Extending a steel narrow boat? work offer maybe

[W.olly]

Only just seen the notification.

First thing I would recommend is getting a hull survey done. In recent years the boat safety scheme has been made a lot tighter.
It will be beneficial to find any potential issues while its out the water and before you go to far.
There are Hazards to be considered with boats that have been overplated and what lays beneath.

Regarding stretching prices vary alot from £400 to £1000 per foot depending on if it's hull , hull and cabin, fitted or unfitted.

We don't do boat stretching as not set up for it but there is a guy I know that does alot of big site work and may be worth contacting him. If you have any questions about narrowboats I'm happy to help the best I can.

Thanks kida, ill give Kev a call and see what he thinks, most say its not worth it due to the work needed as its over plated etc. The chap that did the over plate ( Keir Baxter ) about 6 years ago passed away last week, one of the best i have been told in his work.

I am willing to do all the prep etc ready to be welded up. I just want a coded or near as dam to do it.

Thanks for the help kida

 

[spaffmonkey]

No worries.
A lot of yards don't like overplated boats as they don't no what is going on between the plates. I've seen one yard end up cutting the hole boat length of overplated off shot blast the hull treat it and zink paint it then weld new overplating.
Personally I prefer cutting out the bad a laying in fresh metal.

 

[brightspark]

suppose its the done thing but wouldn't fancy over plating on rotten steel

 

[spaffmonkey]

suppose its the done thing but wouldn't fancy over plating on rotten steel

Unfortunately overplating gets done so much on narrowboats. I do alot of gas locker repairs on boats and I had one that had been overplated twice both times leaving the rotten wet steel underneath. I cut the lot out , needle gunned it clean and welded in a new one.

 

[Brad93]

The problem is a lot of narrow boat owners are not wealthy people. Cutting out old, sandblasting, grinding etc is labour intensive and they simply don’t want to pay.

 

[spaffmonkey]

The problem is a lot of narrow boat owners are not wealthy people. Cutting out old, sandblasting, grinding etc is labour intensive and they simply don’t want to pay.

The other issue is people don't want to remove the interior of there boats and all the insulation which varies from polystyrene , Rockwall, spray foam.

 

[Brad93]

The other issue is people don't want to remove the interior of there boats and all the insulation which varies from polystyrene , Rockwall, spray foam.

Yep. Nightmare.

 

[julianf]

Just a quick question, as I don't want to interfere with the thread -

Is overplaying basically sticking a other structual hull over the old rotting one?

It sounds like it, but we all know what happens to car chassis when you do that, so I'm wondering? I understand boats are not wet inside though, like a chassis is (I mean when they're still floating!) so I guess that is how it is a passable repair?

 

[Brad93]

Just a quick question, as I don't want to interfere with the thread -

Is overplaying basically sticking a other structual hull over the old rotting one?

It sounds like it, but we all know what happens to car chassis when you do that, so I'm wondering? I understand boats are not wet inside though, like a chassis is (I mean when they're still floating!) so I guess that is how it is a passable repair?

Yes over-plating is literally putting another ¼” skin over the damaged or rusted areas.

You can end up with water getting between the two plates or condensation forming in between.

The cost and skill required for over-plating is a lot lower than cutting out and performing sound butt welds in all positions.

 

[sardine]

There was a brand new fully fitted out full length narrow boat that was condemned a couple of years back because of the awful welding, I saw it myself, the 10 mm bottom plate was a closed butt joint with just a weld over the top inside, there were welds that had blow holes in them, plates that had distorted and the weld joins opened up or closed up, every mistake you could imagine and a lot of filler hiding things.

 

[Brad93]

There was a brand new fully fitted out full length narrow boat that was condemned a couple of years back because of the awful welding, I saw it myself, the 10 mm bottom plate was a closed butt joint with just a weld over the top inside, there were welds that had blow holes in them, plates that had distorted and the weld joins opened up or closed up, every mistake you could imagine and a lot of filler hiding things.

Some of the welding on narrowboats I’ve seen online by “professionals” isn’t too hot.

Personally I’d rather run gas shielded flux cored wire with a Habitat up and save many hours over stick.

Backing tiles and the right prep you could do it in two passes with flux cored wire, maybe even one pass but you’d have to do some testing.

something that they used in the shipyards over in the Netherlands was a metal cored wire suitable for vertical down. ESAB 14.13 I think it was.

edit: 14.12
https://assets.lasaulec.be/product_info_files/A502648.pdf

 

[jerrytug]

The other issue is people don't want to remove the interior of there boats and all the insulation which varies from polystyrene , Rockwall, spray foam.

Exactly, minging.

 

[jerrytug]

My 1895 tjalk has been overplated on the turn of the bilge, it was done in 1972 and there is no rust or leaks.
More to prevent the rivet heads getting worn away any further.
I had a long hard think, a hammer test and a detailed ultrasonic test in the areas of concern.
It is definitely possible to overplate without it being a cheap bodge, but the N/B world is big business, and the reality is that most private owners are not going to study the technicalities, they just want to stay afloat. And hire fleets just want to present a fleet to the market without eating into narrow profit margins.

 

[jerrytug]

A slight digression..
'Perseus' is an old rivetted iron cargo vessel about 100 yrs old, I think old-school iron lasts much longer than steel.
She has been with London Waterbus for about 50 yrs, 2 crew 68 pax.
I spent a year as her skipper in the early 80's, what a fantastic job !
Little Venice is a one-way system, you leave the willow tree to starboard or else!
She has a Russel Newbery now, but I had to stand above a screaming BMC 1.5 out of a J4 van, back in the daze..

Also pulled 2 out of 3 of my stewardesses

 

[Seadog]

Also pulled 2 out of 3 of my stewardesses

Photos or it didn't happen

 

[jerrytug]

Photos or it didn't happen

None from back then, but if you like plump and jolly middle-aged ladies, as they both are now, I might be able to organise that, for a moderate commision..

 

[James1979]

Some of the welding on narrowboats I’ve seen online by “professionals” isn’t too hot.

Personally I’d rather run gas shielded flux cored wire with a Habitat up and save many hours over stick.

Backing tiles and the right prep you could do it in two passes with flux cored wire, maybe even one pass but you’d have to do some testing.

something that they used in the shipyards over in the Netherlands was a metal cored wire suitable for vertical down. ESAB 14.13 I think it was.

edit: 14.12
https://assets.lasaulec.be/product_info_files/A502648.pdf

Exactly how they did it in Damen when I was in their yard last year

 

[Keith 66]

I always wondered about the trend towards spray foaming narrowboats, Im sure its great when they are new but surely that foam will soak up the bilge water or condensation? Then you will have a rust fest.
Working on many grp boats over the years i have never seen any foam that didnt soak up water eventually despite the manufacturers claims!

 

[jimbo84]

I always wondered about the trend towards spray foaming narrowboats, Im sure its great when they are new but surely that foam will soak up the bilge water or condensation? Then you will have a rust fest.
Working on many grp boats over the years i have never seen any foam that didnt soak up water eventually despite the manufacturers claims!

I'd imaging it's a nightmare if you need to weld it at a later date.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

None from back then, but if you like plump and jolly middle-aged ladies, as they both are now, I might be able to organise that, for a moderate commision..

Along with sworn affidavits?