Shot blasting & painting
Removing mill scale and old coatings is the most important step in a hull restoration. Skip it and the paint fails early.
Mill scale is the enemy
Mill scale is a layer of iron oxide that forms on steel while it's being hot rolled. It looks like a smooth, bluish-grey coating, but it's actually porous, brittle and poorly bonded to the steel underneath — nowhere near good enough to protect a hull on its own.
Painting straight over it might look like a shortcut, but it's a false economy. Paint applied over mill scale, or over any inadequately prepared steel, cracks and lifts early. Once it lifts, water gets underneath and triggers a galvanic reaction that pits the steel itself — and that pitting spreads under the coating, taking the paintwork and the hull down with it.
Every hull we work on has all of its mill scale removed, back to bare, clean steel, before anything else happens.
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Blasted to Sa 2.5, every time
We remove mill scale, rust and old, failing coatings by abrasive shot blasting, preparing the steel to a Sa 2.5 surface profile — the industry-leading standard. That gives a clean, uniform surface with exactly the texture paint needs to grip properly, which is what separates a coating that lasts from one that doesn't.
We've been shot blasting narrowboat hulls for over 20 years, and in that time we're yet to find pitting on a single hull we shot blasted ourselves. Most boats that come to us for re-blacking or a repaint already have some pitting — usually from corners cut, or a poor-quality coating, when they were originally built or last done — and where that's the case, we carry out re-plating and deep pit welding to put the steel right before any coating goes back on.
We also work alongside our sister company, Bluewater Boats, who use exactly the same shot blasting process and standards when building new boats — so whether yours is fresh off the build or has been afloat for thirty years, it gets the same level of care.
Protection, your level
From £6,995, including collection and delivery, so you know the full cost upfront.
Blast & Two Pack Epoxy Blacking
Shot blast and two-pack epoxy blacking on hull sides up to top rubbing strake including base plate. Price based on narrowboats up to 60ft and include collection and delivery costs Typically 6 working days in the yard.
Full Blast, Two Pack Epoxy Blacking & Full Repaint
Shot blast superstructure & below waterline inc base plate two pack epoxy blacking & a two pack paint system on superstructure.Price based on narrowboats up to 60ft and include collection and delivery Typically 26 working days in the yard.
Hull repairs
Plating, welding blasting and our two part epoxy paint system applied. Typically 5 working days in the yard.
Water Tank Rejuvenating
Full water tank shot blast, flush and clean and two pack water tank paint application. Typically 6 working days in the yard.
Miscellaneous shot blasting
Our shot blasting facility isn’t just for boats. We can blast gates, steel frames and a range of fabricated steelwork. We can provide shot blasting only or apply a protective paint system. Typically 5 working days in the yard.
Blast, Two Pack Epoxy Blacking & Interior Re-Fit
Full Blast, Black & Interior Re-Fit Typically 26 working days in the yard.
Hull protection that lasts
After blasting, we apply Jotun Jotamastic 90 — a high-performance, two-pack epoxy blacking — to the whole hull, from the base plate up to the top rubbing strake, for complete protection underneath. It's backed by a 4 year guarantee on selected systems (T&Cs apply).
In water and out
Exceptional durability in both atmospheric and immersed conditions, and harder-wearing than conventional blacking products.
Surface-tolerant
High solids and abrasion-resistant, giving strong corrosion protection in both salt and fresh water.
Damage stays put
The blast profile underneath stops any scratch or knock from spreading. A little chalking in direct sun is normal and purely cosmetic.
A proper multi-stage paint system
Where we're painting the superstructure, we follow a professional, multi-stage two-pack system:
- Shot blasting to Sa 2.5
- Two-pack epoxy high-build primer
- Two-pack epoxy finishing primer
- Non-slip coatings on gunnels, bow deck and stern deck
- Two-pack acrylic urethane topcoats, including metallic colour options
For the topcoat, we use Alexseal Acrylic Topcoat X — a high-gloss, two-pack acrylic urethane system built for the yachting industry. It combines acrylic and polyester technology for real gloss and depth, is easy to sand and polish for future upkeep, and has strong UV resistance, colour stability and abrasion resistance, standing up to saltwater and fuel contact.
Why choose a shot-blasted, two-pack system
- Better adhesion and corrosion resistance than paint applied over unprepared steel
- A longer lifespan than traditional paint systems
- Less maintenance over the years that follow
- Protects your boat, and your investment, for the long term
Whether you're booking us for a re-black or a full repaint, every hull gets treated the same way — properly prepared, properly protected, and you're welcome to visit while we work.
