One sided blisters

[Clayton Salisbury]

Hello, I recently purchased an oday 27, It's been in drydock for two years and needs bottom paint. I sanded off the old remaining bottom paint, hidden underneathwere about 200 little blisters from pinhead size to pencil eraser (3 centimeters).They're all below the waterline and predominantly on the port side (maybe 10 total on the starboard side). I was wondering, would a hull thats been in drydock for two years still have active acid working in the blisters? I've used a dremel tool to grind about half of them and they were all dry, however I rinsed them anyway. Should I do all of them or has the osmotic action ceased to react. Also, why would they be on one side of the hull and not the other? Does it help to rinse them out with baking soda? Any simular problems, any recomendations? I plan to fill them barrier coat and bottom paint with interlux.

 

[Paul Mieszczenski]

No rhyme or reason

Clayton, There is no rhyme or reason to the blisters. I have two O'days (a 25 which is for sale, and our "new" 1985 28) and have had no blisters at all. However I have seen many other O'days and Pearsons that were covered with them.It sounds like you are on the right track with the grinding, filling, and barrier coating. I used to race on a Pearson 35 that we had to remove the whole bottom gel coat and fill, fair and two layer barrier coat. Never had a problem with it after that. Good Luck, PM

 

[Rodney Hubbard]

what I found on my boat

When I stripped the old bottom paint off of my boat 2 years ago I found a blister under each barnacle foot. I would bet that the side that had the most blisters was the side with the most sunshine where the boat was moored. To repair the damage I ground out the delaminated area ( normally the size of a quarter) and filled the depression with a 3-M blister repair kit. I got the blister repair kit at West Marine. Once the holes were filled I used an Interlux barrier coat then bottom paint. Rod