Dry docking, checking the hull and blacking of our DIY project narrowboat, Boating on a Budget. Ep6

[@kevleeson1]

Love that small compact thickness tester any chance of doing a small video showing how to use it? Kev

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

I can have a look at putting a video together... :)

[@johnallen148]

Hi guys ,got to say your boat is very interesting I think the v- hull is more stable then a flat bottom boat ,I have taken narrowboats across the wash one was a v-hull it was much more stable in the small waves then a flat bottom,the bow of you boat is definitely much better then some I have seen the shape of the hole of you boat is very interesting I like the windows on the front then doors much

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Yes it does seem more like it was designed for rivers... I would like to do the wash one day... Overall she is quite a unique boat, and we love her character!

[@thomaspridmore106]

And in another 3 years all over again ,nice blog thanks

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Looking forward to it already! 🙄🙄🙄

[@thomaspridmore106]

Young and fit

[@AndySjostrom]

Your channel just popped up in my DIY recommended listing and I've added your channel to my subscribers listing to keep track of your progress and adventures along with several other narrowboat owners. Boats like yours are virtually unheard of here on my side of the pond in the states. Mostly due in part to a lack of useable canals however we do have the ICW and all of its tributaries. I've wanted a live aboard boat for many years but never found one I was happy with. I've look at everything from small motor yachts to barges and everything in between. So, I've decided to build my own boat from scratch. While searching for a yard that could accommodate my building needs I stumbled across these narrowboats that you use in the canals n your side of the pond. I was intrigued to say the least and as I watch more and more videos on other channels here on you tube I began to see what it takes to build one of your little boats from scratch. My hull will be different the lower hull will be plywood covered with kevlar the upper hull also of plywood covered in fiberglass. my hull will be a wide body with a 12' beam. my complete hull design comes from a year of emails between myself and a close friend that lives in Austria Germany. the over all hull design started out at 17' than as we began to add things in the cabin area we realized the 17' had to be increased to 37' and before we were done we increased it one last time to 60'. Because of other designs we have talked about I have a feeling it will be increased again to 100'...hahaha. and it hasn't even gotten to the actual building stage. if you'd like to know more about my design let me know.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Sounds a fun project. I'm intregued by the use of kevlar... Is it a material you've worked with before and is it not quite expensive?

[@tomdunn1254]

I never knew that there are V bottom narrowboats. Learn something new every day. I love that hull.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

A company back in the 70s and 80s, called Springer only made V bottom narrowboats. But this one seems quite unique, possibly designed for river cruising...

[@urbanimage]

Apart from steel Springers, which have V-shaped hulls, you also get Sea Otter boats that are all aluminium narrowboats that also have V-shaped hulls and use water as ballast - a bit like a submarine.

[@tomdunn1254]

@@urbanimage I also like the enclosed bow. I think it is much safer and better use of the space. How much time would one actually spent there in the unpredictable English weather if it was open.

[@urbanimage]

@@tomdunn1254 If you're a continuos cruiser the bow tends to end up full of stuff anyway 8--)

[@oaklandmax]

The second time I brought my boat into a marina I hit the dock so hard people thought it owed me money! Then I had to get fuel and banged into the dock so hard it still sends me valentines cards. No real damage though, and I’ve since learned how to bring the boat in smoothly. Usually..

[@gillnicholls9665]

Looking good guys I do love grafters.xx god bless.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Thankyou, theres certainly going to be LOTS of graft!

[@dunki-dunki-dawg]

I think a powerful laser array would take everything off the Hull right back to the pristine steel below all that spongey rust. When I have seen them preparing for new Blackening with just a power wash I always get the feeling its going to be new paint over damp spongey material comprised of rust, minerals and growth still holding moisture against shiny metal that your eye obviously cannot see. I used to use a hand built pressure washer with a huge compressor for cleaning concrete floors at work which was so powerful it took two hands to avoid the kickback. That thing would clean hulls very adequately but the standard yellow ones just don't have enough power. They need to be able to remove car paint cleanly ect... I have been asking around if taking it back to metal and then using a Black oxide solution prior to 2pk epoxy would be a step in the right direction as fresh metal begins to film over to orange rust after just an overnight prep for the 2pk epoxy. If that orange film can be rubbed off with just your palm of your hand It can't be a great key to have the epoxy adhere or key to. Another option may be to grind back to metal for a quarter of the hull, then epoxy then finish one side and follow up not allowing enough time for orange rust film to spread overnight ect??

[@davidbutler4363]

Brilliant guys thanks 😁👍👏👏👏

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Glad you enjoyed it.... :)

[@littlelostboy66]

Good to see you today. Great job on the blacking 👌

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

You too, and thankyou... a thankless task, but as we said earlier definitely a job that needs doing!

[@leona_devon]

Its a springer, they have v shape hulls instead of flat bottom, springers tended to be build of thinner metal, I wondered if you would get the thickness tested, good tool that.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

we are pretty sure that although its a v bottom it isnt a springer. They have a diferent bow and dont have that centre keel.

[@dandelyon7114]

It's not a springer for sure i know i have one. And currently rebottoming another it's a dales craft seen this style before steel vee bottom fiberglass top

[@leona_devon]

Well every day is a school day, learn something new every day, thought there was only 2 types, cool.

[@NarrowboatChef]

Very interesting video! We’re going to be blacking our narrowboat next year, so we’re taking notes! 😂 Thankfully ours has a flat bottom...

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Doing a flat bottom one would be SO much easier than doing V bottom like these... And cheaper as could be pulled out on a trailer as opposed to having to pay for dry dock. Any advice as you get closer to doing it just shout up, not saying I'm an expert obviously but happy to pass on any tips I picked up...

[@williamavery9185]

Cheapest way haulout and on blocks, no tent but your doing the underside ?

[@hellsop]

I really recommend respirators, though. They're cheaper than lungs.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

They were removed for filming purposes... getting a phone to record clear sound (especially when there is back ground noise) is hard enough, never mind with masks muffling the sound.

[@kenwheeler6150]

When using your thickness meter always grind back to shiny steel and use a coupling gel, if you don't have any gel then wallpaper paste will do but make sure there are no lumps of powder. for thinner steel you may need to get another transponder to get an accurate measurement, the standard transponder gets a bit wonky under 3mm. A piece of 1/8 plate will swell to 1 inch thick when it is totally consumed by rust. Good luck with your new venture.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We used fry light as the gel! and using the sample piece of steel provided it was bang on reading at 4mm. So seemed to work perfect. Obviously I cant vouch for the figures we got being perfectly accurate but I think they were good enough to show the hull is perfectly usable condition.

[@AnthonyTobyEllenor-pi4jq]

With thin metal you need a twin crystal probe.

[@johnnicholls3092]

I got to say I did expect the worse but I'm glad that it was not full of holes nice one

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We were 'prepared' for the worst but glad it wasn't bad!

[@revrebmackey]

Bing watching from Weed California U.S.A. love your vlog!!

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Glad you are liking them! Are you all caught upto date now then?

[@revrebmackey]

@@WingingItBoatingonaBudget Yes we are...

[@Quackalott]

Nice to find your channel an I like your unusual narrowboat, I think that proper keeled V hull is gonna be more of an asset than a hindrance over time for sure, easier to get unstuck on mud banks too. Nice to see a couple getting on with the nitty gritty jobs together, kudos getting that done :) All the best to you both with your new lifestyle from down here on the coast in Broadstairs.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Thankyou, we don't mind getting stuck in! We definitely don't just do the glamorous side of boating! 🤣 Yes the hull does seem to allow the boat to cruise along nicely. Glad your enjoying the vlogs.

[@sidneybowerman558]

I was beginning to think that the 'dry dock' was never going to be 'dry', but it sort of got there in the end. Well done you's two from Geordieland.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Yes it did take a bit of doing to make it a dry dock. And was never 100percent fully dry. But we got done what we needed to do.

[@Mark.R_]

Peter, I would keep the fiberglass roof, it looks nice and retro. Having no well deck also safer, I have seen barges flooded in locks etc with the front doors bust open from the weight of water. Fiberglass (while is appears daunting) is easy to work with. Just cut out any bad glass with an angle grinder and build up layers to replace it, then a layer of get coat on top. If the structural wood is rotten is can also be cutout and replacements glassed back in. It would also be (all important) cheaper than a new steel roof, which maybe almost half the price of a new bare hull.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

I think we are going to change the superstructure but keep the same profile as it is now... The fibreglass is daunting and I don't want to end up with a badly repaired roof that I will be forever worrying about and repairing in future.

[@GeorgeStephen1959]

ahh now the bottom at least looks more shipshape than the top of the Narrowboat, and a job well done, 😎👌👍😏

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Ship shape and ready to be rebuilt!

[@4aneme8R]

I have done a number of UT hull inspections and the wind and water area will always be getting more rust...

[@NarrowboatWill]

What difference and very satisfying doing it yourselves. I wonder what the boat was designed for? Possible river cruiser. Great vlog.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

It does seem the hull is designed more for rivers than canals with the style of it. But in the relatively small amount of cruising we have done she goes along great on the canal and rivers. cheers

[@captain.eddy333]

Were was your PPE? It's no use fixing up the boat, if you're not going to be here to enjoy it

[@pammipayne3334]

You both deserve that cuppa, what a horrible job to do.. least it's done now. You both looked done in. Really enjoyed watching the vlog, very interesting. A coat of paint does wonders to make a person feel they are getting progress.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We had several cuppas! It's not a fun job, but at least we got it done.

[@pammipayne3334]

@@WingingItBoatingonaBudget Yes you did, and what a great job it is. Such nice people, wishing you both all the happiness in your boat.

[@williamreimund9001]

Do you have to raise the boat a bit, and move it a bit, because of its sitting on the blocks? Or do you just not worry about the area where the blocks were at?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

in an ideal world it would be moved then painted where missed. But this never happens, you just have to trust to luck on those areas!

[@user-xw6wj2qh5n]

Just curious to know the draft of this boat with it being a V hull. I note a number of vlogs by people with flat bottom boats where even with flat bottoms (the boats) they are running aground or at least scraping the bottom at times. The flat bottom boats should in theory displace more on the first foot or so of emersion than a V hull, so have a shallower draft but since the flat bottom design was intended for cargo use this doesn't seem so necessary. I expect a V hull will handle better on rivers, in cross winds, open water such as crossing The Wash and so forth, but is it less stable in terms of it rocking when people move around in the boat?

[@matthew8771]

How do you paint the bottom bit where it sits on the stands?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Ah, you don't! Is the short answer... You have to trust in the god of rust that he gives those little areas a miss until it's next out the water and then trust even more to god's of rust that the stands end up in a different place next time!

[@matthew8771]

@@WingingItBoatingonaBudget haha brilliant reply. I have my fingers crossed for you for the next time the boat is out if water then! Loving the channel too :)

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

@@matthew8771 cheers... glad your enjoying it! 😁😁😁

[@sigmabushcraft2637]

Good Hull? Bad Hull? I don't know, I haven't been to Hull yet 😂

[@letsbefrank6269]

Have you ever been in the wizard of oz?

[@paulwalsham1300]

How do you get the paint on where it rests on the wedges?

[@WHELDON74]

How do you clean and paint the bits that you can't get to where the supports are ?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

In essence, You don't... trust to look(!) that you get them next time!

[@JohnSmith-fw5mk]

Hi guys love your blog. Did you have the Hull inspected

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We didn't get it professionally surveyed, but I did measure the thickness of the steel, which confirmed the hull is sound... Glad your enjoying the vlogs... There's been a few more since this one, are you upto date on them...?

[@JohnSmith-fw5mk]

@@WingingItBoatingonaBudget yes im up to date , You and your wife are brilliant just love the enthusiasm I would just love to do what you are doing not sure if my Misses would

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

@@JohnSmith-fw5mk I've grown up around boats - although not boats to live on - more small craft, canoes, sailing dinghys, speed boats etc and love the water... When I first suggested to Dawn that we get a narrowboat she was a bit like 'oh really'...

[@charlietaylor6389]

I’m in the USA so stupid question has anyone ever tried the spray in bed lineing like used in truck beds like rino lining

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

I'm not sure what the product your talking about is... Most people use bitumen (like we have) or a modern day equivelent. some also 'two pack' the hull first for added protection.

[@gareysherrod3886]

Greetings, the pair of you, You made that "dry dock/blacking" vlog different from the every other one I've seen , Thnx. .... Having that type of hull, v-shaped, looking more like a river cruiser wouldn't it allow you to moor up on those heavily silted canal banks? First Blacking vlog I saw was The Liveaboard Family they did a large portion themselves also.... What is the next project for "the Tight Yorkshireman"? Cheers TTFN

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

V bottom has advantages that can sometimes make its way in places the flat bottom ones struggle. Glad you liked the vlog. Next job is strip it out (after we get it home).

[@robertbaxter4021]

Is your boat a springer then with having a v bottomed hull?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

No this one isn't a Springer. The Springer boats don't have the central keel, and the bow is a unique style on a Springer, they also didn't make any with fibreglass tops. There is also a plaque on our boat stating where it was made, and who for.

[@pauljamesarmitage5237]

My boat is in the dry dock now and I’ve put one thick coat of bitumen paint on, would the thickness tester work now or does it have to be done before the paint ? I wish I’d seen this video last week!

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Really needs to be bare metal… it’s whether you have time to scrape odd bits off and measure then re black.

[@pauljamesarmitage5237]

@@WingingItBoatingonaBudget thanks for the reply, I didn’t think it would work after putting a coat of bitumen on but I just wanted to be sure.

[@josecorreia8280]

hi so Narrowboat can have V hull had grit blasted and two pack paint happening why did you used rust converter ?? went replate boat metal get hot and have fire

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Most narrowboats are flat bottomed but some have the v bottom. We have just done 3 coats of bitumen paint... Should keep us protected from rust for at least a couple of years...

[@msquinlan66]

I'm blacking my boat this weekend for the first time and am obsessively watching videos! It seems some people might have put fertan on that rust, what are your thoughts? ( I can't decide at what point I would use fertan if at all ... my hull was in good condition when last blacked nearly 4 years ago)

[@briandufty5081]

A bit later. W. Do she still have black spots..

[@NarrowboatChangingPace]

For the age of the boat the hull looks good, did you test the thickness around the pitted areas ? It's amazing how a coat of blacking transforms the appearance, just another 2 coats and you will deserve a beer or 3. Cheers Dave 😁😁🤣🤣

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

It is probably where that 'amazon' tester shows it's cheapness in that it struggled to get a proper reading on the pits. It seemed to show only 0.2mm of a pit but it looked like they were bigger than that... And don't worry the beers are already flowing! 😁😁😁

[@wsgrover8646]

Looks in decent condition underneath, considering they say it should be reblacked evey 2-3 years, makes you wonder if you could easily get away with 5 years between reblacking?

[@wsgrover8646]

Seeing you said it was 7 years since its last reblacking.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Yes it's been 7 years and the anodes are still serviceable (although we have had new ones fitted as a precaution). Some people do leave it 5 years. I suppose there is no fixed rule, it's largely down to personal preference as to how often to do it.

[@richcolgate8929]

Is it better to paint the blacking on ? Or Spraying it ? With a power spray machine ?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

generally brush / roller is the accepted way to do it....

[@thomaspridmore106]

Spay is thin brush and roller thick (painter)

[@patrickmoran7680]

Why didn't you have it grit blasted

[@stephenpegum9776]

As he's a self-confessed tight Yorkshireman, I'm guessing he thought it would be too expensive ! Personally I'd have stumped up the cost & paid for someone to do the dirty work for me !! 😎😱😱

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We decided to 'diy' partly on cost and partly so we could literally do it ourselves!

[@NarrowboatPreciousJet]

Grit blasting would of cost close to £2k so I know why he didn’t the tight git 😂😂😂👍🏼👍🏼 great job mate 😉

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

@@NarrowboatPreciousJet so that's £2k in my pocket and not in the marinas account! 🤔🤔🤔💷💷💷

[@NarrowboatPreciousJet]

I must confess I did have mine grit blasted but only because I knew I would need welding done! Then I also went and had 2 pack epoxy resin too!! So £6k later 😮😮😮😮😮

[@stephenhughes2775]

Looks good guys. Plus us Lancs are better at cricket.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Crickets not really my thing... More of an Ice Hockey fan myself!

[@Reverend-Rodger]

I haven't got a boat but if I did I think I'd wanna use a needle scaler on the suspect areas just to be on the safe side.

[@briandufty5081]

If I had a scaler. Just on the. O Shit. I don't have both., blimmn c. Pillar.. Xxoo.

[@denistiplady829]

Hi. I have yet to purchase a narrowboat and retire, so I am spending a lot of time researching. In regard to blacking of a boat, what exactly is an ANODE?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

In essence the anode is a small piece of metal (zinc i think it is). Thats the water and Electric eat away at rather than rotting the Hull itself... Its all a bit 'science' for me to understand hw it works!

[@dandelyon7114]

The easy way to remove bitumun is use diesel, apply with brush wait untill it soffens, scrape off,wipe over with white spirit NOTE will only work on bitumun not two pack

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

cheers, will remember for next time....

[@tjj300]

That hull should work better on tidal rivers, and that keel should give good protection from obstructions and grounding. And I second staying with the fiberglass upper, I would think it would be easier to repair than steel, probably warmer in the winter, and I like the look.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We were told by the previous owners it 'goes well' so guessing this may be part of the reason...

[@grantjohnston5817]

The long keel fin is to keep the boat tracking straight.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Yes it seems it was probably built for river use rather than canals.

[@richardingram2374]

Good stuff, yes its the boring dirty work but still interesting to watch nonetheless. How much do you save by doing it yourself? Roughly, as I guess the size of your boat affects the price?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

To be honest I'm not sure on the exact saving, I think it would have been a couple of hundred pounds extra had they done it. But apart from being the tight yorkshireman and not wanting to spend money, I also wanted to do it myself so I could have a good look at the hull myself...

[@russellkerfoot5423]

Each Boat yard charges different prices One that`s near me. On average a 60ft Boat. Dry dock for a week £400. Paint and Blacking £200. DIY. ==app £600. If the Boat Yard do it all Dry Dock Power wash and Grit or sand Blast if needed. One coat Red Lead then two coats of hull Black. App £1000. Good for 3 to 5 Years. Dependent on usage.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

@@russellkerfoot5423 yeah varies from boat yard to boat yard and also depends where in the country aswell...

[@expatliferealspain1175]

Looks like a springer hull

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

It's a similar v bottom but the springers dont have the fixed 'keel' that runs under them.

[@mattsandilands6380]

That’s what I was thinking, the fact that she’s the same thickness all over supports this but the fixed keel doesn’t. I noticed a “vent” like cut out on the stern side. I passed a boat this morning that looked like a springer (rolled not welded at the side/roof line but also had the vent which threw me. If she’s still there tomorrow I ask the owner if they’re about.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

@@mattsandilands6380 my other boat is a Springer and the bow of this one is very different - plus it's a fibreglass superstructure, which I don't think Springer ever did. I am really curious to find out more about its origins though. 🤔

[@stephengurd5272]

Hull plate should be ground to bare metal to get an accurate depth of metal. Good for a guide though. Our boat has variouse thicknesses of metal from 11mm to 5mm on the structure. Anyway, welcome to the world's of money pits..... that's narrowboating.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Yeah, I only thought of these depths a guide... At least it seemed to show the hull wasn't like a tea bag!

[@stalbanstech7396]

Never seen a dry dock so large as this, are you concerned that you were unable to get to the parts of the hull sitting on the wooden supports

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Unfortunately its just one of those things that you have to miss bits, regular blacking will mean we get them next time...

[@TheByard]

@@WingingItBoatingonaBudget You could move the shaped timbers but the ones under the keel can't be moved. Is there much difference in price dry dock or crane lift out, with the latter you can touch in last missed spots.

[@alexlongoria3893]

Consider wearing a mask, Both of you.

[@stokecarpanglers]

Would you recommend the little tool you used to check the hull thickness?

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

Yes definitely- it did a good job. A friend has used it since when his boat was out the water - he used it to do his own ‘pre survey’ a day or two before it was professionally surveyed and the readings he took with this were pretty much the same as what the surveyed got.

[@stokecarpanglers]

@@WingingItBoatingonaBudget cheers fella

[@solstar4778]

Requires more Anoids not enough 🤔✔️

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

The four already on were serviceable. But we had four more fitted aswell.

[@t.vanoosterhout233]

Maybe a stupid question: what do you do if you find that parts of the hull are too thin for your taste? That aside, I like your down-to-earth attitude to graft, if it needs to be done better have a (grimy) grin on your face!

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

If areas of the hull are too thin the two options are either get areas filled with weld (usual if it's 'pits' - small sections), or overplated if larger areas are thin and week. We don't mind a bit of graft... get stuck in and get the job done!

[@simoncooper8272]

Why didn't you hit it with a hammer? Lol. I would want to do the work needed while I had it out. At least you know the part of the hull you hit is good! Is the super structure coming off completely or just a new roof? Good luck and happy sailing😊

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

If it had shown up that it needed work we would have had it done. In its current state it's more just a 'warning'. And yes the whole superstructure is going to be replaced, along with the entire insides!

[@spiritofsalt6780]

Fascinating as always. I think I would have paid for a survey rather than rely on the Amazon gizmo for measuring the thickness of the metal. But there again I have non of the skills or knowledge that you have.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

to be fair the machine does seem quite accurate. it comes with 'test piece' of metal that calibrates the machine. and the readings were pretty consistant so im happy they are pretty accurate. I just bluff my 'skills' that what google is for!

[@Jax240jk]

My boat is a year older then yours. I had a survey done and it had to be over plated. Get saving your pennies guys.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We used a metal thickness tester and checked the hull over - some small areas of pits near the stern (not bad enough to have needed immediate attention). Hull is all good - lowest readings were well within the tolerances required and would comfortably pass a survey for insurance. No areas need over plating… 👌

[@michaelhickman3790]

You really should be wearing a mask for your own protection when sanding. You don't know what is on that hull.

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

We did other than whilst filming. Or you wouldn't hear us speaking. 😁

[@andrewquigley3535]

Springer

[@WingingItBoatingonaBudget]

She isn't a Springer... (Our other boat is a Springer though!) She was built in Kippax, Leeds in 1977. Springers don't have the central 'fin' type keel. They have a unique 'moustache' front and as far as I'm aware no springers were built with steel hull and fibreglass top.

[@briandufty5081]

I really miss England. The grass is not. Green. Down here.. Gangs. Government.. Xxoo.

[@MELODYMUNRO]

Where is your masks? you are breathing all that crap in.