Is BLISTERING a bad thing?
 

Well, ive been looking at boats recently, and havent really decided on one thing in particular. Today I get an email back from a guy about a boat that he owns, that sounds like a pretty decent deal--except the fact that the boat he said was "blistering". What exactly is that? Here is his description of it--
"YES UNFORTUNATELY THE HULL STARTED BLISTERING TWO YEARS AGO BUT THEy ARE LIKE MUMPS UNDER THE WATER LINE NOT BROKEN BLISTERS. DOES NOT HURT PERFORMANCE OR FUNCTION ONLY COSMETIC LOOKS."

So is that a really bad thing or not? Here is a description of the actual boat--

"1994 Baja Outlaw , 24' Eagle Double Axle Trailer with surge brakes. 502 Mag EFI-225 Freshwater hours on boat and engine; new gil thru hull offshore exhaust, 23 pitch balanced and blueprinted Mirage prop; new hydromotive nose cone professionally installed; new Warlock drive shower; new trim on throttle; Kiekhaffer controls; Faria gauges; dual ram trim tabs; dual batteries new in 1997; new installed heavy duty guest battery charger/doubles as shore power; Clarion CD player/amp 4 speaker system; Uniden offshore radio head; Full gray mooring cover; sunbrella sunshade; boat bumpers; anchors; power hatch; Halon; compass; meticoulsly maintained; very good overall condition."

he is asking $20k, is it worth it even though its blistering, or should i avoid a blistering boat like the plague?

blistering is when water gets in between the gelcoat and the fibergass. Blisters usaully mean it spent alot of time sitting in the water i think...

Is it expensive to fix?

I do not know.. I have never had to deal with it.. I just know its not a good thing :(

Here's a fantastic site which pretty much covers all there is to know about blisters.
http://yachtsurvey.com/blisters.htm

(Remove the blisters.htm and you have a great resource covering all issues of boat-building.)

Blisters are a nasty cosmetic plague which can and will infect much of the boat if allowed to. Blisters are not all too uncommon, yet should not occurr when the proper requirements are met during boat-building. It is not isolated to any one manufacturer, as problems can occurr any-time humans are involved in manufacturing. It mainly has to do with an error or product defect within the gelcoat. It can be bad materials from the gel vendor, it could occurr because of poor cleanliness on the mold, contaniments, environmental factors, on and on...Basically the gel is not adhering to the glass properly and is not fully cured. As it cures over years it out-gasses and results in blisters. While easy to fix, if neglected and they begin to seperate and peel or burst naturally water will intrude and jeopardize the fundamental resin matrix in the fiberglass hull. Take a look at the boat and if it is still repairable, it might not be a bad deal. Determine how wide-spread it is and see if you can wheel and deal with the seller. Worst comes to worse, get a survey and get an estimate. Might make for a nice discount!

[ 01-28-2002: Message edited by: Baja Daze ]

Well my 97 Baja 272 did it, I got an estimate of $6,000,,, I cried complained and threatened to buy a competetors boat next time and they are warrantying it for me. Now I can buy the 342 instead of having to go to a PQ.

Traviss is right!
I've heard Baja boats have a little problem with this.
Blisters are usually the size of a quarter and depending on the sevarity, can be repaired for a decent price. They are repaired by gringing off each "blister" and the surrounding area, applying resin or glass (depending on sevarity), fairing out and then applying a vynilester (sp?) primer and finish coat.
Blisters don't mean the end of a hull, just a few $$ to fix it right.
While looking at used boats recently, I have seen several 40-42' Sport Fish boats that had blisters, being fixed for around $5000.
Shop around for repair shops & a good price!

Use an anticeptic cream until the swelling goes down.

:D :D :D :D :D

blisters are bad. Just ask CHRKR (i think that is his name lit is very similar)

AKA "Blister Boy" just ask him about the donzi or look back a few weeks for the thread on his boat.

:D :D :D

Blisters are BAAAAD. I wouldn't ever look at a boat that was blistering. Blistering is a sign that water is penetrating the hull. The water will peneterate, but because it can't escape, it will continue to build up. The small blisters will continue to grow until eventually the boat is destroyed. True, the small ones are cosmetic, but they are a sign of things to come.

BTW-I have also seen blisters form where the boat sits on the bunk. The carpeting holds the moisture against the hull and it never dries out.

hey cord.. your boat had a BIIGGGG blister ddin't it :eek: just playin cord ;)

RUNNINGHORN,
Using a small blade, "pop" a few of these blisters and let me know if it is dry or if it has a yellowish liquid coming from it. Feel free to call me at work, Progressive Boat Works, at 804-748-3694.You are still looking at $4,000 to $6,000 depending if bottom has to be "peeled".
Steve

RunningHorn. Any boat with blisters, just walk away. Some things to consider. First, at some time you will have to sell the boat, and that cuts your chances by 50%. Second is, that could also be an indicator of how well the owner took care of the boat(or not). If it just sat in the water all the time (ie. blisters), what about the outdrive and other external stuff.

Bob

OUCH TRAVIS!!!

I would not buy a boat with Blisters in it. You will have a hard time getting rid of them.

Jon

I her your worries my boat has some but, only on the painted graphics below the water line. Got them fixed looked good but it back in the water they came back. Velocity covered the work under warranty. Blisters on gelcoat it self is bad, but dad has a boat in florida which had blisters with water, had to have the whole bottom redone.

Blister are a sign of water within the glass matt. If the boat freezes over the winter, the water expands and can effect the structural strength of the hull.

Ah, blisters. A little thing I’ve had the misfortune of learning a whole bunch about over the last 2-1/2 years. Based on everything I’ve read and experienced, blisters are a result of a defect of some form or another. Period. Pure and simple, a boat built correctly and it’s lay-up schedule strictly adhered to (and adjusted for constantly changing climate conditions) should not blister. It has been proven that boats blister even when not exposed to water (see David Pascoe’s site). The presence of water simply accelerates the visibility of the defect.

A lot of boat builders recommend that a boat exposed to "extended periods" of water should be barrier coated. That’s simply a warranty clause that gets most builders out of warranting something that is very difficult to control and manufacture consistently. Try and get one to define what the words "extended periods" mean. They won’t and can’t. It’s there to cover their a$$.

Gelcoat is pretty tricky stuff to apply consistently. Variations in the manufacture of gelcoat & catalyst, how they are combined as well as temperature and humidity during their application are all factors (and there are more). I won’t even discuss the ability and experience of the person who is applying it or the equipment they are using (talk about variables).

Should you buy a blistered boat. Depends. If they are large and impacting the structural integrity of the hull then no. If there are a few small ones and there is no structural implications then maybe. I say maybe, because it depends on the price of the boat and the extent of the blisters. If you find a boat that has a few blisters and it will cost you $6,000 to repair, but you are able to bargain down the price to basically include the repair, I’d definitely consider it. When I say repair, I mean repair the defect that caused the blisters. Again, blisters are the symptom of the actual defect which explains why repairs fail and blisters return.

Bottom line, get it surveyed before you buy it.

My $.02 (keep the change).

Good Luck,
-Chris

You would be better off staying away from that boat or any boat with blisters. Are you looking for a new or used boat?