I nearly spat my drink out when you said “straight in, no foreplay”😳🤣🤣Then all I could hear was Sean saying. “You can’t say that!!!” Lovely to see you both. 🤗💖

You could get the boat hauled out in the summer, let the hull dry and then abrasive blast clean followed by hot zinc thermal spray which then needs passivating, then apply the blacking.

As a retired decorator I can say with a certain amount of knowledge you did a " proper job "

You bad boy! “Straight in, no foreplay” indeed. ROFL.

Loved the video. I love any video you guys do. Just great to visit with you guys. Thanks for taking me along.

Our's is being blacked this year...... you're hired 🤣

So wonderful to see you two. Great job on "How I Do" on the blacking! From Tampa, FL.

One of the few canal boat channels I still watch. Good job

Lmao just started watching this and chortled at your comment.. “straight in no foreplay” .. shows my childish humour… great job Mark well done 👍🏻

Nice to see you two happy and smiling! Hope things are going great for you. Looks good Mark! I certainly understand the need to do it yourself to make sure it's right idea.

This was a very interesting episode, and such valuable information too. Impressive job and undertaking for one person!

I'm all caught up now,. Thanks so much for the laughter and joy even during dark times (lockdowns and treatments). Love and joy back to you.

You have done a good job Rick so pleased Deb looks good.❤️❤️❤️

Thank you for sharing and explaining, really interesting & useful knowledge for the future.

Both looking so well. Again another interesting and informative vlog Thank you

I had to go back and watch Cruising the Cut's two blacking videos for reference and I was very surprised at the differences. All very educational and entertaining. Thanks.

Mark, I don't have any knowledge of this just what I watch here on KZfaq. I think you did a fabulous job. Congrats. 💕💕

G'day to you both. I find it really interesting watching the 'Boaters' I follow. The experience of Blacking the boat by the various Boaters. Amazing when the blacking is done how good the boat looks again.

Very clear and enjoyable to watch.

Whatever the vlog just great to see your smiling faces well done mark you did a good job there love and best wishes to you bothxxxx

I am so happy to see your video! All seems to be going well and I’m waiting for a cooking vid, a meet up with other nb friends with a cookout and maybe a new beer review! Cheers you lovelies and I eagerly await my next online visit with you! xx

If you want a job done right, you do it yourself. A job well done, looks awesome. We enjoyed the vlog as usual, thanks for letting us tag along. Best wishes, David and Tammy from Florida.

Great video, always enjoy watching someone else work, cheers from Aus 👍

You two are great, I really enjoy your channel. Hope the summer brings lots of adventures as you continue to regain strength

Fantastic to watch boat being taken out of the water and back in again. Great job Mark well done. You are both such a tonic to watch and listen to. Thank you.

Thanks for a great vlog and it looked like you did a very thorough job there Mark. It's great to see you both and I hope that Debbie is doing well. Take care and all the best. Stevie

Fascinating! I learned so much, thank you 😊

I'm now subscribed. I also watch "Foxes Afloat" and have done for a long time. I have seen a few others, but between you, and foxes I get the most enjoyment. We don't have canals here in Oz, or the history that you lot have. So i enjoy watching the lifestyle you live, and the area in which you film.

Love your "Not How To but How I Do" vids. Be well!!!

Thanks for all the info and hope you’ve rested up from the hard work!

This is exactly the kind of data future narrow boaters need/want. Excellent.

Lovely to see you both again, good job on the blacking x

DIY, Mark. Nice job. The man for his lady and himself:-) Xx

Nice paint job there. Thanks for the information ❤️

Definitely proper job 👏👌👍

You did a grrrrrrreat job Mark. It must really pay to be pedantic when blacking and thereby preserving your precious home. I guess it’s peace of mind. Lovely to see you both enjoying the life. So happy and obviously so in love. One day, I would hope to be a live aboard on the cut. Best wishes to you both on your continuing journey.

love your video. it was so good seeing you both again.

A job you must be proud of Mark. Well done. Love and hugs to you all and remember that includes Bonnie and Alfie xx

Hi there Very well done on the job of blacking. Satisfaction you have done it well. Reminds me when my husband use to have our boat taken out of the river by the marina to do the anti-fouling. He found it quite a job but it looked good after. Take care & keep warm & safe. Love Jacqui XX

Great job mate I.ll do my own in 2 years. I had mine recently done ✔ so on my travels up the Llangollen and you both are brilliant on positive attitudes specially how much u.ve gone through and now take care stay safe u here.👍

Very informative, helpful and enjoyable watch. Thanks!!

Glad to see you both well, Keep up with these great video's. I now have 4 people in the UK to chat with from time to time, You Two, another Narrowboater, and one on HAM Radio. I must say my English is Improving Mate's. Take Care stay safe and Healthy, from my family to yours have a nice day.

Love it so glad Deb seems to have turned the corner lots of praise for Deb to put herself out on camera when perhaps she may not be feeling top hole. Be glad when Debs treatment is totally finished, and you can both entertain us, with your really interesting might I say very professional camera work. Love it .mike

Thank you both for this informative blacking vlog, I had my 60 ft blacked 14 month ago by a young lad who looked bored, claimed he used 2 pack, which wasn't asked for and not used.. all done 2 days in December! well within 2 months it was falling off in chunks🙈 I will be following your advice later in the year when I do my own. All the best, David.

Right proper job, having scraped, and painted many a boat bottoms in my day , I feel ya man, time for a ryht nyce pint , cheers

Great job! Nicely explained....

You did a bloody good job there Mark, my back was aching just watching you 😄😄😄😄

As a bottle of champagne swings toward the bow... Mark rushes out and yells.."mind my blacking!" Great vlog...and as always love and hugs xxx

Great video, love your “How I do it” videos. Keep them coming…👍🏻

Looks like you did an excellent job. Looking good Deborah. Best wishes from Missouri.

Really good to see you both posting again, 👍👍, I do this for a living,2/3 boats a week including base plates but have never used a brush apart from cutting in better off getting an extra coat or two on with your roller than worrying about getting in all the little holes, 👍

Great sharing Mark! And your workmanship quality is good. Not easy to do the work yourself. But I trust the cost savings and sense of achievement makes it all worthwhile. Now you know love and TLC is onboard your home. Deborah you look fantastic. See you lovelies soon. Have a wonderful weekend and new week ahead.🌈🌞🌻🍀🪴💐✨🍻🥂

Awesome vlog and absolutely zero criticisms from me. That’s a tough job and you did great. Hope Deborah feels better. Hugs as ever ❤️❤️❤️

Great video Mark very informative. I’m sorry to hear about your previous experience. I’d have complained as it clearly wasn’t done in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction. Pleased Debs has rung the bell🍾🥂

🎶 FABULOUS Music 🎶 Fabulous job on the boat, and Deb you’re looking fab as well..... The old bloke......yeah, well s’pose...🤠..... Thanks for cost b/down, always useful to know these things. Cheers 🐨

You did a great job on the blacking!

Looks great ☺️ my arm hurt just watching you . have a great week

Thanks guys

Think you did the best blacking video I've seen. Got a lot from it. Like your discussion about drying times. Yes, drying times are important, so many things happening with the paint and solvent. The splat it with paint and chuck it back in the water brigade just don't realise. The boat I am hoping to buy will be surveyed on Tuesday and I, also, have my second covid shot 😁. Then I shall be anti-fouling the boat with a new biocide free antifoul. Please keep your fingers and toes crossed. Another great vblog, thank you both.

Hi you have done a good job blacking your hull by brush rolling is a wast off time I have had boats for 50 years Now 80 years old still at it keep it going 👍

Another great vlog. Keep them coming I love your Vlogs.

Think you did a cracking job! Debs your job was to provide moral support and the important mugs of tea. Take care and stay safe

can i just say the good lady is looking amazing , hope she contiues doing so ,and if your ever near the severn

I enjoyed this film and Debs looks lovely. All the best to you both.

Brilliant attention to detail, Iooks very professional and shiny ☺️🌞

Lots of work!! Good for you for doing it yourself. I've always done my own boat bottoms, and I repaint the bottom on each boat I've owned every year because of salt water here in the Pacific NW of the USA. Every 10 years, I have the bottom sand blasted and start over. And I use a roller (it's faster and easier on your hands and elbows and shoulders), never a brush. Does your left arm not work, Mark? Try it, train that left arm! 🙂 You'll be happier if you use your left arm half the time. Oh, excellent weed hatch upgrade, you should patent that! And I'm with you about the data sheets and time required for hardening off. No legitimate boatyard would do otherwise. Oh boy I know how it feels to have your boat in the air with someone else in charge! My 1939 boat was 42 feet long by 12 feet wide. If I could have found a haulout with a "lorry" like you folks use, that would have been great, but here we use straps and a very tall structure to lift/raise the boat straight up out of the water using those straps. And the boat swings and sways like crazy. Nevertheless, when the boat finally "splashes" and gets back in the water, I think every owner breathes a sigh of relief. Oh, and yes! when I was in my boat when it was "on the hard" on land, I would run into the cupboards and cabinets inside the boat because it was NOT swaying with the water. What an odd feeling. 🙂 Great video, great info, perfect in every way. Thank you!

Hello when you buy a boat there’s lots of things to think about and also maintenance and up keep as well the blacking looked hard work but looked like new fantastic have a lovely weekend wishing you both well love Annie ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

you two are just lovely.... Deborah hang in there it does get easier... ive finnished with Chemo and Radiation and im still resting, VERY SLOWLY recovery.. blessings from Texas

Great vlog, very interesting. It would appear I had the same issue with our NB blacking at the same dry dock. 48 hours, two coats and back in the water at 6.30am, in March and the temp was under 10 degrees the entire time, worryingly!! After your ‘top’ instructional vlog, I’m going to do it myself this year. Take care both x

Spot on.❤️😊

Hi I think that you did s 1st class job of it,and it's all ways nice to think,yes I did that my self, well done plus you could have a well earned drink. can't wait to see you next video,,

Great Vlog guys. Really informative. Xx

Well done you Mark good job Debbie hope sitting in car was not to long for you Rest up and enjoy the good weather 🌞🌞🌞

I’m glad I didn’t have to do all that hard work😳. Well done Mark👍🏻. Stay safe and well 🙋🏼🥰

Great video very informative 👏

Great information! Keep well and safe!

Good job it looks good I’m sure that it will do the job👍

I once undersealed my motorcycle and sidecar combination with a bitumastic paint, it was messy and a right pain removing and replacing the wheels but protected against all that winter salt and grit from the roads. It was messy and gungey but did the job well. The worst bit was getting it off my fingers where i spilt it. Most satisfying when done and i reckon although you had a more vast an area, it was more straightforward. Knackeri g, but you know you've done as good a job as possible, one less worry👍👍👍

Great job well done

Excellent video really enjoyed watching it and some very good tips cheers good job ☺👍

Hi Mark enjoyed watching your hard work and it looked great and three coats - well done. 👏Debby you looked lovely in your blue top and you both look very well. Have a good week.❤️🙏😘🌹🌷🌸🌻

Well done Mark for tacking that job. Lovely to see Debs smiling, and I really hope the treatment is going well. Take care you two. xx

Your boat looked so amazing at the end! I went back to the vlog you did when this was done for you at Banbury 2 years ago but I don't think you mentioned the cost at the time? Still, even if you didn't save any cash at all & your muscles & tendons paid a steep price for doing it yourself this time, I think you're right that it's still well worth the peace of mind you'll now enjoy for a couple of years from being certain that each coat protecting your hull was given the curing time specified by the manufacturer. Plus, let's face it, even the best tradesmen will never have the vested interest that a boat's owner will have in meticulously ensuring that every single teeny nook & cranny gets its proper share of paint. Great job!

Enjoyed that video 👍🏻

Debbie looks great. Your work on the blacking is just great. Glad I'm too old to do that,lol.

Love your videos!

No, you are NOT overthinking anything re the data sheets, you are spot on, they exist for a reason. Sure, some people who ignore it and do their own thing may get good results, but EVERYONE who follow the manufacturers instructions will get good results (if their base prep work was done right).

Looking good both you and the boat 🐝 happy

That was interesting.... It is so good to see you two looking so well. My wife and I have been watching your adventure since you 2 started - I had been talking to her about the best holidays I have had,,,, I think it was you Tw`ts video,,,,and we both laughed!! When I eventually retire --- I cannot too many children and grandchildren,,,,, My wife wants to buy a narrow boat,,,,,IT is YOUR fault that I have to work!!!! 🤣 Subsequently we watch the Foxes, My Narrow Boat Adventure, Floating our boat etc,,,,, I have been out here in Japan for 20 years,,,,,,I love every second of it - It suits me, it is like living in the UK in the 50's However, your adventures, struggles and successes,,,,, truly miss the UK. Thank you so much! Debs, hang in there girl,,,,that soppy husband of yours is a good man! Well,,,,maybe. Thank you for these videos you have opened new experiences for my wife, and confirmed the pleasures that I had!! PS We went out to the local river,,,,had a picnic and my wife had bought me a 6 pack of my favorite beer - Suntory Premium Malts...... I need to get to bed,,,

Wow well done you. I imagine it’s like treacle and blooming hard work. Great vlog.

I need to do mine this year as the same thing happened to me with the intertuf not hardening long enough before being put back in - thanks for a fab vlog 😃🏴‍☠️

Thanks for this really useful video, and entertaining too ☺️

Hi guys You appear to have done a very good job With the blacking only time will tell You both stay safe and well

You did a great job there Mark. At least doing it yourself you know that you’ve done a proper job. Luckily you had the weather for it to allow it to dry properly. It’s amazing how costs add up. Take care. Nick

Well done you sir,excellent job.all the best 😁👍👏👏👏

great vid as always guys.. everytime I demonstrate stuff I end up doing not how to but how I do. picked that up from you mark haha 🤣😂

Greetings to you both. I have had similar experiences to yours. I would go further and say that boat yards have responsibilities and a duty of care to look after boaters. Some DON'T and put the £ before morality. If you really really wanted to splash out (No pun intended) next time blacking is due then go the " whole hog" and sand blast and hot ZINC coat the hull before applying ' two pack ' to the hull. This was a very instructive vlog and I enjoyed watching well done. Keep safe dry warm and virus free.

Interesting video;great to see you both.God bless.

Hi, guys ...you deserved your right good pint after all that , looks really good !! Was surprised how much it was to remove and put you back in the water 😳very expensive!!xx❤️

Hope others use this same marina sounds like a very great rated place.