Why Black a Bottom Plate of a Steel Boat?

When you buy a steel boat there are a number of things that you have to do to make sure that it is safe to set sail. One of these processes is of course getting the bottom plate blacked.

This is one reason why we offer surveys for finding out the work needed to get a boat ship shape before you buy it. Pre-purchase surveys can save you a lot of money.

Why is this process important? Well it means that the boat is protected from corrosion on the outside. There are many different ways of going about getting the bottom plate blacked and different paints that you can use.

Depending upon which paint you use the blacking process can last 2 years or longer. A basic paint like Bitumastic for example will last around 2 years. A two-part epoxy will last longer however this depends on the were your boat is moored .

If the water that your boat is docked in is contaminated, then the corrosion will happen quicker so you will need to dry dock more regularly.

Boat Inspections on the Grand Union Canal and Surrey

If your steel boat has a basic paint job on the bottom plate you may wish to change to a more modern method, such as two part epoxy. Then you are going to need to remove all of the basic paint and then apply the more modern method. This will take time and be costly but with more time between dry docking it can actually save you money over time.

So in short the reason that you must black the bottom plate is to fight against corrosion. There are many methods of blacking a bottom plate and each have a benefit.

Researching which one is best for you will ensure that you are always protected. Keeping an eye on the corrosion that you can see will let you know when it is time to dry dock and repaint once again.

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Are you looking for a boat surveyor near you. Follow the links below to contact our marine surveyor for Surrey and South England.