Emma b Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Hi has anyone any experience of using 'Keel Black' as shown in the recent Towpath and any thoughts on the best place for anodes? Thanks Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterboat Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 I was at the stand in Crick chatting to the owner of the company it was very easy to use and dried very hard. My boat is out in August for other work but I will be putting two coats of keel black on as my Zinger blacking has gone silver in the sun!! Another member on here has used it and liked it, do a search I am sure you will find it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 What is keel black exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 An expensive form of blacking which, at the moment, has more people trying to sell it than have actually used it. Anodes below the waterline, next to the ones that are degraded, no need to remove old part ones, they will continue to work until gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazeaway Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 (edited) An expensive form of blacking which, at the moment, has more people trying to sell it than have actually used itHow have you reached those conclusions? In my view. 1. I didnt find it expensive 2. Im only aware of keelblack being sold by the company keelblack Ive used it, put it on last year. It is a great product. Total cost just £50 and I saved 2 days drydock costs as the whole process took just 2.5 days from going into drydock to leaving it. I used 9 litres to do 2 full coats on a 70 foot boat. Previous thread discussed it quite well here. http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=85020&hl= Edited June 26, 2016 by Blazeaway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 How have you reached those conclusions? In my view. 1. I didnt find it expensive 2. Im only aware of keelblack being sold by the company keelblack Ive used it, put it on last year. It is a great product. Total cost just £50 and I saved 2 days drydock costs as the whole process took just 2.5 days from going into drydock to leaving it. I used 9 litres to do 2 full coats on a 70 foot boat. Previous thread discussed it quite well here. http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=85020&hl= Have you pulled the boat out and looked at it, What will it be like when its been under water for 2 to 3 years, that's the time to say its great. I remember a friend who filled the wings on his Ford Consul with Pollyfiller and sprayed them in with an aerosol. That looked a good job but I bet the new owner didn't agree a year later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 I'm not saying its not a good product. I'm just saying that the business owner came on here under false pretences giving his "views" on its success on the product - views taken directly from his website - virtuallly word for word. The one NAMED reference on his website PoohSticks" has also been on here several times with glowing reports. There are two other waterways businesses cited on the website - neither named. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazeaway Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 Have you pulled the boat out and looked at it, What will it be like when its been under water for 2 to 3 years, that's the time to say its great. I remember a friend who filled the wings on his Ford Consul with Pollyfiller and sprayed them in with an aerosol. That looked a good job but I bet the new owner didn't agree a year later. Agreed....I took the boat out last month and can report that 1 year on and its all fine and dandy. What I also found encouraging is that what little weed growth there was came off really easily. This boat is my home so looking after it is very important to me. I will be using Keelblack when I next black the boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma b Posted June 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 Thanks for your views so far and the thread link Will see but tempted to try it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma b Posted November 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2016 Been a while but to be fair the Keel Black went on well, dried easily and doesn't seem to of fallen off yet (been 5 months) but time will tell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesrollins Posted November 14, 2016 Report Share Posted November 14, 2016 We blacked the boat in September and used intertuf I did think about keelblack but decided against it perhaps next time when more long term information is known about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveR Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Just to resurrect this topic - things may not be as they appear in this thread. It is reported that KeelBlack has not taken to some boats (mine included) and I would urge caution when deciding which product to use on your boat. I am investigating further next week and will, hopefully, have some further information to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bod Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Await with interest, mine was done in September 16. Bod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steilsteven Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 On 2017-3-24 at 10:19, DaveR said: Just to resurrect this topic - things may not be as they appear in this thread. It is reported that KeelBlack has not taken to some boats (mine included) and I would urge caution when deciding which product to use on your boat. I am investigating further next week and will, hopefully, have some further information to share. Do you have anything further to report on this Dave? Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top cat Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 I had my boat done with Keelblack back in March, its pretty much gome from the rear starboard rubbing strip after 90 hrs cruising and 135 locks. The rest seems fine. A man from Keelblack has come to look at it and is blaming the company that did the application ( Rose boats)He does have a point in that only about half the expected amount of blackingvwas used. Apparently companies who normally use conventional blacking tend to apply it too thin and put it back in the water too soon. So if you do use it go to someone with experience with the stuff, Rose had only done one boat with it before mine. I will be discussing the situation with Rose boats once I have a report from Keekblack, but I'm not expecting to get much of a positive response. Any one want to buy 12.5 litres of Keekblack? Should do a 60' boat, pm me if interested. Top Cat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Are you saying it has just fallen off the rubbing strip? Or have you been scraping it in locks and bridges through normal boating? I don't think many treatments will last long on rubbing strips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Top cat Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 It's difficult to say, I have a habit when ascending narrow locks to get off the starboard side leave the boat in gear, putting the tiller over that way so the boat drives itself out. But that does scrape the rubbing strip. However I have been doing that for years and the previous Intertuf blacking seemed to last very well in that location. The other rubbing strips are only slightly worn. I have found no evidence of flaking. My key point was go to someone with experience in using the stuff, having only half the expected amount applied can't be good. T C Top Cat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanddancer Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 I also used it last summer and it does not look that good after just such a short time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmr Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 This is really really silly. I myself am not convinced about keelblack, but any blacking (including the very best epoxy) does not last 135 locks on a rubbing strake (guard iron) it stays on till you go through the first lock (if you are lucky). The clue is in the name...Rubbing strake....Guard Iron. Old boats were made of riveted iron and over time the complete heads of the rivets got worn away. ..............Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rose Narrowboats Posted May 30, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 I don't usually comment on products or our customer's boats, but as this is the first I've heard of it..... I'm not sure how the "only used half the amount expected" claim arises. We were supplied with a 25ltr container by you and the owner of the other boat after you had both specifically requested that we used the product on your boats - to which I (reluctantly, I admit) agreed on the basis that if you supplied it I would put it on according to the manufacturer's instructions but at your risk. I commented at the time that it was a relatively unknown product, and new to us so I could not in any way make any promises as to its performance or suitability. Prior to application I spoke with the supplier about application and queried the quantity as on average I'd expect to use over 25ltrs of Intertuf on two 60 footers. As per their advertising I was told a little went a long way and they were very specific that we should apply thin coats otherwise it doesn't cure properly; a minimum of two and preferably three, applied by paint pad or roller. The stuff dries very quickly (a major selling point on the supplier's website as I recall) but it was explained to me that if it is put on too thickly it skins over and doesn't cure properly. Fair enough, and we were very careful to follow that advice (including making sure there was no puddling or pooling against strakes or the wear edge, and both boats boats were given ample time (I'm talking days) to dry after three coats had been applied. If I remember correctly the owner of Chyandour was a little unhappy because we were "late" finishing the job as I wouldn't put it back in the water on the day we had hoped for because the temperature had been low over one of the drying days. The first boat we painted was quite pitted (commensurate with its age) and we used just over half the supplied container of paint, so I was concerned at that point that there may not be enough left to do your boat. However, the hullsides of Grace are in excellent condition and very smooth (the Intertuf had done its job well) so it is fair to say that Grace used less than we expected but for that reason alone and it certainly has an adequate film thickness according to the instructions and advice given to us at the time. The stuff is about as runny as water but actually ridiculously easy to put on with a paint pad. I need to talk to a colleague but I think we put an extra coat around the water line on boat boats. Any hard/brittle coating such as Keelblack will quickly be ground off a rubbing strake whereas a soft material like Intertuf will just scuff. This "feature" of Keelblack also concerns me in terms of application over old hull paint (despite what the manufacturer's say) - if the outer skin is rock hard, but the paint behind it is soft (i.e. bitumen) to my mind it's bound to fail when bumped. Think eggshell on a boiled egg..... It's interesting that, presumably without knowing the condition of your hull, the supplier saw fit to suggest we were to blame by not using enough paint. Do you know if he took any thickness measurements? I'd be interested to know when he visited you as I'm unaware of any contact from them since we painted your boats. Is one side still shinier than the other? When we painted yours the weather had gone suddenly from cool to very sunny/warm and the side more in the sun (port side) had dried shiny whereas the north facing side was matt as per Chyandour. I rang the supplier again at that point and queried this and was told they had no idea why it happened, but it was a known cosmetic issue and didn't affect the performance of the product. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 I am glad you responded Rose N, the product is not fully tested, is not able to be used as per it's original advertising blurb and is also not suitable for boats where contact with the sides is a regular occurrence. The product may have seagoing uses, or be suitable for stationary vessels ( floating restaurants, pontoons or similar on rivers), but as a narrowboat covering as advertised, doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterboat Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 Mine has been on a year now its over zinger blacking so very smooth i used a short haired brush to apply it and it goes on fast. Mine is holding up well considering the scrapes it receives I did touch it up but Keelblack only has a can life of six months so its gone off. Now I will use it again next year it is for me purely cosmetic as the boat is well protected by the zinger I cannot believe that Rose boats has not put it on right as it really is the easiest stuff in the world to apply, I think the problem is that rubbing strakes get rubbed, I mean is someone ground down my backside with 17 tons I am sure it would clean and shiny!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted May 30, 2017 Report Share Posted May 30, 2017 As the name suggests, Keel black. Shouldn't it be used only on the keel ie, kept submerged. As most narrowboats haven't got a keel I can't see the point of using it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper ghost Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) I was chatting with a boat painter only yesterday, he raves about the stuff. He says it dries very hard and it's no good putting your brushes in water as they go hard anyway. Rubbing strakes are there to take the knocks so any paint on them tends to get scraped off. Time will tell, I guess, though our family tend to think anything below the water is purely cosmetic anyway and bare steel would last just ad well. I am also in dock putting this stuff on right now... So we shall see, it certainly goes on easily.. casp' Edited May 31, 2017 by casper ghost fat fingers v tiny phone.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mross Posted May 31, 2017 Report Share Posted May 31, 2017 Kudos to Rose Narrowboats for a full and courteous response. Some would have been very defensive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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