in working on my '77 H27. We decided that this year would be a "work on the Hunter before launch, no matter how long it takes". So, we left the winter shrink wrap on while we worked on the wood and varnish and caulking and...it got so hot that we laid off for a while and used the other (power, sorry) boat while we couldn't get work done. (No, the power boat wasn't the mistake, guys!) The mistake was leaving the shrink on. I discovered a lot of very small (1/8 inch max) blisters in the gel coat in a couple of areas where the shrink apparently made contact with the upper hull over a long period. The areas are about one to less than two square feet in size. I'd like to have any input on the actual cause and correction of this problem. Thanks
Made a mistake..
- Thread starter JG H27
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gelcoat or paint?
Is it possible what you believe to be the gelcoat is actually paint which would be far more likely to bubble under these circumstances? Don
Is it possible what you believe to be the gelcoat is actually paint which would be far more likely to bubble under these circumstances? Don
heat and gelcoat
If the shrink wrap is applied so it extends below the gunnel care must be taken appling the heat required to shrink the wrap. It is likely that as the wrap was heated with a torch, the heat was applied too close to the boat's hull and as a result damaged the gelcoat.
If the shrink wrap is applied so it extends below the gunnel care must be taken appling the heat required to shrink the wrap. It is likely that as the wrap was heated with a torch, the heat was applied too close to the boat's hull and as a result damaged the gelcoat.
What I would do
It was Hunter's mistake, not yours when you left the shrink wrap on over the summer. It would seem that there was moisture already in the problem spots and the shrink wrap trapped the moisture and, as temperatures got warmer, the moisture expanded causing blisters. Since this is above the waterline, you are probably not dealing with structural issues. The size of the blisters you describe also make me think this is not structural. I would open up the blisters and allow them to dryout for as long as practical. Heat lamps would be good. i would fill the dried voids with West Epoxy and sand smooth. I would then order a gell coat paint that was computer matched to my hull, apply that and sand smooth w/very very fine grit wet/dry.
It was Hunter's mistake, not yours when you left the shrink wrap on over the summer. It would seem that there was moisture already in the problem spots and the shrink wrap trapped the moisture and, as temperatures got warmer, the moisture expanded causing blisters. Since this is above the waterline, you are probably not dealing with structural issues. The size of the blisters you describe also make me think this is not structural. I would open up the blisters and allow them to dryout for as long as practical. Heat lamps would be good. i would fill the dried voids with West Epoxy and sand smooth. I would then order a gell coat paint that was computer matched to my hull, apply that and sand smooth w/very very fine grit wet/dry.
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