Applying the blacking

There was one other pressure washing photo which should have gone on the last post: the weed hatch plate was given the same treatment as the rest of the hull.

After a bit of pressure washing the concrete that was it for the day, and the boat dried overnight.

At 9 o'clock the next morning Dean got to work with the Rytex bitumastic blacking, using a long-handled paint roller and tray.

It's easy to see what's been done. I had not realised before that the baseplate bends upwards at the bow. Is this a common feature on narrowboats?

When we bought the boat new anodes had been fitted, but the old ones, with a bit of life left in them, were left in situ. Now there wasn't much left, so Dean cut two of them off with an angle grinder.

Baseplate before blacking ...

... and during blacking. It's a lot easier with the boat on its high supports. About 30 years ago I was lumbered with blacking the bottom of Savoy Hill, the BBC Club's narrowboat at the time. It was in Bulbourne Dry Dock, and I had only just enough space to squeeze underneath. I think it was the filthiest I have ever been. (The word "dry" is rather optimistic, and the bitumen was more interested in gravity than sticking to the baseplate.)

No such problems for Dean here, though.

The hull sides were given two coats and the bottom one thick coat.

Next post: going back into the water.