Opinions on Keelblack

[Tim Lewis]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

This has just come up on Facebook but you have to bee a member to read it I think https://www.facebook.com/groups/NarrowboatOwnersGroup/permalink/1994978650780413/?comment_id=1995005150777763

The manufacturers of Keelblack have also posted a reply

Tim

[WotEver]

17 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

The manufacturers of Keelblack have also posted a reply

Tim

Where? Not in that post as far as I can see. 

[matty40s]

15 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

The manufacturers of Keelblack have also posted a reply

Tim

Have they??, where?

 

We had our first good look at a 12 months ago Keelblack coated hull a few weeks ago, and were not impressed. rust spots coming through everywhere , waterline coverage poor and we also found that a degreaser wash used before painting the superstructure degraded the coating, making it permanently soft in the areas it ran down. Normal Rytex doesnt get degraded this way.

On seeing the hull, the disappointed owners paid for a new reblacking using Rytex Premium.

[Sea Dog]

22 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

The manufacturers of Keelblack have also posted a reply

Tim

Can't see the reply either, but I'd be interested to know what it says.

Disregarding the bits he showed of waterline and below for a second, the rest we could see of the boat, the gunwales, the guard irons and the black bits above the waterline, looks to have had an awfully hard 10 months!  In order to be objective, it would have been more convincing to see evidence of an otherwise we'll cared for boat. As it stands, poor preparation is bound to be the first suspect.  Perhaps it is otherwise a well cared for boat and it was well prepared,  but it doesn't look it from that video.

[Bod]

Won't let me see it.

Or the post has been removed.

 

Bod

[pearley]

This is the response from Keelblack

 

"There is a video circulating on Facebook showing KB peeling off a recently treated hull. This does not in any way reflect on the efficiency  of KB for two reasons
1. The product gas been applied over a red primer (probably red oxide). KB goes over any blacking and the instruction on the website and sent to every purchaser buying direct from KB states that a test area should be done on any previous coating (if not a conventional blacking) to check for adhesion. The product does not adhere to red oxide and no claims that it does are made.
2. The hull shows evidence of MIC or microbial corrosion (bubbled paint blisters and soft orange rust-like substance on the surface of the steel). This is a serious corrosion and is NOT rust. It exists beneath blacking and only shows through conventional bitumen’s when significant damage has occurred. KB is harder but thinner than solvent based blackings and MIC shows up earlier through the KB, alerting the owner to a problem which, with conventional blackings, can be hidden until the steel has been eaten away and perforated.  MIC is a serious problem known to the oil and gas industry but little recognised in the canal world. A paper on this is on the KB website http://www.keelblack.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/MICROBIOLOGICAL-CORROSION.pdf and immediate remedial action should be taken if the symptoms are noticed.
Criticism of KB is welcomed but must be considered in the light of the usage circumstances and if the Guidance for Use sheet is adhered to, the problems shown in the video will not occur.
KB gives excellent customer service and is available on 0333 405 4045 to discuss and past or future application.
Malcolm Leng. Keelblack

[GUMPY]

Well I'm now 4 months into keelblack and its still stuck to the boat as is my neighbours that is 9 months in. Both were prepared proper like and left to harden. One done in February and one in July so one cold one hot!

My guess is that those that have problems don't prepare properly and put the boat back in the water to soon.....

[peterboat]

Mine was done last year along with the neighbours both are faring well we have booked for next July in the drydock to redo in Keelblack. We followed the instructions and the results were very good and very fast. The speed of application allowed other work to be carried out at the same time saving dry dock cost. Their is no shortcuts when treating boats especially if they are rusty ones, neighbours was horrendous but he spent the time derusting etc and produced a good finish. Mine is covering Zinger so really it is cosmetic however it has stuck like sxxt to a blanket to say the least

[Sea Dog]

The MIC paper is interesting, isn't it?

[Bee]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

The MIC paper is interesting, isn't it?

Very. I've read a bit about this somewhere else and it could well be that some of what appears to be electrolysis is in fact bugs. The picture with the set square in it has damage that looks just like a boat that was out of the water at Sirius yachts, Stourport a few years ago. I'm not a chemist but some of the sulphides sound like some dangerous stuff in a bottle somewhere in the shed that I use as etching solution on castings before I paint them. Looks like the next boat will be wood.