted otherwise Daniel will whinge!!

Yeah, ive got a bit of a pet-hate about people who have a new boat, with prefectly painted and polished topsides exetending to within 4inchs of the waterline, then its just the origanal 5yo blacking and its rusting like buggery at th waterline, all the way round, just eating away at there steel.

- Then 20 years on, there wondering why there having to get it over plated when the waters coming into the cabin at waste leval!

 

 

 

Daniel. Have fun!