Blisters

[Kevin]

[Kevin]

Well, I finally got around to having all the anti-fouling paint removed.

As you can see, below the waterline is all blisters. Average size seems to be that of a dime some are larger and some are smaller. The guy that did the bottom found two that he really had to do some grinding on. They are about the size of baseballs. He ground out 1/8 to 1/4 inch of glass (deep) to expose them.

He told me that this boat had blister repairs done at one point based on the epoxy that was filling many of them. There are also many that probably appeared after the origianal repair. They seem to have been filled with black bottom paint over time. I did not find any bulging gelcoat, all appear to be old and popped. I ground out about 30 of them today with a dremel tool and there is no water or stinky smell that I have heard about based on my readings.

I had the boat thrown back in the water to bring it home in order to leave it on the lift. With a brisk tail wind (15-20 knots) and some chop she broke the 30 knot barrier with the bottom as seen in the above photos. Picked up about 150-200 rpms WOT with out all the anti-fouling paint on there. I was fairly impressed with those gains on an unfinished bottom.

Would Formula 57 be the best thing to fill the ones that need to be filled?

My plan as of now is to go with that VC Performance epoxy since it is always on a lift. My understanding is that the VC Perfomance epoxy acts as a barrier coat. Am I on the right track? Just trying to keep it simple as possible........

[JP Dalik]

Yup that looks about right...... Welcome to the old club

[Tony Meola]

Kevin

When we did ours way back when we used Inter Protect. Used the filler and the barrier coat. We put on 5 coats then, now they say 3 is good. The deep ones are going to need some glass work to fill the void. I would then use the appropriate filler and barrier coat. then you can paid the bottom any way you want.



Interprotect 2000E





Interprotect® 2000E with Microplates® is a unique two-part epoxy coating developed to protect fiberglass hulls from water absorption, which can lead to osmotic blistering. Microplates® create an overlapping barrier to help stop water migration through the coating. The Interprotect® system is the system of choice for repairing gelcoat that has already been damaged by osmotic blistering.



Interprotect® 2000E can be used above and below the waterline as a universal primer for all surfaces and has proven itself to be an excellent primer for all metals. It also can be used as part of a no sand system.
Available in two colors, Gray and White, so you can alternate colors to ensure full coverage. Lower emissions formulation available: Interprotect 2000VOC.
•Two-part epoxy water barrier with Micro-Plates
•Up to two weeks is allowed between coats of InterProtect 2000E
•Now available in two colors, Gray and White
•Fast drying, easy application
•Sag resistance to insure the elimination of sags and runs during application

Further Product Details

http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/diy/produ ... earch.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mike ohlstein]

Doesn't that call for a season of drying out prior to repair?

[Pete Fallon]

Kevin,
Sorry to hear that you've got a major blistering problem. I would have the boat hauled and jack standed instead of leaving it on your lift. The boat has to dry completely, on the lift your going to get pockets of moisture where the sun never hits and areas that will never dry over water on the lift. Looking at how deep some of the ground out areas are you will need to fill and fair with glass and epoxy.
I would suggest having the entire bottom soda blasted or gel peeled. It will cost you up front but at least you will be able to see all of the areas that have been affected and you will have a fairly consistant surface and it will be cheaper in the long run. Plus it will save you from breathing all the dust unless your going to use a positive pressure mask, even a good full face mask is going to allow some crap from entering your lungs.
I would let it dry for a couple of months, this is the perfect time of the year here in the so called dry season in South Florida. Once everything is dried out and faired, I would apply 2 to 3 coats of quaility barrier coat and then the bottom paint.
I have seen a trick from one of the boat yards for speeding up the drying process, In a area that is open all round the boat, no shadows from other boats or buildings, get 4 to 6 sheets of 3/8" aluminum faced foam insulation board from Home Depot or Lowes and put it under the bottom of the boat on a slight angle as to maximized the suns reflection on the bottom, you would be amazed how quickly this method will dry out the bottom.
Your bottom doesn't look half as bad as Buddy Boy looked when Patrick stripped the bottom back in 2002. Hope you get it done without killing your wallet, if you need any recommendations on good glass guys call me.

[Raybo Marine NY]

I would not use Formula 57, just for the fact that it does not have a good working time. You will only be able to mix what you can use in 10-15 minutes which is not enough time for the size of that job.
A epoxy filler will give you enough time to get a larger amount of them filled. Done properly it will be very little sanding and 3-5 coats of primer will take care of the rest.

A good pressure wash and some time to dry out then I would sand the bottom if its not already done, clean it, and apply a single coat of interprotect 2000. Give it a day or two. Then start filling
Epoxy fillers are usually good for up to a inch thick which is no problem for what you are doing. The other good thing about the interprtect is the 6 month window time with no sanding. So if after the second coat you find more you can either use some of that 2000 when it starts to get thick and trowel it on nice and tight or you can go back and do more fairing.

[Keith Poe]

I have done insurance disaster restoration and it came to mind it is possible to wrap and dry very fast check out this link for example.
http://www.ecerestoration.com/water_damage.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I believe you can rent the equipment.

[Kevin]

Glad to hear NOT to use Formula 57! It always took me 2 applications to eliminate voids due to sagging.

I wish I could have just left the boat at the yard. 28 dollars per day at the yard would have crushed me financially at this point. Hauled and blocked on Friday, paint removed via planer, grinding and sanding on Saturday, then re-launched on Monday. All said and done I spent around 1300.

Will some of these voids start to weep or ooze moisture? To my inexperienced eyes they look old and dry (except the 2 really big ones).

Maybe I should have found a yard that would have done soda blasting. It probably would have made things easier. If I only knew then what I know now!

Here is my back up fishing plan.

[Rawleigh]

I thought that was the bottom repair staging facility!

[Bob H.]

Kevin, Thats a sweet old johnson, had one a way back, couldnt kill it...good luck on the blister job..BH

[Kevin]

Bob,

That is a 1957 18hp Seahorse. Buddy gave it to me. She starts on the first pull! A bit underpowered for a 16 carolina but gets me around my honey holes that are close to the beach. Enough power to push boat on to my makeshift float though.

Yes, that boat has been known to hover under the big boat pulling props and such. It is just too easy without a console in the way. Sometimes the simple tiller motor and bean bags are the way to go on those little skiffs.

[jrhaszard]

When I bought my FBC a few years ago in Bradenton, part of the deal was a barrier coat job at Snead Island boat works. Highly recommended. I was impressed with them until I got the boat home ( out of state ). They replaced the rudder bearings and I found the old rusted casting pieces in the aft bilge on top of the pump where they had disposed of them. The next Spring, when I painted the bottom I found they didn't move the boat off the blocks to get the rough areas under them.They just left them like that. Up here things are no better. Tiffany Yachts in Glebe Point , Virginia did a crappy job installing Captain Pat's rudders and air induction boxes. I am learning about boats the expensive way, by default.

P.S. I too have an old motor like that. (didn't want to say old johnson ).

[Keith Poe]

did someone call me ?

[Buju]

I would:

1) Let the hull dry a bit (sure got humid today- past few days were great for that)
2) Liberally apply denatured alcohol to each blister
3) Spot prime each blister with reduced (10% to 15% denatured) epoxy resin
4) Fill each primed hole with thickened epoxy resin, I'd use strand/silica on the large blisters and just silica on the smaller ones. Do not over fill, try to apply so it's close to flush on the application, and make it thick enough so it doesnt sag.
5) Drag epoxy fairing over it if needed and sand.
6) Apply your barrier epoxy... 2 or 3 coats
7) Apply your VC Performance epoxy... 2 or 3 coats
8) Proceed to enjoy the hell out of the boat with the increased speed and efficiency.

You get any sails on her this winter?

[Kevin]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I have a much better understanding of it and how to fix it now.

Closer inspection of the hull has me feeling a lot better. About 75% of the blisters are full of epoxy, which makes sense since I was told that this boat already had a "blister job" done. Now that still leaves over 100 to deal with, but they are small and the majority of them are easily identified since there is black bottom paint in the recession. I wish there was a broad shaped dremel bit made especially for opening up holes like a counter sink bit or such.

Denatured alcohol.........is that something I can buy at the drug store for cheap as opposed to spending a fortune at the local "boat store" for a name brand product?
Will acetone do the same thing? Never been real good with all the chemicals, or at least the ones I can't drink!

This job looks much less painful than it did the other day.

[Stephan]

I think you will be better off with denatured alcohol... try a home store or hardware store not the boat store. I think acetone will accomplish the same purpose but require more precautions in its application and require more product.
Good luck.
S

[Buju]

Just go to the Sherwin Williams down the street from Subway...
Get you a "brick" o rags, a gallon of denatured alcohol, some 1 or 2" throw away brushes, and some of the cheap plastic spreader/putty knife for the epoxy app.
Yes, acetone can be used to displace the moisture and prep the holes, but alcohol does it as well, with less trace contaminents - and alcohol is the ticket to reduce (thin) the epoxy.

When we going fishing Kevin?
After I help you with the blister job?...
That'd be my answer.

[Kevin]

That is an offer that I can't refuse. I must admit, that boat has never seen a sail before. Can't remember the last time I had lines in the water. Maybe I should make that a priority! You will have to show me how to fish for them. I'm in if you are.

[gplume]

Kevin-
Its not that bad of a job. I recomend shrinkwrapping your boat and then perfectly drying the bilge( sponged dry).

I used interprotect 2000 with excellant results (alternate white and grey).
To fill holes after grinding out clean them well with acetone, and wet them with unfilled epoxy.
While the epoxy is still tacky, fill them with epoxy and filler thicken to the consitency of peanut butter( i used west systm and 410 filler). Let it dry, and fair out using ra sander. This is where the work is.

Follow the interprotect instructions to clean the hull then start the barrier coat process. With the interprotect, you have a big process window (hours ....up to 2 weeks for recoat) One big pain is the last coat of interprotect and the first coat of bottom paint. You need to carefully time this step so that the first coat of bottom paint bonds to the "green" barrier coat. You have roughly 30 minutes to maybe 60 minutes.

I had good results doing mine. Feel free to drop me a line if you want. Good luck.

[Buju]

That is an offer that I can't refuse. I must admit, that boat has never seen a sail before. Can't remember the last time I had lines in the water. Maybe I should make that a priority! You will have to show me how to fish for them. I'm in if you are.

I'm certainly not against it, I aint scared of no blister job... And being that it's a Bertram, I think we should pop that sailfish "cherry". Getting a little late in the season for it though.
One area where I could really help is to spray the Interprotect & the VC Performance on there, as opposed to rolling the flats and brushing the strakes. That little hvlp unit is a major time saver and provides a real nice finish once its dialed in on the product.
Not able to do it this weekend though, this weekend I've got a hot date with shooting the final coat on the topsides of my skiff restoration- I hope. When do you plan on doing the work? Lets set something up...

[Kevin]

That was another question I forgot to post. Roll or Spray. Now that you answered that I am even more excited becuase I suck at painting.......at least making it look good anyways.
I figure I have this weekend to grind. 2 days should cover that. I would like to give it a couple weeks to dry out and be sure nothing leaches out. I will need another weekend for glass work. The 2 big blisters and a couple cracks in the lifting strakes. I have a guy coming Monday to give me an estimate on that part. I figure a third weekend for filling and fairing. As usual, multiply this timeline by 2 or 3 cuz it just never goes as fast as you would like! I did pull the plug but when it rains there will always be some water in the bilge. Hopefully it does not rain too much.

One lesson I learned in 2006 after the hull was painted: Waited a couple months and then wrapped the hull to protect it while the topside was painted. Left it wrapped for several months and got blisters in the paint from where water got trapped after rain. I always learn the hard way. When people say how good the boat looks I just laugh and tell them to get closer! Looks good from far, but she's far from good.

Even if we don't make sail season I have tons of great spots for free diving.

[Buju]

Well sir, I'm game... Give me a call sometime and I'd be happy to help out. Mark @ 305-394-2842.

Freediving is my thing... with a sling that is. Popping muttons makes me muay happy. A little rusty though, been a good year and a half since Ive done any serious diving. Used to be able to effectively dive and stay at 60 to 70' long enough to shoot grouper with a sling, and then work em out of the hole with plenty of time to get topside. Think that currently I'd be good to stay in the -40' depths for a while. Comes back quick though.

But yeah, seriously- give me a shout... I'm sure we could get your glasswork quote out of the equation as well- Very easy to do the glasswork you need for those larger blisters.

[Kevin]

A BIG thanks to Mark (Buju) for coming down and spraying the bottom with VC Performance Epoxy. The boat looks sweet. I always liked black paint on a white boat, but this new white bottom color looks sharp. Took it for a quick spin and from what I can tell there is about a 1/2 knot gain at cruise and 1 knot on the top end. It was pretty sloppy out there when I went. Normally I would never be out in that stuff. Cant wait to get some good numbers when the boat is loaded a little more normal and the water is smoov. I will get some real numbers and post some pics when I get them.

[Buju]

No problem bud. Was a pleasure to meet you, your family, and your friend...
And I'm glad the VC stayed on the bottom ;). I bet if we do like planned next winter, you can get a bit more speed outta her.