Narrow Boat Dents

[Fettler]

I have a new 60ft narrow boat that has acquired a small dent in the front bow panel! I will in time no doubt acquire many more! but this one is getting me down!

The dent is accessable from the rear although i am told the steel is probably to thick to be knocked out, I would prefer this method but if this cant be done it would have to be filled with plastic padding or such like!

I have also been told that for some small dents you can metal fill with weld,which ever method is used i am looking for a professional finish to include painting etc.

I would be very grateful if there is anybody out there who can advise me who specialises in such work and if possible carry this out on site,I could move the boat but am limited to time so it would have to somewhere fairly near,we are based at Rufford.

Many thanks for any information forthcoming.

[carlt]

Hi Fettler welcome to the forum.

Personally I think you should wear your battle-scars with pride. As it's your first one I'd paint a big white cicle around it, an arrow pointing at it and write next to it "whaddya mean Rookie? I've been blooded!".

 

Otherwise, any boatyard will take your money and restore your boat's virginity.

[Gary Peacock]

If you can get at it from behind the normal solution is to jack it out from behind.

[Nb Unity]

i thought it was a contact sport so dents are battle scars like carlt said

[Fettler]

Hi Fettler welcome to the forum.

Personally I think you should wear your battle-scars with pride. As it's your first one I'd paint a big white cicle around it, an arrow pointing at it and write next to it "whaddya mean Rookie? I've been blooded!".

 

Otherwise, any boatyard will take your money and restore your boat's virginity.

 

 

Hi Fettler welcome to the forum.

Personally I think you should wear your battle-scars with pride. As it's your first one I'd paint a big white cicle around it, an arrow pointing at it and write next to it "whaddya mean Rookie? I've been blooded!".

 

Otherwise, any boatyard will take your money and restore your boat's virginity.

Thanks carlt i am sure you are right! but as this is the first i want to get it repaired! the next lot will just bin! then there is the wife! say no more!

 

If you can get at it from behind the normal solution is to jack it out from behind.

 

Thanks carlt i am sure you are right! but as this is the first i want to get it repaired! the next lot will just bin! then there is the wife! say no more!

Thanks Gary do you know anybody who can do that for me?

 

i thought it was a contact sport so dents are battle scars like carlt said

Your right about a contact sport even so want to keep it nice for a little while longer,am annoyed with myself more than anything have been boating for some years!

[Gary Peacock]

If you find a boat builder nearby they should have the gear to do it, I wouldn't consider filling it because although you could make it look nice the next time you give it a bump it will just break up.

[Fettler]

If you find a boat builder nearby they should have the gear to do it, I wouldn't consider filling it because although you could make it look nice the next time you give it a bump it will just break up.

Thanks Gary will give a few of them a ring cheers now

[wrigglefingers]

If you find a boat builder nearby they should have the gear to do it, I wouldn't consider filling it because although you could make it look nice the next time you give it a bump it will just break up.

 

Can they do an entire narrowboat?

[charles123]

You describe the dent as small, then I see no reason why a repair with plastic padding would not be successful. The dent is bothering you so just give it a go at repaint it, paint it into match and all should be well

 

Charles

[Tony Brooks]

You describe the dent as small, then I see no reason why a repair with plastic padding would not be successful. The dent is bothering you so just give it a go at repaint it, paint it into match and all should be well

 

Charles

 

 

I have filled large "hire boat sized" dents on JennyB with Epoxied resin and suitable filler) making up a sort of body filler). I have also filled the "jacked out" dents with polyester body filler, however assume either filler is hygroscopic and act accordingly.

 

If it is an a venerable area than might get scored during the season waterproof prime before fill and hope it holds. Otherwise make sure you touch up an gouges asap.

 

So far the only problem has been with those stupid back to front gate bolts which have gouged the filler. Several good "blows" by the family have failed to loosen or mark it.

 

Tony brooks

[Fettler]

I have filled large "hire boat sized" dents on JennyB with Epoxied resin and suitable filler) making up a sort of body filler). I have also filled the "jacked out" dents with polyester body filler, however assume either filler is hygroscopic and act accordingly.

 

If it is an a venerable area than might get scored during the season waterproof prime before fill and hope it holds. Otherwise make sure you touch up an gouges asap.

 

So far the only problem has been with those stupid back to front gate bolts which have gouged the filler. Several good "blows" by the family have failed to loosen or mark it.

 

Tony brooks

Hi Tony many thanks for the info i am learning a lot in a very short time!

Regards

[Djuwenda]

If you can get at it from behind the normal solution is to jack it out from behind.

 

 

very sound advice indeed

 

 

[-Jack-]

If you do decide to fill a small dent I advise you first of all to paint the dent with the correct paint . Then fill using a car body filler, which is far easier to 'fair off' than epoxy filler. Then paint to match original etc.

 

Painting the dent first will protect the hull from rusting even if the filler ever does drop out; which is unlikely .

 

I have seen this done on new boats by some boatbuilding Companies. I suppose it doesn't really matter. If the steel hull is protected properly against rust, the rest is only a cosmetic finish.

 

.

Edited June 13, 2007 by -Jack-

[DHutch]

We, the photos are fairly self-explantary.

 

While i was down below give the fire a bit of attention my mum managed to have an insident with a bridge. Which ive posted on another thread in the past.

 

 

Anyway, After some debate i went for the p38 route.

- Bare the area down to bright steel

- Applied P38, sanded, reapplied, etc

- Sprayed with rattle-can grey primer

- Then over the top with cabin paint and coachlines.

 

 

 

 

Obvously if we hit something there again then the filler would end up cracked.

- But at the end of the day, if we hit there again, it would need doing again anyway!

- So the mere fact that for the few days till we got around to redoing the filler it would like it wasnt the first time, big deal i guess.

 

Anyway, the whole filler-applying bit only took half a morning anyway, certainly it was little more than a nice break from painting the rest of the boat rather than anythin else!

 

If nothing else, its looked fine for the last 18 months as a holding job till anything else gets done!

 

 

 

Daniel