On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:51:41 GMT, "Janet O'Leary"
wrote:

For you experts:: if a boat has a few,, blisters in the gel below
water line, forward toward the bow ??

Is this a "run away fast" boat?

Or,, are the blisters a fix it item.


It depends.

Here's a good starting point:

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/BuyingBlisterBoat.htm

More he

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/blisters.htm

On Dec 11, 2:00 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:51:41 GMT, "Janet O'Leary"

wrote:
For you experts:: if a boat has a few,, blisters in the gel below
water line, forward toward the bow ??

Is this a "run away fast" boat?

Or,, are the blisters a fix it item.

It depends.

Here's a good starting point:

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/BuyingBlisterBoat.htm

More he

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/blisters.htm

Ignore them and do not try to "fix" them. ALL fixes regardless of how
they are done are far worse than the blisters themselves and fixes
rarely work. Blisters simply are not a problem at all. There has
never been a case of gel coat blisters causing structural problems and
I defy anybody to show such a case. I Once re-did the entire bottom
of a boat that was blistered by grinding and them filling with epoxy
and epoxying the entire hull and then realized that it was a waste of
time and money. The blisters were not any problem at all although
they were all over the hull. Gel coat blisters are simply not a real
problem.

On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:29:45 -0800 (PST), Frogwatch
wrote:

The blisters were not any problem at all although
they were all over the hull. Gel coat blisters are simply not a real
problem.

They are a very real problem if you care about boat speed in light
air, or if you ever want to sell the boat.

On Dec 11, 2:00*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:51:41 GMT, "Janet O'Leary"

wrote:
For you experts:: *if a boat has a few,, blisters in the gel below
water line, forward toward the bow ??

Is this a "run away fast" boat?

Or,, are the blisters a fix it item.

It depends.

Here's a good starting point:

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/BuyingBlisterBoat.htm

More he

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/blisters.htm

FWIW, I happen to know the subject Morgan 46 this surveyor trashed.
Not mine, but a friend who shall remain nameless - and the boat is one
I'd love to have. I've also peeled back many layers of delam from
blisters on our boat over time, not to mention the wreck's delam. The
blisters weren't enough to sink a boat - but Don Casey, whose opinion
I respect, has interesting things to say about moisture and
delamination and the potential for serious damage. His info suggests
water in, rather than out of, the boat, is more serious an issue WRT
delam...

Not seeing the boat, I'd have to say it's not a problem, based on the
description. We ground out and repaired 800 on ours before we
launched. Following that, it survived a rather spectacular wreck...

L8R

Skip and Crew

Why are you asking these 1980's questions? The answer to all your
queries is the same... rub some cowflap on your cheeks and it will all
go away.

wrote in message
...
Why are you asking these 1980's questions? The answer to all your
queries is the same... rub some cowflap on your cheeks and it will all
go away.
Maybe she's a 1980's kind of girl...

On Dec 12, 9:45 am, "mmc" wrote:
wrote in message

... Why are you asking these 1980's questions? The answer to all your
queries is the same... rub some cowflap on your cheeks and it will all
go away.

Maybe she's a 1980's kind of girl...

On a list of the top 100 things that affect sailing ability, gel coat
blisters would not even make it on the list.
One could probably come up with 100 ways to improve sailing ability on
the average cruising boat more than getting rid of blisters.
A good example, most cruising boats are compromises, I happen to have
a shoal keel for cruising the shallow N. Gulf of Mexico whereas a deep
keel would give seriously better sailing performance. Absence of
blisters would make an insignificant change in performance and gel
coat blisters are not a structural or safety issue so I would not even
consider them in whether to buy a boat or not.

Frogwatch wrote:
On a list of the top 100 things that affect sailing ability, gel coat
blisters would not even make it on the list.
One could probably come up with 100 ways to improve sailing ability on
the average cruising boat more than getting rid of blisters.

Considering the condition of the average cruising boat, you're
probably right.


A good example, most cruising boats are compromises, I happen to have
a shoal keel for cruising the shallow N. Gulf of Mexico whereas a deep
keel would give seriously better sailing performance.

Not in your area. Running aground more often is not a way to improve
performance.... in your case I'd say you made a wise compromise! A big
centerboard or lifting keel can do both, but involves more maintenance
and/or structural issues and/or reduced accomodation.


... *Absence of
blisters would make an insignificant change in performance and gel
coat blisters are not a structural or safety issue so I would not even
consider them in whether to buy a boat or not.

But you'd consider the potential impact if they were serious blisters
in the laminate, and take the time to investigate. Time is money! And
if you were to consider making an offer, you'd make it less. Be
realistic!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

On Dec 12, 10:09 pm, wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
On a list of the top 100 things that affect sailing ability, gel coat
blisters would not even make it on the list.
One could probably come up with 100 ways to improve sailing ability on
the average cruising boat more than getting rid of blisters.

Considering the condition of the average cruising boat, you're
probably right.

A good example, most cruising boats are compromises, I happen to have
a shoal keel for cruising the shallow N. Gulf of Mexico whereas a deep
keel would give seriously better sailing performance.

Not in your area. Running aground more often is not a way to improve
performance.... in your case I'd say you made a wise compromise! A big
centerboard or lifting keel can do both, but involves more maintenance
and/or structural issues and/or reduced accomodation.

... Absence of
blisters would make an insignificant change in performance and gel
coat blisters are not a structural or safety issue so I would not even
consider them in whether to buy a boat or not.

But you'd consider the potential impact if they were serious blisters
in the laminate, and take the time to investigate. Time is money! And
if you were to consider making an offer, you'd make it less. Be
realistic!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Even with a shoal keel I figure that if I dont run aground most times
I go "gunkholing" I am not having much fun. All the cool places are
in shallow water. Running aground abrades the barnacles off so you
get more time between bottom painting.