Nothing lasts for ever especially paint. Exposed to the elements for a few years it begins to show signs of wear and tear, especially on a narrowboat.
We had bought 'San Serriffe' in 2008 with the paint showing signs of fading after being moored the same way around for some time. Direct sunlight from morning to dusk had started to fade the paint on one side especially the red name panel. Red seems to be the first colour to be effected by U.V exposure and 'San Serriffe' was certainly no exception.
Professional boat-painting is an expensive business and the very best finish on a narrowboat is by hand-painting. Owning a boat on a tight budget after retirement fostered an initial 'make-do and mend' approach to things and the paint was refreshed with plenty of elbow grease, 'T-cut' and polish. Hard work but it kept the faded paint looking reasonable - for a short period of time.
I have some experience of painting a previous boat called 'Dipper' an ex-Alvechurch hire boat and if I learned anything during the twelve months that elapsed whilst I completed the task was how difficult it was to do the job anywhere near the level achieved by a professional boat painter.
First consideration for painting a boat without a dry-dock is waiting for rain-free days when you can prepare and apply paint. If you are lucky enough to have sunny days you quickly learn that narrowboat steel becomes very hot and makes applying the paint problematic to say the least. Added to this is the movement as boats pass your mooring, dust and flies on to the new paint,etc, all make the job a real challenge.
It CAN be done........I have done it. But preparing and flatting the surface of all four cabin sides including the roof is a very large surface area and a task not to taken on lightly. I applied three coats of 'International' paint using an orbital sander to 'flat' between coats experimenting with thinning finishing coats and adding 'Owatrol' paint conditioner and rust inhibitor. This helps paint flow from your brush, the 'Owatrol' instructions recommend that it is added in a ration of 1:3 with the undercoats and 1:4 with top gloss. I achieved a good brush finish, but nothing like the hand applied 'gloss' achieved by the very best professional boat painters which is often better than most sprayed lacquer finishes on cars. This took a couple of months during the summer learning how to mask and 'sand' the roof using fine kiln-dried block sand. This is not as easy as it sounds and ensuring an even 'spread' of the sand on the roller-applied wet paint surface of the roof is difficult for an amateur like me.
Excess sand is brushed off when paint is dry and subsequent top coats are then applied on the sand.........at least that is how I did it!
Masking for 'coach-lines' can be a nightmare for beginners. I started to measure the distance from the roof to the coach-line for example every few feet and marking with a pencil - THIS DID NOT WORK !! Slightest error (and I mean slight) produces a 'dog-leg' as you look down the length of the boat. I learned how to measure just at the start and finish of the 'line' securing the start of the masking tape to the boat ( secure with another piece of tape at 90 degree) pull taught and 'snap' the tape on from the end using the roof or gunwale line as a sighting line - a technique that needs to be 'learned' with a few trial runs until you can use it with the confidence of experience. If I learned anything that is worthwhile to pass on from my 'masking' learning curve ................it is this : USE THE VERY BEST TAPE AVAILABLE AND REMOVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE IF YOU LEAVE UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AND WILL RUIN THE NEW PAINT SURFACE IF YOU TRY !!
On completion of the paint work on my previous boat 'Dipper' standing back to admire my work, I realised I had still one major hurdle to overcome - sign-writing for the name, etc.
Hand painted sign-writing it certainly not for the amateur even if you have an artistic flare, It takes many years of practice, creative talent and technique to reach anything like perfection. I got lucky and realised that an all-time master of the art Andy Russell was by chance working in a dry-dock near my moored boat. Despite my cheek Andy agreed to paint the name 'Dipper' on my finished paintwork over one of his 'trademark' scrolls - I was delighted at this professional touch to the finished new paint. I would have resorted to cut Vinyl letters if Andrew had told me to tickle spiders, but as good as some of them are - they are nothing like the real thing.
Despite my attempts to halt the worst effects of wear, tear and weather on the tired paint of 'San Serriffe' including repainting the roof and rear deck with 'sanded' panels, it was obvious that something radical had to be done. I was very reluctant to take on the job myself after my previous experience - it really is hard work to achieve even half reasonable results. I decided to go for a professional re-paint and rang Andy Russell who is so much in demand that I had to wait some 15 months for a 'slot' leaving me at least a period of time to put some money in the piggy-bank.
Furness Vale dry-dock ( Upper Peak Forest canal) was booked for a period of twelve days at the end of September 2014 and I took the opportunity to make everything as cost effective as possible by blacking the hull at the same time. I took on this job myself as Andy started the early paint stripping and preparation stage. Steam cleaning a hull and splashing coal tar Bitumastic around with a paint roller is not a good idea when somebody else is putting on finishing gloss coats !!!
I had moored 'San Serriffe' overnight near the dry-dock ready for a 8.30am start as directed. At 8am I realised Andy was preparing the dock appearing a few minutes later next to the boat and we pulled the boat into the dock on the ropes. Before 9am I was steam-cleaning the hull as Andy removed the brass port-holes in readiness to strip the name panels.......Andy certainly hits the deck running and has things done before most people just think about it.
As I steam-cleaned the hull Andy was preparing one of the name panels where he had found a small area of surface rust on the boat side underneath the brass port-hole. Removing the rust scale he applied 'Jenolite' which chemically converts it to a hydrophobic layer effectively reducing the chance of the rust re-appearing especially when protected by further primer and top-coats.
Returning the next day to ensure the hull was dry after steam-cleaning and ready for the first coat of 'Bitumastic' blacking, I noticed Andrew had prepared the cabin side and applied grey primer. Returning on a further two days to apply more coats of blacking I noticed the first colour coats had been applied (midnight blue with cream outer borders)
rear and front decks were stripped and progress was looking good.
I re-polished the brass-port holes with a buffing-wheel at home and re-lacquered the finished surface with Rylard's 'Incralac' which stops the brass tarnishing. I find life is far to short to polish brasses every few days especially in the winter and although the finish is slightly 'duller' than a newly polished 'Brasso' surface it still looks good. I find this lacquer lasts at least four or five years especially with two or three coats. Old lacquer can be removed with Cellulose thinners and a buffing wheel on an electric drill. Polish the brass again, re-lacquer and you are good for another few years of work-free boat brassware. I find it much easier to take most of the brassware especially the roof 'mushrooms' to my home garage workbench where they can be securely held in a vice whilst I use the polishing wheel.
Returning with the cleaned brass portholes gave me an excuse to have another peek at paint progress. Further finishing top coats had been applied and the effect was literally breath-taking with a glass-like finish. Andy Russell certainly knows how to achieve a perfect gloss - light years away from my amateur efforts with 'Dipper'
Andy Russell's sign-writing in certainly some of the very best possible. Watching him work with the speed and confidence of years of self-taught experience is a visual master-class. He suggested an electric-blue dropped shadow and the whole effect, in my humble opinion, is just superb...........
So if you want to make narrowboat painting easy, hire a dry dock. I used Swanley Marina DIY sheds for San Serriffe a couple of years ago when I painted the roof - not forgetting to bring something to stand on that will bring you to cabin level (most dry dock sides are too far from the boat).......or give the job to Andy Russell.
We had bought 'San Serriffe' in 2008 with the paint showing signs of fading after being moored the same way around for some time. Direct sunlight from morning to dusk had started to fade the paint on one side especially the red name panel. Red seems to be the first colour to be effected by U.V exposure and 'San Serriffe' was certainly no exception.
Professional boat-painting is an expensive business and the very best finish on a narrowboat is by hand-painting. Owning a boat on a tight budget after retirement fostered an initial 'make-do and mend' approach to things and the paint was refreshed with plenty of elbow grease, 'T-cut' and polish. Hard work but it kept the faded paint looking reasonable - for a short period of time.
I have some experience of painting a previous boat called 'Dipper' an ex-Alvechurch hire boat and if I learned anything during the twelve months that elapsed whilst I completed the task was how difficult it was to do the job anywhere near the level achieved by a professional boat painter.
 |
| 'Dipper' in her original hire-boat colours. |
First consideration for painting a boat without a dry-dock is waiting for rain-free days when you can prepare and apply paint. If you are lucky enough to have sunny days you quickly learn that narrowboat steel becomes very hot and makes applying the paint problematic to say the least. Added to this is the movement as boats pass your mooring, dust and flies on to the new paint,etc, all make the job a real challenge.
It CAN be done........I have done it. But preparing and flatting the surface of all four cabin sides including the roof is a very large surface area and a task not to taken on lightly. I applied three coats of 'International' paint using an orbital sander to 'flat' between coats experimenting with thinning finishing coats and adding 'Owatrol' paint conditioner and rust inhibitor. This helps paint flow from your brush, the 'Owatrol' instructions recommend that it is added in a ration of 1:3 with the undercoats and 1:4 with top gloss. I achieved a good brush finish, but nothing like the hand applied 'gloss' achieved by the very best professional boat painters which is often better than most sprayed lacquer finishes on cars. This took a couple of months during the summer learning how to mask and 'sand' the roof using fine kiln-dried block sand. This is not as easy as it sounds and ensuring an even 'spread' of the sand on the roller-applied wet paint surface of the roof is difficult for an amateur like me.
Excess sand is brushed off when paint is dry and subsequent top coats are then applied on the sand.........at least that is how I did it!
 |
| 'Dipper' paint preparation before applying top coats |
Masking for 'coach-lines' can be a nightmare for beginners. I started to measure the distance from the roof to the coach-line for example every few feet and marking with a pencil - THIS DID NOT WORK !! Slightest error (and I mean slight) produces a 'dog-leg' as you look down the length of the boat. I learned how to measure just at the start and finish of the 'line' securing the start of the masking tape to the boat ( secure with another piece of tape at 90 degree) pull taught and 'snap' the tape on from the end using the roof or gunwale line as a sighting line - a technique that needs to be 'learned' with a few trial runs until you can use it with the confidence of experience. If I learned anything that is worthwhile to pass on from my 'masking' learning curve ................it is this : USE THE VERY BEST TAPE AVAILABLE AND REMOVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE IF YOU LEAVE UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AND WILL RUIN THE NEW PAINT SURFACE IF YOU TRY !!
 |
| Sign-writing by Andy Russell |
On completion of the paint work on my previous boat 'Dipper' standing back to admire my work, I realised I had still one major hurdle to overcome - sign-writing for the name, etc.
Hand painted sign-writing it certainly not for the amateur even if you have an artistic flare, It takes many years of practice, creative talent and technique to reach anything like perfection. I got lucky and realised that an all-time master of the art Andy Russell was by chance working in a dry-dock near my moored boat. Despite my cheek Andy agreed to paint the name 'Dipper' on my finished paintwork over one of his 'trademark' scrolls - I was delighted at this professional touch to the finished new paint. I would have resorted to cut Vinyl letters if Andrew had told me to tickle spiders, but as good as some of them are - they are nothing like the real thing.
 |
| 'Dipper' on completion of my D.I.Y paint job |
Despite my attempts to halt the worst effects of wear, tear and weather on the tired paint of 'San Serriffe' including repainting the roof and rear deck with 'sanded' panels, it was obvious that something radical had to be done. I was very reluctant to take on the job myself after my previous experience - it really is hard work to achieve even half reasonable results. I decided to go for a professional re-paint and rang Andy Russell who is so much in demand that I had to wait some 15 months for a 'slot' leaving me at least a period of time to put some money in the piggy-bank.
Furness Vale dry-dock ( Upper Peak Forest canal) was booked for a period of twelve days at the end of September 2014 and I took the opportunity to make everything as cost effective as possible by blacking the hull at the same time. I took on this job myself as Andy started the early paint stripping and preparation stage. Steam cleaning a hull and splashing coal tar Bitumastic around with a paint roller is not a good idea when somebody else is putting on finishing gloss coats !!!
I had moored 'San Serriffe' overnight near the dry-dock ready for a 8.30am start as directed. At 8am I realised Andy was preparing the dock appearing a few minutes later next to the boat and we pulled the boat into the dock on the ropes. Before 9am I was steam-cleaning the hull as Andy removed the brass port-holes in readiness to strip the name panels.......Andy certainly hits the deck running and has things done before most people just think about it.
 |
| 'San Serriffe in original paint. Andy Russell is removing cratch-cover press studs prior to starting paint preparation. Traditional castles were painted by previous owner Lilian McPhee and will need some restoration as they were covered with a varnish that had gone brittle and discoloured. |
As I steam-cleaned the hull Andy was preparing one of the name panels where he had found a small area of surface rust on the boat side underneath the brass port-hole. Removing the rust scale he applied 'Jenolite' which chemically converts it to a hydrophobic layer effectively reducing the chance of the rust re-appearing especially when protected by further primer and top-coats.
 |
| Brass port-hole removed. Andy Russell treats a patch of surface rust. |
Returning the next day to ensure the hull was dry after steam-cleaning and ready for the first coat of 'Bitumastic' blacking, I noticed Andrew had prepared the cabin side and applied grey primer. Returning on a further two days to apply more coats of blacking I noticed the first colour coats had been applied (midnight blue with cream outer borders)
rear and front decks were stripped and progress was looking good.
 |
| 'San Serriffe' cabin sides finished in primer. I had done the roof myself a couple of years ago (sanded) and was not to be painted..........just call me a cheapskate !!!!!! |
I re-polished the brass-port holes with a buffing-wheel at home and re-lacquered the finished surface with Rylard's 'Incralac' which stops the brass tarnishing. I find life is far to short to polish brasses every few days especially in the winter and although the finish is slightly 'duller' than a newly polished 'Brasso' surface it still looks good. I find this lacquer lasts at least four or five years especially with two or three coats. Old lacquer can be removed with Cellulose thinners and a buffing wheel on an electric drill. Polish the brass again, re-lacquer and you are good for another few years of work-free boat brassware. I find it much easier to take most of the brassware especially the roof 'mushrooms' to my home garage workbench where they can be securely held in a vice whilst I use the polishing wheel.
Returning with the cleaned brass portholes gave me an excuse to have another peek at paint progress. Further finishing top coats had been applied and the effect was literally breath-taking with a glass-like finish. Andy Russell certainly knows how to achieve a perfect gloss - light years away from my amateur efforts with 'Dipper'
 |
| Rear deck preparation and the first top-coats going on. |
 |
| Final top coats, sign-writing together with superb 'barber's pole tiller-arm. Masking tape is still on the coach-line. |
Andy Russell's sign-writing in certainly some of the very best possible. Watching him work with the speed and confidence of years of self-taught experience is a visual master-class. He suggested an electric-blue dropped shadow and the whole effect, in my humble opinion, is just superb...........
So if you want to make narrowboat painting easy, hire a dry dock. I used Swanley Marina DIY sheds for San Serriffe a couple of years ago when I painted the roof - not forgetting to bring something to stand on that will bring you to cabin level (most dry dock sides are too far from the boat).......or give the job to Andy Russell.
