How often do you re-black your boat?

[John V]

I do wonder if all this "2 pack lasts 10years "ect is relevant for canal use. Yes it may last that long, yes it might offer better resistance to diesel. However its still going to get scraped off by that thoughtfully placed supermarket trolley or some other detritus and once that's happened its just like cheap bitumen!! It ain't there anymore and the hull is unprotected. But the owner has the false sense of security that it will last 10 years!!!

 

Ours was out of the water every 2 years, I wanted to see what the hull condition was in that timescale so that potential areas of corrosion could be nipped in the bud.

 

The Interzone 954 that I quoted that I used on my hull is used for coating power station outflows and intakes and sewage outfalls. It goes on thick and is designed to withstand scouring. It is a very different paint to the thin coats of "pretty 2 pack" used on cars etc that you seem to be thinking of

[Emerald Fox]

We were told "every 2 years" and I'm inclined to go along with that.

 

Having read this:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=64237&hl=painting#entry1244264

 

...I came to the conclusion that I would have a go at doing it myself (for our first time blacking by ourselves), as it could be that some boatyards can't be trusted - slap it on and chuck it in the water. I'm sure it's a nasty, tedious, dirty task, but doing it oneself one gets to see what's what, and renting a covered dock for a week gives each of three coats 2 days each to dry.

Will be an experience, anyway.

 

Are there no 'blacking baths' where boats can simply be lowered into a warm solution of bitumen and left to soak it up for a day, and then be lifted up to let it drain away? A quick going around with a roller would smooth the surfaces.

 

'Welsh Richard' at Cropredy's 'Slipway' seems to be a nice chap, and willing to help out with blacking, either doing it himself or helping/advising you as you do it as his place. I have seriously thought about doing our boat at his place in, say, Summer 2016. (he put on a new fuel filter for us recently whilst I watched, and seems competent enough).

[Athy]

 

 

 

'Welsh Richard' at Cropredy's 'Slipway' seems to be a nice chap, and willing to help out with blacking, either doing it himself or helping/advising you as you do it as his place. I have seriously thought about doing our boat at his place in, say, Summer 2016. (he put on a new fuel filter for us recently whilst I watched, and seems competent enough).

Yes, looks rather disorganised but is a sound bloke and knows his stuff mechanically too*. he has done work on Trojan, including blacking her botty. Recommended.

 

*Don't ask him any technical question unless you want a very learned ten-minute explanation of theory and practice. I always try to look as if I understand on these occasions.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

I found having a Rubber 'Waterline Bumper' Helps to protect the more venerable high wear areas a lot !

https://www.dropbox.com/s/avxjggu0ofxn8sd/2014-06-06%2016.12.59.jpg?dl=0

Edited November 19, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Dar Kuma]

how much are they Paul

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

how much are they Paul

Hi ya,

I'm not sure, mine was 'Factory fitted' buy the Boat builder, but Wilkinson do a similar 'D' Section profile I believe !.

[Sabcat]

I do wonder if all this "2 pack lasts 10years "ect is relevant for canal use. Yes it may last that long, yes it might offer better resistance to diesel. However its still going to get scraped off by that thoughtfully placed supermarket trolley or some other detritus and once that's happened its just like cheap bitumen!! It ain't there anymore and the hull is unprotected. But the owner has the false sense of security that it will last 10 years!!!

 

Ours was out of the water every 2 years, I wanted to see what the hull condition was in that timescale so that potential areas of corrosion could be nipped in the bud.

 

7 years on ours, had plenty of ice in that time with boats passing scraping along the water line, scraped through more than a few narrows and bridge holes but the 2pack although scuffed in few places is still a completely sealed coating. There is no rust. Getting it out in the spring to pressure wash, flat back and put another couple of coats of 2pack on. I reckon that'll see me for another 7 years. It's bloody good stuff, expensive the first time but I think it's well worth it.

[Dar Kuma]

found some for around £10/£15 a meter

[colmac]

Every 2 yrs which also allows you to check the adenoids. Mind you, only had the boat for 2 yrs so we will see how that one pans out in the fullness of time.

[Athy]

Every 2 yrs which also allows you to check the adenoids. Mind you, only had the boat for 2 yrs so we will see how that one pans out in the fullness of time.

I do like that, sacrificial adenoids! Do they make the boat talk funny? Goes on my list of favourite alternative names, alongside Ebersplutter, Rigas Dizastrous etc. Greeno for you!

[Ray T]

Being "anal" I have CF blacked every 18 months. Just my personal choice, no other reason.

 

Have the hull topsides and tunnel bands re painted at the same time.

[Sea Dog]

....... I'm sure it's a nasty, tedious, dirty task, but doing it oneself one gets to see what's what, and renting a covered dock for a week gives each of three coats 2 days each to dry.

Will be an experience, anyway.

 

 

We did ours last month and it was nothing like as bad as some would lead you to believe. The preparation was the hardest part as always, but it was not that bad with a couple of decent scrapers and regular blade changes. Putting the (room temperature) blacking on was neither that hard nor that messy. For info, we replaced 2 year old Intertuf 16 with 2 coats of Rylards Premium which is relatively thin so penetrates well, followed by a 3rd coat of Rytex which is relatively thick, and a 4th and final coat of Premium because it has some diesel resistance. I can't compare Rylards with other products as this was my first time, and I've yet to see how well it lasts, but it went so well that SWMBO, who was not looking forward to the job at all, is now perfectly happy that we do it again next time.

 

As you say, it will be an experience - in our case it was a surprisingly good one!

[Zig Zag]

I found having a Rubber 'Waterline Bumper' Helps to protect the more venerable high wear areas a lot !

https://www.dropbox.com/s/avxjggu0ofxn8sd/2014-06-06%2016.12.59.jpg?dl=0

Forgive my ignorance Paul but who makes your boat? Is it v hulled? It's not a springer is it.

[colmac]

I do like that, sacrificial adenoids! Do they make the boat talk funny? Goes on my list of favourite alternative names, alongside Ebersplutter, Rigas Dizastrous etc. Greeno for you!

Thank you. The adenoid thing is my wifes' fault. She called them adenoids once and that's been what we called them ever since.

[DHutch]

We do ours every four years, with Lieghs Paints (not sherwin williams) single pack 'pitch free under water primer' which seems to an excellent job. We moving the boat about 10 weekends a year 20-25 lockmiles per day of robust boating on all waterways, with a 2ft 9 draft.

 

The area that other than sound paint at the end of that is little more than the area of your palm excluding the rubbing strakes, maybe one scratch to bare metal on each side and 2-3 on the bottom, tops, and as the primer under it is an zinc/ali rich epoxy even then there is not corrosion, never had ANY rust at the waterline EVER, in fact really at all. And our survey aged 18 years old states 'no loss of metal seen' or words to the effect, and that's including the bottom, which we also paint.

 

For me this suggest that all this 'paint as often as you can, will will all get scrapped off anyway' stuff should be taken with a large pitch of salt. Good paint sticks and lasts.

 

 

Daniel

[David Mack]

Blacking with bitumen probably goes back hundreds of years

Bitumen is a product of the oil industry, so probably doesn't go back much more than a century or so, except in those parts of the world where bitumen naturally occurs at the surface.

 

Surely the more traditional treatment is coal tar. Tar-based preparations are still available which are supposed to be more resistant to diesel spills than bitumen.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Forgive my ignorance Paul but who makes your boat? Is it v hulled? It's not a springer is it.

Hi ya,

Springers are lovely boats imo, But no, mine is made by 'Sea Otter' and yes it's a 'V' Hull, And made of Aluminium Alloy 5083 !.

Lovely little boat.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

This is us every two years. The first day is by far the hardest one. Very messy and dirty. We aim for one coat per day for three days and then one further waterline coat the next day then if possible two days to cure.

If new anodes are needed they go on in the first day.

We aim for early October and hope the weather is warm. We are lucky. Our marina has a great shed to work in.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Here we are being hauled out. You suddenly feel very high up standing on the counter. It's not easy to see in this picture but the blacking is ready for doing again after two years. The boat is 1986 and the steel work is in very good condition. We feel it's worth the cost and you get to inspect every inch when you black it yourself.

[Naughty Cal]

There is something satisfying about working on your own boat and seeing progress being made.

 

Can't wait to get stuck into ours now.

[Alan de Enfield]

There is something satisfying about watching people working on your boat and seeing progress being made.

 

[Naughty Cal]

 

There is something satisfying about watching people working on your boat and seeing progress being made.

 

 

No.

 

That takes all the fun out of it!

[Neil2]

I would preferred "original" or "imaginative", but O.K.

When you have blacked the boat the coating is effective for a few months, but then begins to wear off. That id preferable to not blacking at all, in which case the coating will not be effective for a few months, because there won't be one,

 

Better?

What I'm driving at is there's an argument that a deteriorating surface coating is actually a "better" environment for rust to form then one that isn't protected at all (- we're talking about freshwater here, salt water is a different matter).

 

I don't fully understand the chemistry but I remember way back in my early motoring days before rust prevention/protection became more sophisticated, some folk used to slop bitumen on the underside of their car. Others argued that this was bad practice because once the coating started to deteriorate water/moisture could penetrate the cracks and gaps in the coating and would do more damage than if you have left it alone.

 

I think the same principle applies with water pipes and other environments where it isn't possible to continually maintain a protective coating.

 

Narrowboat owners with integral water tanks will probably appreciate the theory too...

 

Pitting is what destroys a steel hull, and the worst example I've ever seen was on a boat that had been blacked "regularly".

 

So no, I'm not convinced that inadequate maintenance of the surface protection is better than not bothering with it at all.

 

You could say this of any coating of course, even epoxy, there's no "paint" system that you could safely apply and forget about for several years. That's why my attention turned to zinc coating which operates on a different principle.

Edited November 20, 2014 by Neil2

[She25]

I've just bought my first narrowboat, and the blacking was last done 3 years ago so I knew it would be due. When surveyed, some pitting was found and the surveyor said not to worry too much, get that done when she's out for blacking. But don't wait until the spring to get her blacked. Notes from the survey:

 

"The blacking coatings were found completely wasted with a build up of scale and corrosion along the waterline. The immersed plating should be thoroughly blacked after careful preparations especially along the waterline.

Pitting was found on the side plating mostly at 0.75mm in a light rash in frequency. Deeper pitting up to 3.0mm deep was occasionally found in a light rash aft by the stern gear."

 

My problem is due to winter stoppages, and needing a dry dock, it's looking unlikely I'll be able to get the blacking done before mid march. I'd appreciate your thoughts on whether it's going to cause a big problem to wait until then?

[Kendal]

How thick is the steel hull (usually 6mm)? What condition are your anodes in? If the steel is 6mm and anodes are fine (plenty left) it would probably be ok to wait until march.

 

Edit to add: just my view, others may disagree

Edited December 19, 2014 by Kendal