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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Wed Aug 01 2007 - 13:23:00 EDT
In a message dated 8/1/07 12:00:56 AM, Darren writes:
> My surveyor tells me that I have approx 60 small (less than golf ball)
> blisters on either side of purchase vessel. After a long talk my father suggests
> walking from deal as this is a painful repair process. I know I can repair
> but it will be messy and cost in materials and hauling. I am planning on going
> ahead, but only if this is factored into final price.
>
>
Blister repair is a simple but messy process. It is labor and time intensive.
That's why boatyards charge so much. The material cost is almost trivial. My
wife and I have repaired boats with as many as 300 blisters, some the size of
dinner plates. Before you undertake such a project, get the West blister
repair manual and see if you want to do the job.
As far as your immediate decision, have the boatyard give you an estimate for
blister repair. Then knock the estimate off the asking price and see of the
present owner will go for it.
If he accepts the deal, here is the drill. For spot repair of the 60
blisters, block up the boat in a location where it can sit undisturbed for a few
weeks. Mark every blister with a magic marker. Drill a 1/8 hole in the center of
each blister, using a collar around the drill so you don't penetrate the hull. A
nasty brown liquid will probably squirt out. Then get a grinder and grind
away the surface of each blister with 36 grit paper until you are down to intact
fiberglass. Be carefull, don't grind through the hull. When you are finished,
wash the cavities with several changes of water, then go away for several
weeks to let the fiberglass dry out. Better to move the boat to Arizona but that
is usually impractical. When dry, paint each cavity with epoxy resin to seal
the fiberglass. Cut a number of discs out of 10 oz. fiberglass cloth in varying
sizes ranging from the diameter of the largest blisters, decreasing in size by
half inch increments. Now for the real work.
Wet each blister cavity with epoxy resin. Before the resin sets place a small
fiberglass disc in the hole of each cavity. Then go around the boat wetting
each cavity again and place the next larger size disc in the blister site.
Continue the process until each blister site is built up to the level of the
surrounding fiberglass. Let the epoxy cure then sand the repairs flush with the
hull. Fair with epoxy fairing compound. Put on bottom paint and go boating.
If you are worried that the boat may continue to blister you will have to
remove all the bottom paint. Then sand the surface thoroughly, apply sufficient
layers of barrier coat to impede water penetration, then reapply bottom paint.
This is a much bigger job. In that case, listen to your father.
Larry Z
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