Hull Blisters

[mheflin]

Hi All,

New to the site so forgive me if I am repeating and old topic. I'm considering buying a DSII I found in the area. I noticed under the hull near the transom and generally around the water line a bunch of small blisters in the painted finish. They are small, say about the size of dimes. I've read some web text about fiberglass blisters, but I don't know much about it. Do you think this is cause for great alarm and am I about to make a mistake buying this boat, or is this something everyone encounters eventually? If it is bad, can I use the boat this summer and flip it this winter and do some hull repair?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated and Thanks in advance.

 

[centerline]

there is a lot of controversy on the issue of hull blisters..... there are some absolutes about them and some myths, but its generally accepted that except in extreme and rare cases, they wont sink your boat.
its really more of a personal thing whether you can live with them or not....

they may slow down a racer, but who is to say how much as they are hydrodynamically shaped...
a boat can still sail very well with blisters....
almost every fiberglass hull can get them if the boat is kept in the water for any length of time....
boats kept on trailers dont get them.....
they are not an immediate concern when found...
some people think they are the most horrendous thing a boat could have... others feel they will eventually be a part of a fiberglass hull and dont worry about them....
they can all be fixed, and then in a season or two, more can develop elsewhere....
it can and usually does reduce the value of the boat because they are present....

as for slowing a hull down, how many blisters, and of what size does it take to cause enough drag to make a difference?
Ive seen both steel and aluminum boats built for racing that have rippled and wrinkled bottoms from the welding process, that should cause more drag than the worst blistered hull that ive ever seen....

 

[mheflin]

there is a lot of controversy on the issue of hull blisters..... there are some absolutes about them and some myths, but its generally accepted that except in extreme and rare cases, they wont sink your boat.
its really more of a personal thing whether you can live with them or not....

they may slow down a racer, but who is to say how much as they are hydrodynamically shaped...
a boat can still sail very well with blisters....
almost every fiberglass hull can get them if the boat is kept in the water for any length of time....
boats kept on trailers dont get them.....
they are not an immediate concern when found...
some people think they are the most horrendous thing a boat could have... others feel they will eventually be a part of a fiberglass hull and dont worry about them....
they can all be fixed, and then in a season or two, more can develop elsewhere....
it can and usually does reduce the value of the boat because they are present....

as for slowing a hull down, how many blisters, and of what size does it take to cause enough drag to make a difference?
Ive seen both steel and aluminum boats built for racing that have rippled and wrinkled bottoms from the welding process, that should cause more drag than the worst blistered hull that ive ever seen....

Thanks for the response, Centerline.
I didn't know whether this was cause for catastrophic alarm or what. It sounds like you think it isn't the end of the world. Maybe I should negotiate somewhat with the owner, who is currently unaware of the problem and maybe take it like it is and enjoy the boat for a while. I plan to keep it on a trailer when not sailing so, it might not be so bad for a year or two.

Thanks again.

 

[Golden Road]

I would not worry about these blisters. If its been out of the water for several seasons then now is the time to sand them down and treat with epoxy. Otherwise just go sailing.

 

[mheflin]

Thanks, Golden Road.
It has been out of the water for a couple of years. I'll take your advice and just enjoy the boat.