A HUGE thanks to everyone who has watched this video and indeed subscribed to the channel. We've had quite a lot of interest about our products and services so to make it easier to contact us please visit warwickshirearts.co.uk/bwb/ and fill out the form to arrange a callback. Many Thanks BWB Team 🙂
Thanks for watching the video Margaret and indeed taking the time to comment. We couldn’t think of anything worse than bodging a job. Especially a floating one 🤣🤣
This guy is speaking so much sense. I work in the oil and gas industry and I have knowledge of how corrosion works. This is how it is. It’s not rocket science but it is something everyone should understand. It’s like car restoration, you can’t build on a sows ear. Excellent video. I have no idea how it appeared in my videos..All the best.
I used to work in the Oil and Gas Industry but now mostly retired ,(except when Lloyds Registry asks me to do special jobs), I reckon that with the appearance of Chinese steel being marketed in the UK, corrosion problems will increase due to most Chinese steel being made from scrap metal melted down and rolled, instead of iron ore being melted down and rolled into coil or plates. If I were purchasing Chinese Steel ,(or Steel from any third world country), I would reguest a Certificate with a chemical analysis just to know what is in the steel.
As a prospective buyer of probably an older boat, this information is great. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to film and upload; and when I am ready to buy, I'll be in touch to see what you have available. Subscribed.
I've seen people complain in boat forums that getting a boat ultra-high pressure jetted or shot blasted then epoxy painted is really expensive and they can clean the hull and stick bitumen over it but this video really demonstrates how that's a total false economy. I fear that some people are just patching things up for a couple of years then selling the boat rather than taking a longer-term view of the life of a boat so I'm going to share this video with anybody that doesn't understand how doing it properly is important. Thanks!
It is fantastic to hear that you can understand the necessity on having boats shot blasted. We are soon uploading another video in reply to some questions we have been asked regarding this. Keep watching! And thank you for watching 😊
@@bluewaterboatbuilder That's great, I will! Also I hope you'll forgive me for saying but during the aerial shot you could see somebody jet-washing the top of the boat. He's working at height and potentially on a slippery surface and could do with a fall arrester or something. 👍
this is the kind of man you would want to do business with ,,, no messing and old school standards but with modern technology and systems in place to back it all up.
@@bluewaterboatbuilder Ive owned boats , Im a coded welder and a qualified weld inspector , Ive run car body shops and a fab company ,,, I know how to tell good from bad from a great distance ,,, you guys keep doing what you do , its a slow way to get rich quickly , but the reputation that builds slowly lasts longer . Happy and prosperous new year to all your end.
My dad RIP, who was a member of the welding institute would have been nodding along watching that. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to seeing future videos.
A Real #Professional who cares about #Quality and does the work properly the first time - next time I need sandblasting, hull inspection, weld repair and epoxy before painting you just earned yourself a customer ..
So very important to FULLY UNDERSTAND not just the process, but also the application so that when the customer enquires about a purchase (for a canal boat) he/she has the correct mindset to ask the right kind of questions and not just carried away by "emotive" decision making.
We inform all of our clients and potential clients of the benefits of shot blasting and applying a two pack epoxy blacking so that they know what to expect if they decide not to have it done. We have had plenty of hulls in that have been badly pitted and some that have needed over playing so we can advise on experience. Thanks for watching
The one thing that struck me from day one was that there really seems to be a mentality of "we've always done it like that" in the narrowboat world. Fine if those things work, not so fine otherwise!
Thanks for watching and commenting. We do try and show the difference shot blasting can make to a boat especially to people who have only known boats to be built Without it
Main problem is the cheap thin steel now used to build boats and the poor internal corrosion inhibitor which is not mentioned here but hopefully will be covered in another vlog. Very informative and looking forward to follow up on this restoration.
We live in Wilmington, NC on the Intercoastal Waterway and have discussed having a wide beam canal boat to use on the waterway. Knowing that the Intercoastal waterway is primarily Salt Water, therefore we want a canal boat that is built our of one of the new Poly products opposed to steel or fiberglass. We are having a difficult time finding such a boat builder in the US but will continue our search for such a seasoned boat builder. If we lived in the UK you would certainly be the person we would want to talk with!!
The Brixham fishing fleet gets water grit blasted (with a corrosion inhibitor) then zinc metal spray followed by epoxy. They have to cope with marine corrosion but that's the best option IMO.
Very informative channel, What are your thoughts on the base plate a lot of people don't paint them? and watching your vlogs you don't mention the base plate either what do you do? Your thoughts please
This is very informative, I would love to do a fit put on the interior woodwork and fittings, perhaps I might get myself a project boat with a good foundation as you have described, Subbed, and looking forward to watching your skill on your channel. Thanks for sharing 👍📐🔨😄
Thanks so much for your comment and sub Gary. Great woodworking is a highly skilled profession. We’d love to see some of your work. Hope you find the right project boat 🙏
Ever thought about offering workshops to show people how to do the easy bits, I would get a lot of satisfaction fixing my boat (if I had one). Obviously some people wouldn’t know the difference between a flat head and a pozi drive, but others may be very adapt.
Very informative and interesting, I wouldn't have thought that a couple of mm of pitting was very serious though. Surely blacking narrowboat hullshas been done successfully for years. Not wanting to be critical but there are lots of good boats that have been treated that way?
Hi, thanks very much for that. I live in a town called Middlewich which you probably know as it has two canals One the Shropshire union and the other Trent and Mersey. I was just wondering what sort of guarantee you give on a boat like these especially the last one which needs replating . Do you give a years guarantee or less or more? Thanks very much. Steve
How long do these epoxy coatings last and how can you tell if they have failed and need re-blasting?..Had mine grit blasted and expoxied from new... Best investment..seems to be holding up 15 years on with a sand and a couple of over coats every five years.
Thanks for commenting and we shall certainly look to avoid reputation in our future videos. We are just passionate about getting the message across 🤣. Thanks for watching 🙏
What happens to the Epoxy (even 3 or 4 coats of it) when you scrape against a mooring, the bank or the side of a lock? To use a 'rock, paper, scissors analogy', surely concrete beats Epoxy?
That’s why epoxy is only good if you shot blast first as like you say sometimes it’s impossible to not break through to the steel and if not shot blasted it will spread or even start to track under the epoxy and then the epoxy starts to bubble and flake off. If it’s shot blasted properly then if it’s scraped on steel pillings or concrete etc the very small scratch will corrode slightly but it will not spread any further and even after 10 years the scratches don’t seem to get much worse it’s like corrosion attracts more corrosion once it starts to spread it just gets worse and worse but if it’s contained it doesn’t seem to get much worse it’s strange really but that’s what we have seen over the last 15 years.
@@bluewaterboatbuilder Interesting reply & thankyou. I was really just asking whether the epoxy coating could be compromised by a scrape on concrete etc & from what you've said I understand that 'Well yes it can, but it doesn't seem to corrode as badly if & when this happens'. The answer to that lies in the electronic dynamism of corrosion which I've written extensively on. Corrosion (a bit like fire in some ways) needs oxygen which it won't be able to get below the waterline. Corrosion also thrives where two or more metallic elements have been introduced (a weld on the hull say, or a plate, or better still a weld AND a plate) The corrosion is promoted by the resistance created where the two metallic aspects meet (a bit like how cells in a battery create electricity) but because Epoxy Resin contains is non-metallic it'll not thrive even if the old metal gets exposure. There's also those rubbing strips on the hull which I guess take the lion's share of any bumps or scraps.
I know nothing about building boats but are there different grades of steel which can be used to build a narrow boat. I don’t mean thickness I mean the actual quality. It’s nice to hear someone telling it as it is. Greetings from Australia 🇦🇺.
I’m not a boater but watched this out of curiosity. I am however a former Landrover owner so fully versed in rusting steel. Couple of genuine questions, so I look at that last boat and wonder why over plating is done vs just cutting out entire panels and welding that in? Second question, why aren’t they made of stainless? Ok a sneaky third question, epoxy? So that’s only a physical bond to steel, and steel being steel just wants to turn back to dust, you mention 8 years I’m guessing that’s the terminal limit for it? Has anyone ever used brush electro plating to give extra protection?
why aren’t they made of stainless ?" too expensive !, if for example mild steel would cost a quid per foot, stainless would cost roughly 4 quid per foot,. If gritblasting and application of epoxy was to be done properly then you would have decades of protection. There are Platforms now sitting in the north sea with carbon steel legs that were properly cleaned and coated, the Platform owners got a 30 year guarantee on the coating, and that's in salt water so it can be done but it needs to be done properly. I used to watch the cleaning / coating process and make sure it was done as per the spec and also the correct coating product from a reputable manufacturer ,(Hempel, Jotun), was used and the pot life was still Ok, that sort of thing.
Steel boats act as battery plates allowing current at low voltage to pass through it hence corrosion. There is no protection against this unless measures are taken at the time of construction of the boat. And as we know they are not.
Great video what do you think about copper coat on hulls i read about in a canal magazine this month i always used on commercial trawlers i owed and had great results
Thanks for watching, yes it is of some benefit on the hulls, we have applied copper Coat to a few new builds over the years and found it to be very effective 👍
my boat was gritblasted and epoxy coated 7 years ago , thinking possibly time for a recoat , is this as easy as cleaning and giving another coat of the same , any tips would be welcome thanks
How long have canal boats been in existence. How long has epoxy been around. I wouldnt come down too hard on bitumin pain. Still being used in Australia on wooden hull vintage vessels.
Thanks for watching and your comments. It is a proven fact that epoxy coatings last longer and are more effective than Bitumen. However it’s great to hear bitumen is lasting for you over In Australia 👍.
People used to ask my dad if he'd bodge something up to put them on for a bit. He used to say no. If you do it right the first time, you won't need to do it again.
Yes, the old worn out 'that's what we've always done'. I hate that phrase and feel like telling them (in the case of boats - I would adapt for other scenarios) why not stick to using dug out canoes then? They were good enough for centuries. I am very impressed with your attitude to hull protection. I've been watching narrow boating vlogs very closely for a few years now and have to say I hate the idea of blacking. I grew up on sail boats, so it was always about ensuing whatever you put on was well keyed so that it adhered fully all over and did its job. Epoxy wasn't what it is now. Can I ask what your philosophy is about protection for the base plate? I hear some saying paint them and some claiming it is a waste of time due to shallow canals. Does epoxy stand up to scraping the bottom of canals very well? (shopping trolleys and other metal/stone things not included.) I am looking at the best option to end up with a boat to live on in retirement as a continuous cruiser for as long as possible once I retire back to UK. I'm wondering about the possibility of finding the right used boat and reworking it to suit what we are looking for - big windows with sills brought down as low as possible to be able to see out while sat on a sofa/captain's chairs, squared off cruiser stern to be able to have a fold down wheel house rather than what amounts to a tent, electric propulsion backed up by plenty of solar and a generator in a 'hospital enclosure' (we are both averse to the noise of diesel cruising) plus a few other simple tweaks not commonly found on conventional narrow boats.
Thanks for watching. A majority of boat owners don’t shot blast and black the base plates, this is usually due to the additional cost. We have just delivered a bespoke narrowboat the owners wanted to protect their investment the best way they possibly could. In order to protect your investment the best possible way we would always advise to shot blast and paint the base plate.
Thanks for your comment although I’m not quite sure what you are trying to get across. We bolt on magnesium anodes to all of our boats that are on the canal system. 😊
its the old saying you get what you pay for ,I have seen loads of narrow boat blacking vids and never understood why they never or rarely do the actual hull only do the side madness
The base plate and hull sides are the same 10mm and 6mm. The cabin sides are slightly thicker at 5mm and the roof is 6mm on a wide beam as apposed to a narrowboat of 4mm and 4mm 😊
2.5 is not white steel, SA 3 is white steel also if the abrasive blast cleaning medium is shot, then why is the shot not being recovered and recycled ?
Yes anodes do make a difference. We will be uploading a video soon to explain the necessity of fitting them along with other questions we have been asked on this video. Stay tuned! 👍
Mainly in fresh water, unless you have a huge number, the anodes are there to provide protection against dissimilar metals, ie propshaft and propeller.
I may be wrong here everytime I’ve seen grey primer used rust spots always appear personal I use red oxide primer and I’ve never ever had this problem in fact it’s probably the best stuff I’ve ever used I’ve just done the hand rails on my boat to see the outcome …. Always used red oxide to stop my Land rovers rusting out I may be wrong each to there own I just thought I’d see if anyone agrees with me or thinks it’s a terrible idea I’ve always had great results with it and I’m not a pro at all ……. 😅
Red oxide also called Red Lead is a very good primer but now not so popular ever since lead was found to affect coaters lungs so zinc chromate was used but that was found to be toxic as well so you will find that a lot of store bought stuff is water based which is relatively harmless but not as good at red oxide is.
Why are canal boats not painted with epoxy paint, or even coated with GRP, surely this would eliminate the corrosion problems entirely? .I would think that any steel below the waterline would benefit from being stainless steel. It may increase costs initially, but over decades it would probably be economic, financially!
I am sure there are companies out there that will do this, but like you suggest may only last a year due to cruising damage so I would imagine an expensive option.
I expect you could pull enough off the hull to make it meaningless in a few days cruising. But it has been done on cabins with good success, but you still need good paint under it.
Very good question indeed!! And there are companies that do. A couple of the reasons for those that don’t would be budget and having a suitable location to be able to shot blast. Mill scale forms during the hot rolling process and is porous. Without shot blasting the mill scale will not be removed. Painting on top of mill scale is imperative to present a uniform and clean surface to paint on. We do it properly from the beginning to prevent pitting on the hull 👍
The best way we found of not loosing money but actually making money on a 60’ Liverpool boats NB after 9 years of ownership is to sell it after lockdown 😂
Did i here right the 1st boat was just primed, anyone knows primer is porous you need a top coat to water proof. On a different note as someone in the safety world your man waltzing up and down with his back to the open edge cleaning on the top of the boat on a wet shiny surface would give any H & S pro a sleepless night, he looks about 10 feet up in the air, the bottom line is, if he came off there and was seriously injured you could quite easily lose your business. Get a safe system of work before you regret it. Other than that nice video
Rather than putting unnecessary labour into a boat that isn't really worth it, why not make it impossible to be put back in the water. And make it into a glamping pod type of air bnb dwelling that will be forever land based.
Great vlog BUT not everyone has the money to a good job like you guys so just go for a jetwash and blacking and its a job most boaters can do in a dry dock i understand the long term of doing things right but not everyone does
@bluewaterboatbuilder no no im not here to change anybodys mind im just saying that most poeple would do it the cheapest way im not knocking what you do i think its great buut as isaid not everybody has the money to do that
@@bluewaterboatbuilder I shall look for that one as it is a question that has niggled at me for ages as to why narrowboats seem to be made from a poor choice of materials for their environment ... and don't get me going on the atrocious quality of their power plants! There just seems no excuse for it beyond that's how it's always been done.
Problem is the quality of the steel. Newer the boat, poorer the quality - Chinese import these days. I had 1929 iron build - still floating around somewhere - bit of paint every now and again to make it look good, but no pitting. Engine was 1930 - 2 cyl cov godiver (used in fire trucks) Only spares needed was inj nozzles, everything else remove,clean,put back. No money pit, and thump-thump all day.
Thanks for your comments. The steel industry in the UK is virtually nonexistent due to decisions beyond our control I’m afraid 😢. Hence the need to import steel from China/Taiwan etc. however it still remains the same that the best thing to do with mild steel is to blast it and remove all of the contaminants 😊
What is the scrap value of boat 3 ? It looks a rubbish quality build with wavy rubbing plates only tack welded/glued on and awful detailing of stem. I totally concur there is lacking appreciation of not only using appropriate prep (shot blasting) and paints (epoxy) but applying correctly (rigid respect for humidity and temperature, cure times between coats, application methods etc). Seems to me too many people who realistically cannot actually afford a boat buy one with romantic illusions of a more affordable existence; instead left captive in an extended ditch with devaluing asset unlike real estate which is invariably cost effective, and cheaper to maintain, in longer term.
Thanks for commenting. However unfortunately Sea Otter are no longer trading so not sure that’s an answer to boat owners problems. Shot blasting is still the best way to protect your boat
A HUGE thanks to everyone who has watched this video and indeed subscribed to the channel. We've had quite a lot of interest about our products and services so to make it easier to contact us please visit warwickshirearts.co.uk/bwb/ and fill out the form to arrange a callback. Many Thanks BWB Team 🙂
Great to listen to someone who is so knowledgeable in his field and who is not prepared to ‘bodge it and leg it’.
Thanks for watching the video Margaret and indeed taking the time to comment. We couldn’t think of anything worse than bodging a job. Especially a floating one 🤣🤣
This guy is speaking so much sense. I work in the oil and gas industry and I have knowledge of how corrosion works. This is how it is. It’s not rocket science but it is something everyone should understand. It’s like car restoration, you can’t build on a sows ear. Excellent video. I have no idea how it appeared in my videos..All the best.
Thanks for your comment and feedback. Yes the algorithm has gone crazy on this video, not that we’re complaining 🤣😂
@@MevRB19Would you care to explain?
I used to work in the Oil and Gas Industry but now mostly retired ,(except when Lloyds Registry asks me to do special jobs), I reckon that with the appearance of Chinese steel being marketed in the UK, corrosion problems will increase due to most Chinese steel being made from scrap metal melted down and rolled, instead of iron ore being melted down and rolled into coil or plates. If I were purchasing Chinese Steel ,(or Steel from any third world country), I would reguest a Certificate with a chemical analysis just to know what is in the steel.
@@AnthonyTobyEllenor-pi4jq Save on the steel (maybe) but spend on a marine grade zinc metal spray with epoxy over that.
As a prospective buyer of probably an older boat, this information is great. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to film and upload; and when I am ready to buy, I'll be in touch to see what you have available. Subscribed.
Thanks for taking the time to comment and subscribe. It’s really appreciated. We look forward to hopefully speaking with you soon.
I've seen people complain in boat forums that getting a boat ultra-high pressure jetted or shot blasted then epoxy painted is really expensive and they can clean the hull and stick bitumen over it but this video really demonstrates how that's a total false economy. I fear that some people are just patching things up for a couple of years then selling the boat rather than taking a longer-term view of the life of a boat so I'm going to share this video with anybody that doesn't understand how doing it properly is important. Thanks!
It is fantastic to hear that you can understand the necessity on having boats shot blasted. We are soon uploading another video in reply to some questions we have been asked regarding this. Keep watching! And thank you for watching 😊
@@bluewaterboatbuilder That's great, I will! Also I hope you'll forgive me for saying but during the aerial shot you could see somebody jet-washing the top of the boat. He's working at height and potentially on a slippery surface and could do with a fall arrester or something. 👍
this is the kind of man you would want to do business with ,,, no messing and old school standards but with modern technology and systems in place to back it all up.
Thank you 😊
@@bluewaterboatbuilder Ive owned boats , Im a coded welder and a qualified weld inspector , Ive run car body shops and a fab company ,,, I know how to tell good from bad from a great distance ,,, you guys keep doing what you do , its a slow way to get rich quickly , but the reputation that builds slowly lasts longer . Happy and prosperous new year to all your end.
Thank you and happy new year to you too 🤩
My dad RIP, who was a member of the welding institute would have been nodding along watching that. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to seeing future videos.
Thanks for watching 😊
Great to see how you do the job right from the start. Hope this gets you lots more work and recognition for a job well done. 😎😎
Thank you so much for your comment. Best wishes 🙏
A great video from an honest man,well done sir,you are a great ambassador for your company,best wishes,Phil.
A Real #Professional who cares about #Quality and does the work properly the first time - next time I need sandblasting, hull inspection, weld repair and epoxy before painting you just earned yourself a customer ..
Thank you for your comments, it is only right to do the job right at the start to avoid problems in the future 👍
@@bluewaterboatbuilderwhere are you based I'm currently looking to buy a 2nd hand narrowboat
Thank you for taking the trouble to make this interesting and highly informative video.
Thank you Clive. Glad you liked it 🙏
Thanks for your honesty; I appreciate you for letting those of us who are novices see what to expect from unscrupulous sellers
Thanks for watching 👍
So very important to FULLY UNDERSTAND not just the process, but also the application so that when the customer enquires about a purchase (for a canal boat) he/she has the correct mindset to ask the right kind of questions and not just carried away by "emotive" decision making.
We inform all of our clients and potential clients of the benefits of shot blasting and applying a two pack epoxy blacking so that they know what to expect if they decide not to have it done. We have had plenty of hulls in that have been badly pitted and some that have needed over playing so we can advise on experience. Thanks for watching
The one thing that struck me from day one was that there really seems to be a mentality of "we've always done it like that" in the narrowboat world. Fine if those things work, not so fine otherwise!
Thanks for watching and commenting. We do try and show the difference shot blasting can make to a boat especially to people who have only known boats to be built
Without it
Main problem is the cheap thin steel now used to build boats and the poor internal corrosion inhibitor which is not mentioned here but hopefully will be covered in another vlog. Very informative and looking forward to follow up on this restoration.
Excellent video moral always get a comprehensive survey at a reputable yard.
Great vlog Rachel, you're filming is really top notch. You make it so so interesting. Stay safe xx
Thank you and thank you for watching. More to follow 😊
We live in Wilmington, NC on the Intercoastal Waterway and have discussed having a wide beam canal boat to use on the waterway. Knowing that the Intercoastal waterway is primarily Salt Water, therefore we want a canal boat that is built our of one of the new Poly products opposed to steel or fiberglass. We are having a difficult time finding such a boat builder in the US but will continue our search for such a seasoned boat builder.
If we lived in the UK you would certainly be the person we would want to talk with!!
The Brixham fishing fleet gets water grit blasted (with a corrosion inhibitor) then zinc metal spray followed by epoxy. They have to cope with marine corrosion but that's the best option IMO.
your right on the spot! stuppid over painting eveywhere!
Thank you for your comments 😊
Doing it the proper way for the life of your boat .
Unfortunately most boatyards don't offer this just jet blast and slap on blacking ..
Very informative channel, What are your thoughts on the base plate a lot of people don't paint them? and watching your vlogs you don't mention the base plate either what do you do? Your thoughts please
A honest business
Thank you 🙏
Very informative video. Well done.👍
Glad you liked it, thank you 😊
This is very informative,
I would love to do a fit put on the interior woodwork and fittings, perhaps I might get myself a project boat with a good foundation as you have described,
Subbed, and looking forward to watching your skill on your channel.
Thanks for sharing 👍📐🔨😄
Thanks so much for your comment and sub Gary. Great woodworking is a highly skilled profession. We’d love to see some of your work. Hope you find the right project boat 🙏
I hope you get subscribers soon you do a good job unlike others iv seen who get more clients
Thank you for your very kind comment. Much respect 🙏
Ever thought about offering workshops to show people how to do the easy bits, I would get a lot of satisfaction fixing my boat (if I had one). Obviously some people wouldn’t know the difference between a flat head and a pozi drive, but others may be very adapt.
Enjoyed this video, you talk a lot of sense. Thanks
Thanks for watching 👍
Very informative and interesting, I wouldn't have thought that a couple of mm of pitting was very serious though. Surely blacking narrowboat hullshas been done successfully for years. Not wanting to be critical but there are lots of good boats that have been treated that way?
Hi, thanks very much for that. I live in a town called Middlewich which you probably know as it has two canals One the Shropshire union and the other Trent and Mersey. I was just wondering what sort of guarantee you give on a boat like these especially the last one which needs replating . Do you give a years guarantee or less or more? Thanks very much.
Steve
How long do these epoxy coatings last and how can you tell if they have failed and need re-blasting?..Had mine grit blasted and expoxied from new... Best investment..seems to be holding up 15 years on with a sand and a couple of over coats every five years.
I got it the first time … no need to keep repeating yourself! 😂👍🏽
Thanks for commenting and we shall certainly look to avoid reputation in our future videos. We are just passionate about getting the message across 🤣.
Thanks for watching 🙏
Your passion for doing a great job comes across in your video. My Dad was a carpenter/builder, he also put quality first.
@@bluewaterboatbuilder
Thank you so much for making this video.
Our pleasure and thank you for taking the time to comment 🙏
very interesting. whats rough cost of sandblasting and painting hull for a 70ft narrowboat. are you confident it can last 7 to 10 years.
Thanks for reaching out. We are indeed. Please call us on (01926) 811699. We would be happy to talk with you about your narrowboat.
You can also email sharonwarner.bluewaterboats@gmail.com
When you black a boat is it usual do underneath as well
What happens to the Epoxy (even 3 or 4 coats of it) when you scrape against a mooring, the bank or the side of a lock? To use a 'rock, paper, scissors analogy', surely concrete beats Epoxy?
That’s why epoxy is only good if you shot blast first as like you say sometimes it’s impossible to not break through to the steel and if not shot blasted it will spread or even start to track under the epoxy and then the epoxy starts to bubble and flake off.
If it’s shot blasted properly then if it’s scraped on steel pillings or concrete etc the very small scratch will corrode slightly but it will not spread any further and even after 10 years the scratches don’t seem to get much worse it’s like corrosion attracts more corrosion once it starts to spread it just gets worse and worse but if it’s contained it doesn’t seem to get much worse it’s strange really but that’s what we have seen over the last 15 years.
@@bluewaterboatbuilder Interesting reply & thankyou. I was really just asking whether the epoxy coating could be compromised by a scrape on concrete etc & from what you've said I understand that 'Well yes it can, but it doesn't seem to corrode as badly if & when this happens'. The answer to that lies in the electronic dynamism of corrosion which I've written extensively on. Corrosion (a bit like fire in some ways) needs oxygen which it won't be able to get below the waterline. Corrosion also thrives where two or more metallic elements have been introduced (a weld on the hull say, or a plate, or better still a weld AND a plate) The corrosion is promoted by the resistance created where the two metallic aspects meet (a bit like how cells in a battery create electricity) but because Epoxy Resin contains is non-metallic it'll not thrive even if the old metal gets exposure. There's also those rubbing strips on the hull which I guess take the lion's share of any bumps or scraps.
I know nothing about building boats but are there different grades of steel which can be used to build a narrow boat. I don’t mean thickness I mean the actual quality. It’s nice to hear someone telling it as it is. Greetings from Australia 🇦🇺.
Thanks for your comment and greetings from the UK to you 🙏
We may make a video specifically about the steel grades soon. Watch his space 👍
I’m not a boater but watched this out of curiosity. I am however a former Landrover owner so fully versed in rusting steel. Couple of genuine questions, so I look at that last boat and wonder why over plating is done vs just cutting out entire panels and welding that in? Second question, why aren’t they made of stainless? Ok a sneaky third question, epoxy? So that’s only a physical bond to steel, and steel being steel just wants to turn back to dust, you mention 8 years I’m guessing that’s the terminal limit for it? Has anyone ever used brush electro plating to give extra protection?
why aren’t they made of stainless ?" too expensive !, if for example mild steel would cost a quid per foot, stainless would cost roughly 4 quid per foot,. If gritblasting and application of epoxy was to be done properly then you would have decades of protection. There are Platforms now sitting in the north sea with carbon steel legs that were properly cleaned and coated, the Platform owners got a 30 year guarantee on the coating, and that's in salt water so it can be done but it needs to be done properly. I used to watch the cleaning / coating process and make sure it was done as per the spec and also the correct coating product from a reputable manufacturer ,(Hempel, Jotun), was used and the pot life was still Ok, that sort of thing.
@ How much is sand blasting and epoxy per foot?
Steel boats act as battery plates allowing current at low voltage to pass through it hence corrosion.
There is no protection against this unless measures are taken at the time of construction of the boat.
And as we know they are not.
Great video what do you think about copper coat on hulls i read about in a canal magazine this month i always used on commercial trawlers i owed and had great results
Thanks for watching, yes it is of some benefit on the hulls, we have applied copper Coat to a few new builds over the years and found it to be very effective 👍
I have just stumbled across this channel, and have now subscribed!
What do you mean by 'overplate'?
Overplating is when the original steel hull has pitted so badly and therefore needs to be overplated
my boat was gritblasted and epoxy coated 7 years ago , thinking possibly time for a recoat , is this as easy as cleaning and giving another coat of the same , any tips would be welcome thanks
So you don't recommend blacking. I've not got a boat but I like to learn about things I'm interested in. Tips for if I buy a boat.
How long have canal boats been in existence. How long has epoxy been around. I wouldnt come down too hard on bitumin pain. Still being used in Australia on wooden hull vintage vessels.
Thanks for watching and your comments. It is a proven fact that epoxy coatings last longer and are more effective than Bitumen. However it’s great to hear bitumen is lasting for you over In Australia 👍.
People used to ask my dad if he'd bodge something up to put them on for a bit. He used to say no. If you do it right the first time, you won't need to do it again.
Your dad is Absolutely correct 👍 thanks for watching
Yes, the old worn out 'that's what we've always done'. I hate that phrase and feel like telling them (in the case of boats - I would adapt for other scenarios) why not stick to using dug out canoes then? They were good enough for centuries.
I am very impressed with your attitude to hull protection. I've been watching narrow boating vlogs very closely for a few years now and have to say I hate the idea of blacking. I grew up on sail boats, so it was always about ensuing whatever you put on was well keyed so that it adhered fully all over and did its job. Epoxy wasn't what it is now. Can I ask what your philosophy is about protection for the base plate? I hear some saying paint them and some claiming it is a waste of time due to shallow canals. Does epoxy stand up to scraping the bottom of canals very well? (shopping trolleys and other metal/stone things not included.)
I am looking at the best option to end up with a boat to live on in retirement as a continuous cruiser for as long as possible once I retire back to UK. I'm wondering about the possibility of finding the right used boat and reworking it to suit what we are looking for - big windows with sills brought down as low as possible to be able to see out while sat on a sofa/captain's chairs, squared off cruiser stern to be able to have a fold down wheel house rather than what amounts to a tent, electric propulsion backed up by plenty of solar and a generator in a 'hospital enclosure' (we are both averse to the noise of diesel cruising) plus a few other simple tweaks not commonly found on conventional narrow boats.
Thanks for watching. A majority of boat owners don’t shot blast and black the base plates, this is usually due to the additional cost. We have just delivered a bespoke narrowboat the owners wanted to protect their investment the best way they possibly could. In order to protect your investment the best possible way we would always advise to shot blast and paint the base plate.
I would question the sacrificial anodes on the boat. They seem to be the same size and shape of a new one? Be careful who you buy your anodes from.
Thanks for your comment although I’m not quite sure what you are trying to get across. We bolt on magnesium anodes to all of our boats that are on the canal system. 😊
vey informative, thank you
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
its the old saying you get what you pay for ,I have seen loads of narrow boat blacking vids and never understood why they never or rarely do the actual hull only do the side madness
Would it be worth giving it a few coats of red oxide as another layer of protection ?
Are widebeam boats constructed of the same guage steel as narrowboats?
The base plate and hull sides are the same 10mm and 6mm. The cabin sides are slightly thicker at 5mm and the roof is 6mm on a wide beam as apposed to a narrowboat of 4mm and 4mm 😊
2.5 is not white steel, SA 3 is white steel also if the abrasive blast cleaning medium is shot, then why is the shot not being recovered and recycled ?
The shot blast does get recovered and recycled 👍
Do anodes make a difference?
Why do some boats don't have them?
Many thanks .
Yes anodes do make a difference. We will be uploading a video soon to explain the necessity of fitting them along with other questions we have been asked on this video. Stay tuned! 👍
Mainly in fresh water, unless you have a huge number, the anodes are there to provide protection against dissimilar metals, ie propshaft and propeller.
Amazing! Someone who knows what sa2.5 is.
I may be wrong here everytime I’ve seen grey primer used rust spots always appear personal I use red oxide primer and I’ve never ever had this problem in fact it’s probably the best stuff I’ve ever used I’ve just done the hand rails on my boat to see the outcome …. Always used red oxide to stop my Land rovers rusting out I may be wrong each to there own I just thought I’d see if anyone agrees with me or thinks it’s a terrible idea I’ve always had great results with it and I’m not a pro at all ……. 😅
Red oxide also called Red Lead is a very good primer but now not so popular ever since lead was found to affect coaters lungs so zinc chromate was used but that was found to be toxic as well so you will find that a lot of store bought stuff is water based which is relatively harmless but not as good at red oxide is.
How long is your waiting list being one of the few that offer this?
Please email us at sharonwarner.bluewaterboats@gmail.com so we can arrange a call.
Wonder why they don’t make the hulls of stainless steel
Due to the cost of stainless steel, even more expensive than mild steel and also not heavy enough.
Cost. Also harder to weld well.
Why are canal boats not painted with epoxy paint, or even coated with GRP, surely this would eliminate the corrosion problems entirely?
.I would think that any steel below the waterline would benefit from being stainless steel. It may increase costs initially, but over decades it would probably be economic, financially!
Could you vinyl wrap a boat??? Even if it lasts for a year
I am sure there are companies out there that will do this, but like you suggest may only last a year due to cruising damage so I would imagine an expensive option.
I expect you could pull enough off the hull to make it meaningless in a few days cruising. But it has been done on cabins with good success, but you still need good paint under it.
Are the sacrificial anodes zinc? They don't look like they have been doing their job. I have heard that in fresh water they should be aluminium.
What’s all this mumbo jumbo about sacrifices ! I thought it was the salts that got up to satanism and witchery not us god fearing Jesus loving bargees
Magnesium for fresh water.
Question, Why don’t they make it right to begin with?
Very good question indeed!! And there are companies that do. A couple of the reasons for those that don’t would be budget and having a suitable location to be able to shot blast. Mill scale forms during the hot rolling process and is porous. Without shot blasting the mill scale will not be removed. Painting on top of mill scale is imperative to present a uniform and clean surface to paint on. We do it properly from the beginning to prevent pitting on the hull 👍
Cost. Ignorance.
The best way we found of not loosing money but actually making money on a 60’ Liverpool boats NB after 9 years of ownership is to sell it after lockdown 😂
Yes many boat owners did the same. However no one needs another lockdown please 😂. Thanks for watching
Did i here right the 1st boat was just primed, anyone knows primer is porous you need a top coat to water proof. On a different note as someone in the safety world your man waltzing up and down with his back to the open edge cleaning on the top of the boat on a wet shiny surface would give any H & S pro a sleepless night, he looks about 10 feet up in the air, the bottom line is, if he came off there and was seriously injured you could quite easily lose your business. Get a safe system of work before you regret it. Other than that nice video
Rather than putting unnecessary labour into a boat that isn't really worth it, why not make it impossible to be put back in the water. And make it into a glamping pod type of air bnb dwelling that will be forever land based.
Nice idea but we are in business to either build from new or to repair them for owners and put them back in the water 😊.
Great vlog BUT not everyone has the money to a good job like you guys so just go for a jetwash and blacking and its a job most boaters can do in a dry dock i understand the long term of doing things right but not everyone does
Watch the next video I think you will change your mind
@bluewaterboatbuilder no no im not here to change anybodys mind im just saying that most poeple would do it the cheapest way im not knocking what you do i think its great buut as isaid not everybody has the money to do that
Beats me why boat builders don't simply use marine-grsde stainless steel, and then galvanise it.
We are shortly uploading a video to some questions on this video that we have been asked. Keep watching! 😊
@@bluewaterboatbuilder I shall look for that one as it is a question that has niggled at me for ages as to why narrowboats seem to be made from a poor choice of materials for their environment ... and don't get me going on the atrocious quality of their power plants! There just seems no excuse for it beyond that's how it's always been done.
Aluminium is a good alternative however it's more prone to damage being softer . I think more expensive too.
Cunifer would be a good choice, it's expensive and not easy to weld but it would last for a 1000 years no probs !
Buying one of these is a bit of a minefield by the looks of it. Glad I’m not buying one!
You know where to come if you change your mind 😜 thanks for watching
Problem is the quality of the steel. Newer the boat, poorer the quality - Chinese import these days. I had 1929 iron build - still floating around somewhere - bit of paint every now and again to make it look good, but no pitting. Engine was 1930 - 2 cyl cov godiver (used in fire trucks) Only spares needed was inj nozzles, everything else remove,clean,put back. No money pit, and thump-thump all day.
Thanks for your comments. The steel industry in the UK is virtually nonexistent due to decisions beyond our control I’m afraid 😢. Hence the need to import steel from China/Taiwan etc. however it still remains the same that the best thing to do with mild steel is to blast it and remove all of the contaminants 😊
What is the scrap value of boat 3 ? It looks a rubbish quality build with wavy rubbing plates only tack welded/glued on and awful detailing of stem. I totally concur there is lacking appreciation of not only using appropriate prep (shot blasting) and paints (epoxy) but applying correctly (rigid respect for humidity and temperature, cure times between coats, application methods etc). Seems to me too many people who realistically cannot actually afford a boat buy one with romantic illusions of a more affordable existence; instead left captive in an extended ditch with devaluing asset unlike real estate which is invariably cost effective, and cheaper to maintain, in longer term.
Buy a Sea Otter Narrow boat all Aluminium no sand blasting needed fantastic boats needs a guy like Elon Musk to invent Narrow boat now !!
Thanks for commenting. However unfortunately Sea Otter are no longer trading so not sure that’s an answer to boat owners problems. Shot blasting is still the best way to protect your boat
SeaOtters left the factory with a Hugh quality epoxy coating system and rubber rubbing strakes, but still need periodic repainting.
Where are you based?
We are based in Warwickshire