I just took delivery of a 1988 Cape Dory 330 from Anacortes, WA here in Sausalito, California. I've seen the Web page for many months and now have reason to write. There are, of course, several questions I have about the boat and what better place to get the information. First off, several blisters (about a dozen) about the size of a quarter were found during survey. From all I talked to, they were not serious enough for concern. I had never heard of blister problems on a Cape Dory...cause for worry? Also, I am interested in installing an anchor windlass. The logical location seems to be just forward of the staysail stay. There is already a deck pipe installed but it is aft and off to starboard. Any suggestions or installation ideas would be greatly appreciated. Anyway, if nothing else, I'd like to become a member of CCDO and talk to other Bay Area Cape Dory owners.
Best Regards,
Duane Yoslov
yoslovd@mail.sel.sony.com
New Cape Dory 330 Owner
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Dana Arenius
Re: New Cape Dory 330 Owner
Hi Duane,
Concerning your bottom blisters.....I do not think you have much to worry about structually. I developed hundreds of blisters on my 85 CD26 in 1987. In 1987, I redid the entire bottom and recoated with Interlux 2000 after opening the blisters and "drying" it an entire winter. The next year I had the same amount AGAIN. All of this in the cooler waters of the Northeast and short summers!
Since that time I have adopted the "fix them as I see them" approach.
I now use the West System Epoxy to first coat the grind area with West epoxy, then I apply the two part epoxy filler, and then recoat the outside general area. With this method I have never had a blister reoccur in the same place and the number of blisters has dropped drastically after those first few years. I am down to just a few when I haul after multiple years in the warmer waters here in Virgina.
The other method, if you do not want to be bothered each hual out, which the slip next to me just did, is to take the boat paint down completely. He had hundreds too. Use the West epoxy as indicated above but coat the entire boat instead of just the outside area of the blister. He pulled his boat after one year mainly because he was nervous of how the repair was doing. He had used the Interlux CSC paint (I do too)and when he pulled he did not even have a blemish on the bottom. He is very happy but now wonders why he pulled the boat. Being very expensive to do with marina labor, he performed the work himself. He did a real nice job but he will tell you he would not like to do it again.
I have seen more than a few CDs at my Marine with the "pox". They are all between the gel coat and the laminate which is cosmetic. Some have been dry voids. None of the boats have suffered structually. It is just a question "to pay as you go" or "do it once and hope". If your 33 has been in the water for some length of time before this haul out, I don't think you probably want to do the works if you only have a handful.
Dana
arenius@jlab.org
Concerning your bottom blisters.....I do not think you have much to worry about structually. I developed hundreds of blisters on my 85 CD26 in 1987. In 1987, I redid the entire bottom and recoated with Interlux 2000 after opening the blisters and "drying" it an entire winter. The next year I had the same amount AGAIN. All of this in the cooler waters of the Northeast and short summers!
Since that time I have adopted the "fix them as I see them" approach.
I now use the West System Epoxy to first coat the grind area with West epoxy, then I apply the two part epoxy filler, and then recoat the outside general area. With this method I have never had a blister reoccur in the same place and the number of blisters has dropped drastically after those first few years. I am down to just a few when I haul after multiple years in the warmer waters here in Virgina.
The other method, if you do not want to be bothered each hual out, which the slip next to me just did, is to take the boat paint down completely. He had hundreds too. Use the West epoxy as indicated above but coat the entire boat instead of just the outside area of the blister. He pulled his boat after one year mainly because he was nervous of how the repair was doing. He had used the Interlux CSC paint (I do too)and when he pulled he did not even have a blemish on the bottom. He is very happy but now wonders why he pulled the boat. Being very expensive to do with marina labor, he performed the work himself. He did a real nice job but he will tell you he would not like to do it again.
I have seen more than a few CDs at my Marine with the "pox". They are all between the gel coat and the laminate which is cosmetic. Some have been dry voids. None of the boats have suffered structually. It is just a question "to pay as you go" or "do it once and hope". If your 33 has been in the water for some length of time before this haul out, I don't think you probably want to do the works if you only have a handful.
Dana
arenius@jlab.org
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Jon F. Larson
Re: New Cape Dory 330 Owner
Congratulations on your CD..I think you'll be well satisfied with the boat over the long haul.
My last CCDO bulletin called for a spring float in May 3-4 at Coyote
Point Marina..you should try to attend. Neat group of people and boats, and CDs are relatively rare out here.
I've never found a blister on my CD30, a 1981 model. She's been here in the Bay area for two years now and this is the first time she's been in the water year around, so I may have a surprise or two. Blisters happen to the best of boats (a friends Hinckley back east had an absolute pox of them) and you just cope with it if it occurs, I know of no sure way to know if a boat will blister or not. It's normally no big deal.
Good luck,
Jon Larson
Cape Dory 30 PERI
San Francisco Bay (Coyote Point)
jon9@ix.netcom.com
My last CCDO bulletin called for a spring float in May 3-4 at Coyote
Point Marina..you should try to attend. Neat group of people and boats, and CDs are relatively rare out here.
I've never found a blister on my CD30, a 1981 model. She's been here in the Bay area for two years now and this is the first time she's been in the water year around, so I may have a surprise or two. Blisters happen to the best of boats (a friends Hinckley back east had an absolute pox of them) and you just cope with it if it occurs, I know of no sure way to know if a boat will blister or not. It's normally no big deal.
Good luck,
Jon Larson
Cape Dory 30 PERI
San Francisco Bay (Coyote Point)
Duane Yoslov wrote: I just took delivery of a 1988 Cape Dory 330 from Anacortes, WA here in Sausalito, California. I've seen the Web page for many months and now have reason to write. There are, of course, several questions I have about the boat and what better place to get the information. First off, several blisters (about a dozen) about the size of a quarter were found during survey. From all I talked to, they were not serious enough for concern. I had never heard of blister problems on a Cape Dory...cause for worry? Also, I am interested in installing an anchor windlass. The logical location seems to be just forward of the staysail stay. There is already a deck pipe installed but it is aft and off to starboard. Any suggestions or installation ideas would be greatly appreciated. Anyway, if nothing else, I'd like to become a member of CCDO and talk to other Bay Area Cape Dory owners.
Best Regards,
Duane Yoslov
jon9@ix.netcom.com