There are a number of different manufacturers of narrowboat marine enamels. Their use often comes down to personal preference. A good place to start is the towpath or local marina. Ask around, gather opinion. If you are having the job done professionally make sure you see examples of the painters work before you commit.

Get written confirmation of any ”extras” you require. For example, panels, stripes, extra colours, mouse ears, harlequin cratch decoration and bow and stern detailing will all be extras.

Narrow boat paint is based on coach enamel. It is hard wearing and comes in a huge range of colours and shades. Your local chandler may be able to provide you with colour cards if you ask.

You may notice, however, that there are a disproportionate number of blue and green boats on the system. This is not because boat owners generally relate to blue and green but because of the colour spectrum and the way colours absorb light. Blues and greens are seem more stable in sunlight, with reds and yellows at the other end fading quicker. With the amount of money spent on the “average” (of which there’s no such thing) paint job, it’s only human nature to want it to look good for as long as possible. Given the cost of painting a narrowboat (either from new or as a re-paint) is a considerable expense, you need to ensure your colour choice works and that you like it! Using our canal boat Paint Scheme Development service will ensure you can visualise the finished result before any work begins.

If you are buying a new canal boat, check with your narrowboat / widebeam boat builder what is included within the price. Often it may be the base colour and coach line. Any additional decoration can usually be optional extra. If you are buying a sailaway, often the canal boat will simply be primed and blacked, but again your sailaway builder should be able to provide a full paint service as an optional extra.