Bottom Blacking.

As nobody was coming on to Solace we had what for a departure day was relaxed and leisurely start.  While taking a load of gear up to the cars I had to pass through the area where boats are worked on.  I realised not everyone gets chance to see a narrowboat out of the water.

This one was on the hard standing to have its bottom blacked.  Normally boats have everything bellow the water line "blacked" every couple of years or so.  The obvious reason is to protect the hull from corrosion or should I say rust.  The grey lump on the bow is one of the sacrificial anodes.  Magnesium is used so that it erodes due to galvanic corrosion rather than the hull.  They are replaced as necessary.

Getting 30 or so tonnes out of the water  requires either a large crane  or other specialist gear.  Our marina fortunately has a slipway so boats  can be "slipped" using a rig which is shown as an extra.