Blisters

[scott resick]

I bought my 06 196 about 5 years ago. She was pristine. Now, 5 years later her belly, everything under the waterline has blisters. Like she has chicken pox! What causes this?

[ScooterMcgavin]

Do you leave the boat in the water when not in use? That could cause this. Do you have any pictures you can post?

[scott resick]

Here is one pic

[DealsGapCobra]

That is terrible.


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[bturner]

Moisture that has penetrated the gelcoat and reaches the fiberglass or barrier layer beneath the gelcoat is the primary cause of blisters. Leaving the boat in the water all season will certainly increase your chances of having this issue as will the type of water the boat is left in such highly acidic or high mineral content waters in some lakes. Some anti fouling bottom paints will help reduce the exposure to this issue but I've seen boats with bottom paint still have this problem.

Most times there is an underlying issue that will cause blistering such has defective materials, poor layup or stress fractures but sometimes the source of the issue is baffling. I will say though that anytime i look at a boat that I've been told has been moored, has a noticeable scum line or gelcoat that is stained from being left in the water, I consider this a red flag and am very critical of the condition of the hull. I cringe every time I see a new $100K + boat tied to a mooring ball or left in the water tied to a dock for the season. I realize that some people don't have a choice if they're going to own a boat but the thought of blisters always comes to mind when I see these boats. That said I've also seen boats that were kept on a lift or trailered that have had blisters along the area where they sit on bunks. The good news is that advances in materials, barrier layers and technique have highly reduce the number of hulls that experience this problem.

Unfortunately there is no good news for repair. It will be best to take the boat to a good shop that has experience with blister repair as a quick cosmetic repair will often result in the return of the blisters. A typical repair will consist of grinding the affected area back to the fiberglass then ensuring any moisture under affected area is removed. I've seen shops use heat lamps and vacuum bagging to accelerate this process. Only then can the area be refinished and new gelcoat applied.