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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

blisters

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Larry
1st Mate

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USA
37 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/03/2007 : 15:20:56

I powerwashed the bottom of my boat the other day to get some of the loose paint off before re-painting. Afterwards I noticed some chips of gelcoat had been blown off. There must have been blisters I hadn't noticed. They are small - about 1/4 inch across. I just want to get it painted at this point. Is there a quick fix at this time? Can I just fill those with something and sand smooth, if so what should I use. I understand that a bigger project is in my future, but not this year. What if I just paint it the way it is? Thanks, any help will be appreciated.

Larry
"Kate Caroline" 1985
Great South Bay, Long Island, NY

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2007 : 17:06:55

Marine-Tex. smear it on, sand it smooth, paint it. I did a bottom job last year and it still looks great. Boat is still floating.

Make sure you get white. Their packaging is not distinctive as the color of the product.

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deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2007 : 20:50:14

Marine-Tex is great stuff. Just be aware that many sailors, having heard the ususal scare stories, over-react to blisters. They are not going to sink your boat in your lifetime..

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2007 : 07:57:06

I have never seen gelcoat blister blow off, do you actually see fibers in the holes?

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2007 : 12:34:29

Larry,

You can keep putting off the JOB of de-blistering your boat as long as you want...It won't sink with the blisters that you describe. I can't imagine any amount of blisters sinking a C-25. When you are ready to bite the bullet, and go for it, understand that to deblister a hull is a commitment in time and effort. Best to check with Interlux or similar manufacturers of like products needed when getting it on.

In my case it was a can of worms presented to me when I purchased a boat not in the best of condition. The hull bottom had the texture of a pineapple and this was removed with a "sand" blasting. The process was the perfect solution if you are not interested in sanding/ stripping/away all those years of annual hard bottom painting. In my case the sand blasting exposed a multitude of pea sized blisters.
I mentioned TIME as a commitment required in ridding a hull of blisters. You see there is a required drying out time after Dremmeling out those little buggers. The manufacturer of the supplies that you decide to use will fill you in on just what TIME is required to dry your
hull before proceeding with "the cure".

In my case I spent the summer having opened the blisters, dried them epoxying the holes, sanding them, and barrier coating them before painting. Having gone through this process I decided to go with ablative paints , wanting nothing to do with annual painting, with
its inherent problem of accumulating another pineapple textured bottom.

Choosing the right ablative is tricky and could be expensive, but when looking at the total picture pays for itself in the long run. The bottom pain on my boat is entering its sixth season. Fortunately I was able to do the job myself. Unfortunately New York has since closed the door on DIY bottom painting. I'm toying with the idea of hauling the boat to my home so that I might do the job again myself.

Val on CALISTA, #3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2007 : 12:53:50

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tinob
 Unfortunately New York has since closed the door on DIY bottom painting. I'm toying with the idea of hauling the boat to my home so that I might do the job again myself.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Val,

Does your marina not allow DIY bottom painting?

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2007 : 09:29:23

Don,
They haven't for the past five years. The problem is they may have instructed the applicators about the hazards of bottom paint technology but forgot to instruct them in how to MIX the damn stuff. I'd gladly allow the yard to paint my boat's bottom provided they allow me to stir the paint and supervise the application.

Val on CALISTA, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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