Enter the Dry Dock, part 2 - Watching Paint Dry
Вставка
- Опубліковано 30 січ 2024
- Confession time- there are no spills, and very few thrills, but....
In this episode we rejoin the action just after the dry dock has become dry, and the boat washing is about to start.
If you are considering subscribing based on watching these blacking videos, I would advise caution.
My normal videos are not nearly as informative or useful as this one.
In fact the general standard is frankly appalling, and I should probably be reported to somebody for excessive nonsense.
I work in a boat yard and have to say, them guys did a superb job! Very professional indeed 😎😎
Aha- a nautical cove, Mr Z? I might have known.
But yes, they are great people to deal with, and as far as I could see, they did a top job. And especially when I think about the horror stories I've heard about slapdash blacking treatments.
Cracking Job 👍🏼
Yes, they are excellent- and after about a dozen horror stories I've heard about awful blacking treatments by cowboy companies, it was a great relief to find a first-rate company to do the job.
From the video you can tell that you went to people that take pride in their work and I bet it took a while to book. Word always gets out about true professionals, and they stay booked. Your video probably made it just that much longer a wait for the next time you book them.
I'd like to to think that I could help them in some way, because there aren't many companies who take that kind of care in their work- and we all want the good guys to thrive.
But I reckon my channel is so small that I doubt this video will be any real help to them.
What some youtubers dont mention is that the world of narrowboat services (from engine repair to blacking, electrics, and everything in between)- is just as full of incompetent, slapdash or plain dishonest people as you see in civilian trades.
Nowadays (where possible) I only use professionals if I have a few good recommendations from people I trust.
You wouldn't believe the horror stories I've heard - not just about blacking, but all sorts of terrible workmanship and failures in jobs done by so-called professional companies.
It's an absolute minefield.
What a cracking place to have your blacking done! Saw Heidi get hers done there. Are you going to do a costing?
Thanks for your comment Steve- I wasn't going to mention the cost because they do change over time, but I can say that in July last year it cost me about £1500 for them doing the full job- which I think is very good considering it includes the base plate (many don't do that), and their pressure washer does a great job of preparing the surface for the primer, so I have confidence it'll last a few years.
I just looked at their website and its down at the moment, so I don't know the current prices.
hull looks fine, they did a great job! you can add more slimline anodes on the side next time, you can see the area an anode protects from the damage. have fun bud and dont leave it long next time! how much did they sting you?
Thanks Sean, I'll remember to ask for some slimline anodes along the sides next time I go in there. And yes, now that I've seen close up how it can affect the hull, I'll never delay a blacking or 2 pack again.
This is fascinating stuff. Looks like new! Matt & Rebekah did a great job there! I have questions ... none of which you need to answer of course! Q1: You mention you did it 3yrs ago, I thought 2 pac could wait longer than that? I might be getting muddled with different terminology though! another random Qb: what happens if you take it in & it rains for the week, can it still be done?!?! Thank you for recording it. x
No problem at all Claire- as a master narrowboater I am more than happy to answer questions:
1. The previous treatment was blacking, it wasnt 2 pack epoxy. And blacking, as we all should know, only lasts 2 years. So it was overdue.
I've heard of lots of people blacking every 3 years, but after what I saw, I would never do that again.
The thing is that Tupac (as I prefer to call it) should last more than 2 years, but a lot depends on the preparation. So if you have the hull grit blasted back to bare steel and then you treat it with primer and epoxy by a good company, that could last for 6 to 8 years- some say even more.
My treatment should last for 5 years, but my worry is the unpainted strips where the base plate rested on the beams- so I'll be back there in 3 or 4 years at most, for that reason. After that it'll be every 5 years for me.
2. Re the wet weather, Matt said that he'd never yet had a case where they couldn't find a dry period of a few hours, and get the primer and epoxy coats applied to the boat and have it fully dried off and ready within a week. They always manage to do it.
And I can imagine that for a lot of the year, it's warm enough that the coats dry pretty quickly.
I didnt ask specifically about winter treatments so I'm not going to make any comment on that.
But my own personal view is that I would never get a boat blacked in winter, unless it is done under a shelter. For me, the air is just too cold and too damp for proper drying to take place within the limited time you have.
@@theamateurboater5892 excellent, thank you! I have more questions! Sorry! 😂 I like the sound of not having to bring the boat out of the water every 2yrs! 5yrs is much more acceptable. Does the cost of Tupac 😂 reflect this? So, the question really is, is it x2.5 the price of blacking with the other stuff?
Matt is a marvel! That’s reflected by the names on the wall! 👍🏼
Have a lovely day! x
Hi Claire - the cost thing is quite difficult to give a clear answer on. I would say in general terms, 2-pack is a good option, as long as it gives you 4 years of protection (compared to 2 years for blacking).
The costs vary wildly depending on the yard etc, but I would say you can get your boat blacked for about £900-1000, whereas 2 pack will be at least £1300 and usually more. But of course, taken over 4 years the 2 pack is still cheaper than blacking.
I dont know if it does protect better than blacking, the jury seems to be out.
What I think gives me confidence in having 4 years of protection is the specific place that did mine.
Knowing most of the rust was removed from the hull before painting gives me confidence it will last longer, although I've heard that 2 pack can crack and flake off if the boat is bumped/scraped, whereas bitumen blacking sort of smears around.
A lot of yards use a normal pressure washer, which wont much shift much rust or old blacking, so its not 100% certain what is the state of the metal underneath, which is a concern. At Northwich you can see they got it down almost to bare metal.
And most yards dont have your boat up on beams, so they cant do the base plate, which I personally think is really important.
I think getting the base plate done and that excellent wash process all for around £1500 makes it a great service and a great deal, although I dont know what they charge now.
A lot of people will tell you there's no point doing the base plate, but Matt told me a few stories about boats he'd seen that weren't very old and yet had badly corroded base plates- so I'm convinced!
@@theamateurboater5892 i completely agree with you about the base plate! I’d feel a lot happier with that done too! The price difference really isn’t so great, I think Tupac sounds like the best choice! A few pounds more saves you a couple of years! 👍🏼
I hope life is treating you well! X
Cheers Claire- and may I ask- how long is it likely to be before you get your boat?
As an aside, there seem to a lot of people inspired by youtube and ready to move onto the waterways soon, but I fear that some of them may have focused too much on the lovely 'meadows and rainbows' videos that one occasionally sees.
I do fear the gritty reality of boat life will not be as lovely as some folks might have hoped.