I was giving my hull a very good scouring with Starbright Hull Cleaner as a first step for bottom painting with VC17 when I noticed a row of hard bumps alongside the keel well approximately amidship on the port side {maybe 15-20, pin head to eraser head size covering an area about 3"x18"}, and another 6-8 of them on the transom just below the seam where the upperwork meets the hull. They have no softness or spring to them and I would like to hope that they were runs or sloppy workmanship. Is this possible, or should I treat they like "blisters"? Thanks, Don
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one way to find out
You're getting ready for bottom paint. So there will be some sanding going on; sand them flat and see if they open up. If they don't open up; paint. If they do; fix them and apply a barrier coat. If they don't and they're back next year; dig deeper. I ran into a bunch of 'bumps' similar to what you discribe, around the water line on the aft portion of my boat when I was painting my hull last year. They turned out to just be bumps in the surface finish. They were no big deal.
You're getting ready for bottom paint. So there will be some sanding going on; sand them flat and see if they open up. If they don't open up; paint. If they do; fix them and apply a barrier coat. If they don't and they're back next year; dig deeper. I ran into a bunch of 'bumps' similar to what you discribe, around the water line on the aft portion of my boat when I was painting my hull last year. They turned out to just be bumps in the surface finish. They were no big deal.
Pop one or two. If there's liquid and it
smells like vinegar, they're blisters. If they are, no big deal. sand or grind them out, dry with a heat gun, apply your favorite epoxy putty. Bottom paint.
smells like vinegar, they're blisters. If they are, no big deal. sand or grind them out, dry with a heat gun, apply your favorite epoxy putty. Bottom paint.
Fred, Drying takes a bit more than that.
You don't want to just dry out the local area, you need to make sure that this is not a drainage area for the area(square feet) around it.If it is, a time will dry it, not a hair dryer. The Hair dryer will help you make a patch, but it may show up somewhere else next year. So, sometimes the short term is what you want but just so you know, the long term may require some more work. r.w.landau
You don't want to just dry out the local area, you need to make sure that this is not a drainage area for the area(square feet) around it.If it is, a time will dry it, not a hair dryer. The Hair dryer will help you make a patch, but it may show up somewhere else next year. So, sometimes the short term is what you want but just so you know, the long term may require some more work. r.w.landau
Blister over keel bolts
I can't speak to the transom blisters, but I have/had keel bumps on one side too. rw, Moody posted a picture of his C-30 keel in a thread on keel bolts. The spacing of those transverse bolts looks exactly like the spacing of the bumps I had (which are receding somewhat). It adds more weight to the theory that water in the bilge makes its way along the bolts and oozes out at the nuts, causing blisters from inside the keel, as opposed to water coming in through porous gelcoat covering the lead keel.
I can't speak to the transom blisters, but I have/had keel bumps on one side too. rw, Moody posted a picture of his C-30 keel in a thread on keel bolts. The spacing of those transverse bolts looks exactly like the spacing of the bumps I had (which are receding somewhat). It adds more weight to the theory that water in the bilge makes its way along the bolts and oozes out at the nuts, causing blisters from inside the keel, as opposed to water coming in through porous gelcoat covering the lead keel.
FIRST OFF
don't use VC-17. Get real bottom paint. Something that sticks to the bottom and other paint! I think the blister you are seeing are in the gel coat. Nothing to worry about. Blister are a problem when they are big. I would keep my eye on them but not worry about them.
don't use VC-17. Get real bottom paint. Something that sticks to the bottom and other paint! I think the blister you are seeing are in the gel coat. Nothing to worry about. Blister are a problem when they are big. I would keep my eye on them but not worry about them.
VC17 Works great
I have used it on my boat the last three years and would never use anything else. I am sailing in the great lakes and I don't know if results would vary in salt water. It is easy to apply, gives awesome protection, and it is easy to apply a new coat the next year. I have never had anything thing stick to my hull. It take me an hour tops to roll on a fresh coat each spring and splash I am in the water!
I have used it on my boat the last three years and would never use anything else. I am sailing in the great lakes and I don't know if results would vary in salt water. It is easy to apply, gives awesome protection, and it is easy to apply a new coat the next year. I have never had anything thing stick to my hull. It take me an hour tops to roll on a fresh coat each spring and splash I am in the water!
I have had similar problems
Re the blisters: Open up all blisters. If there are not so many of them that you can pop them and fill them w/West then that is what you should do. Your description seems to indicate this is the case, Letting them dry out is essential and a winter layover should suffice if you pop the blisters at haulout. If you missed your opportunity this year - I would wait another year. When you pop them, and open them up you will be able to assess just how serious they are. If damage is very localized it is no big deal. When you open the blisters, you will be able to tell.
Re the blisters: Open up all blisters. If there are not so many of them that you can pop them and fill them w/West then that is what you should do. Your description seems to indicate this is the case, Letting them dry out is essential and a winter layover should suffice if you pop the blisters at haulout. If you missed your opportunity this year - I would wait another year. When you pop them, and open them up you will be able to assess just how serious they are. If damage is very localized it is no big deal. When you open the blisters, you will be able to tell.
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