I am having my boat hauled out this week. ("Rambunctious" Intrepid 9M)
I had it short hauled this spring when I purchased the boat. The boat has a bad case of ("boat pox") blisters. The blisters are very small, but hundreds (maybe thousands) in some areas and just a few scattered in others. I am going to try to tackle this project myself. I have read some books and info by Don Casey.
My questions are:
#1 Should all of the bottom paint be removed before the blisters
are popped or opened?
#2 What is your experience with "Peel Away #1"? Practical Sailor
says it works as well as "Peel Away Marine".
#3 Would it be fesible to grind off the gel coat in the bad areas
only, then grind open just the around the blister in the areas where they are scattered?
#4 Am I getting in over my head?
Any response would be helpful
Thanks, RJ
treehouse@starpower.net
Intrepid 9M (Blisters)
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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zeida
Re: Intrepid 9M (Blisters)
I have a CD-33 sloop. Three months ago I also hauled out. Also had a bad case of the pox (tiny blisters). You MUST:
1- Sand all the paint out and down to the gelcoat. That way you will see the full extent of the blister problem.
2- Get a hold of ALL your patience.
3- Start drilling every single little blister point out... they start as small as a pin head, and soon grow to about the size of a dime, some even more. Some are so close together that you continue to drill them and they become even longer. Be careful NOT TO DRILL too much INTO the gelcoat. As you drill them out you will see the tiny droplet of water come out of your hull (how depressing). Do them one at a time. It took me and a friend four days to do both sides of our boat. We had over 1,500 on each side. Then we WASHED, WASHED and WASHED with fresh water the hull. Then we let the boat dry out for almost a week. Then we started filling the little beasties with INTERLUX INTERPROTECT, a 2-part filler. After both sides were completely filled as much as possible, we SANDED and SANDED to get a smooth finish. We washed and washed with fresh water some more. Two days later, we painted our bottom with Trinidad 77 antifouling paint.
There is a more thorough way to deal with this problem, but it takes much more time and effort and $$$ and you will have to let your boat dry out for at least a month, which was not possible for me at this time. The bottom looked quite good and solid after we finished... it certainly was MUCH BETTER than what it was before, where all the minute pinholes were oozing water... At least it makes me feel much more secure. I know it is not the ultimate procedure, but it IS a temporary way to deal with the problem. If you do nothing about those blisters, your hull will continue absorbing water into the fiberglass.
My friend Terry is an expert at drilling without harming the fiberglass (very easy to harm if you push in too much) and very careful and conscientous... with him guiding me, I was able to do as well. If you have never done this before, I suggest you may have someone else along (I had to pay Terry for his time, but it was WELL WORTH IT) who knows how to do this.
Good luck.
Zeida
zcecil@attglobal.net
1- Sand all the paint out and down to the gelcoat. That way you will see the full extent of the blister problem.
2- Get a hold of ALL your patience.
3- Start drilling every single little blister point out... they start as small as a pin head, and soon grow to about the size of a dime, some even more. Some are so close together that you continue to drill them and they become even longer. Be careful NOT TO DRILL too much INTO the gelcoat. As you drill them out you will see the tiny droplet of water come out of your hull (how depressing). Do them one at a time. It took me and a friend four days to do both sides of our boat. We had over 1,500 on each side. Then we WASHED, WASHED and WASHED with fresh water the hull. Then we let the boat dry out for almost a week. Then we started filling the little beasties with INTERLUX INTERPROTECT, a 2-part filler. After both sides were completely filled as much as possible, we SANDED and SANDED to get a smooth finish. We washed and washed with fresh water some more. Two days later, we painted our bottom with Trinidad 77 antifouling paint.
There is a more thorough way to deal with this problem, but it takes much more time and effort and $$$ and you will have to let your boat dry out for at least a month, which was not possible for me at this time. The bottom looked quite good and solid after we finished... it certainly was MUCH BETTER than what it was before, where all the minute pinholes were oozing water... At least it makes me feel much more secure. I know it is not the ultimate procedure, but it IS a temporary way to deal with the problem. If you do nothing about those blisters, your hull will continue absorbing water into the fiberglass.
My friend Terry is an expert at drilling without harming the fiberglass (very easy to harm if you push in too much) and very careful and conscientous... with him guiding me, I was able to do as well. If you have never done this before, I suggest you may have someone else along (I had to pay Terry for his time, but it was WELL WORTH IT) who knows how to do this.
Good luck.
Zeida
zcecil@attglobal.net
-
Dana
Re: Intrepid 9M (Blisters)
Patience.....most important...do not paint yet.....sand off old bottom paint....
Open up blisters by removing the thin gel coat over every blister. Do not grind more than the thin gel coat off...not into the laminate.
Wipe out the grind area with acetone...let whole thing dry for two weeks in open air.....Then coat each blister with West 105 epoxy to seal off laminate....then fill with a good two part epoxy filler such as Interlux or Red Hand.....Sand dried two part down to fair surface into rest of surrounding hull. Option is to apply epoxy barrier (West) coat....good idea with all the bottom paint off...I would strongly advise but allow a month of open blisters to dry hull....try to ignore comments of passing boaters....and don't let the work get to you...this will pass...
Dana
___________________________________________
darenius@aol.com
Open up blisters by removing the thin gel coat over every blister. Do not grind more than the thin gel coat off...not into the laminate.
Wipe out the grind area with acetone...let whole thing dry for two weeks in open air.....Then coat each blister with West 105 epoxy to seal off laminate....then fill with a good two part epoxy filler such as Interlux or Red Hand.....Sand dried two part down to fair surface into rest of surrounding hull. Option is to apply epoxy barrier (West) coat....good idea with all the bottom paint off...I would strongly advise but allow a month of open blisters to dry hull....try to ignore comments of passing boaters....and don't let the work get to you...this will pass...
Dana
___________________________________________
Rich Joiner wrote: I am having my boat hauled out this week. ("Rambunctious" Intrepid 9M)
I had it short hauled this spring when I purchased the boat. The boat has a bad case of ("boat pox") blisters. The blisters are very small, but hundreds (maybe thousands) in some areas and just a few scattered in others. I am going to try to tackle this project myself. I have read some books and info by Don Casey.
My questions are:
#1 Should all of the bottom paint be removed before the blisters
are popped or opened?
#2 What is your experience with "Peel Away #1"? Practical Sailor
says it works as well as "Peel Away Marine".
#3 Would it be fesible to grind off the gel coat in the bad areas
only, then grind open just the around the blister in the areas where they are scattered?
#4 Am I getting in over my head?
Any response would be helpful
Thanks, RJ
darenius@aol.com
-
David Timmins
Re: Intrepid 9M (Blisters)
I had my 20 year old Alberg 22 hauled out for the season last week
and I was also concerned about the "return of the dreaded pox".
Too avoid grinding , I had the bottom blasted with baking soda.
This worked out very well, very even (a 80 gritt finish) and
enviornmentally friendly.
My boat was de-poxed in the mid 80"s and the baking soda blast gently
opened a few new ones, leaving the gel coat ready for refinihing.
I'll let her dry out over the winter and deal with the bottom
in the spring.
Good Luck
dt
I am having my boat hauled out this week. ("Rambunctious" Intrepid 9M)
dtimmins@setworks.com
and I was also concerned about the "return of the dreaded pox".
Too avoid grinding , I had the bottom blasted with baking soda.
This worked out very well, very even (a 80 gritt finish) and
enviornmentally friendly.
My boat was de-poxed in the mid 80"s and the baking soda blast gently
opened a few new ones, leaving the gel coat ready for refinihing.
I'll let her dry out over the winter and deal with the bottom
in the spring.
Good Luck
dt
I am having my boat hauled out this week. ("Rambunctious" Intrepid 9M)
Rich Joiner wrote: I had it short hauled this spring when I purchased the boat. The boat has a bad case of ("boat pox") blisters. The blisters are very small, but hundreds (maybe thousands) in some areas and just a few scattered in others. I am going to try to tackle this project myself. I have read some books and info by Don Casey.
My questions are:
#1 Should all of the bottom paint be removed before the blisters
are popped or opened?
#2 What is your experience with "Peel Away #1"? Practical Sailor
says it works as well as "Peel Away Marine".
#3 Would it be fesible to grind off the gel coat in the bad areas
only, then grind open just the around the blister in the areas where they are scattered?
#4 Am I getting in over my head?
Any response would be helpful
Thanks, RJ
dtimmins@setworks.com