RichardtheGardener Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 Hello all, Just had our first blacking done. I've noticed that there were three main areas where our blacking (and others that I've seen) was lacking after time. The first was the bumps and scrapes along the hull, the second the waterline and the third below the drains running down to the waterline. The yard has put three coats on the waterline to help with that one and I'm getting a pot of blacking to touch up and bumps - although I am much more competent now at handling the boat now ;) With regards to the drains, is it soaps and detergents which is stripping the blacking from this area? Is so, does anyone have any idea what in them is specifically doing it? Are there better brands to use to reduce it from happening? Cheers, R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 9 minutes ago, RichardtheGardener said: Hello all, Just had our first blacking done. I've noticed that there were three main areas where our blacking (and others that I've seen) was lacking after time. The first was the bumps and scrapes along the hull, the second the waterline and the third below the drains running down to the waterline. The yard has put three coats on the waterline to help with that one and I'm getting a pot of blacking to touch up and bumps - although I am much more competent now at handling the boat now With regards to the drains, is it soaps and detergents which is stripping the blacking from this area? Is so, does anyone have any idea what in them is specifically doing it? Are there better brands to use to reduce it from happening? Cheers, R Blacking is Bitumen which is basically 'oil' (petro-carbon base that is a 'left over' from converting crude oil to petrol) You will know that if you wash your oily hands with washing up liquid it dissolves the grease / oil on your hands. It does the same when the soapy water runs down the side of the boat (dissolves the bitumen rather than the oil on your hands !!!) Use less detergent in your washing up Did the yard put three coats ONLY on the waterline ? A properly done blacking job should be 3 coats all over and an extra coat on the waterline, up in the weed-hatch etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 (edited) I honestly wouldn't worry about it. It doesn't matter how good a job you do with ordinary bitumen based blacking, in a couple of years you'll start to see rust on the waterline again and then you've got about a year to get it out the water to repaint it. If detergent and deisel doesn't get to the bitumen then UV light will. Edited October 7, 2018 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted October 7, 2018 Report Share Posted October 7, 2018 4 minutes ago, blackrose said: If detergent and deisel doesn't get to the bitumen I forgot that one. Particularly if you are in a marina (or any busy canal) then the diesel floating about on the water surface attacks / dilutes the bitumen and it 'runs off' leaving bare metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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