Water ballast and fiberglass

[Russ King]

I have read many articles about the horrors of blister and water-logged fiberglass. The articles are clear that you do not want water to penetrate the laminates in fiberglass.The question is, what do the manufacturers (i.e., Hunter) do to prevent water intrusion in water ballast sailboats? Is the INSIDE of the ballast tank gelcoated (ok) or epoxied (even better)? For that matter, what is done in the bilge area, or wherever water tends to collect?And how long do water ballast sailboats last compared to their non-water ballast siblings? Will a Hunter 260/270 fixed keel boat last longer than a Hunter 260 WB boat? Would you buy a 10 or 15 year old water ballast boat?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

good questioon

I recall seeing the inside of a Macgregor 26 water ballast which had been in salt water in excess of 5 years. There is alot to be said when no oxygen or sunlight can get in. The interior of the tank was fine. The same holds true for the hunter water ballast. Also, I was able to observe inside of a 23.5 Hunter water ballast tank and found no blistering and/or delamination. It is true if you do not treat the water in the tank that it will become rank and run you out once that it is opened up. Therefore, treat the water.I should know. I will not tell you of my vast knowledge but those who know me know that I know these boats too well.For the record, the first water ballasted boat left the factory behind my car and my daughter was with me.Crazy Dave Condon

 

[Tom]

Glass doesn't blister (does it?)

I am no expert, but I believe that blister problems arise in the "joint" between the fiberglass and the gel coat. I don't believe that water will penetrate the fiberglass hull unless there is a crack, hole, or other path for it to take. Water logged hulls and decks are from water seeping through a crack or hole -- where hardware is mounted, for instance -- into the underlying core. Since the ballast tank has no gel coat, no blisters will form.How long do they last? Plastic boats last forever... Let me quote from my favorite marine author, Ferenc Mate, from Best Boats about the transtion from wooden to plastic boats:"... and now we have armadas of sparkling shiny stuff, that came quickly and heartlessly and will float hard and indestructible until the end of time." It is for this reason above all that we must choose and build our boats with care, because a new eyesore today will be an old eyesore tomorrow, for something ugly or thoughtlessly built will not improve with age, it will just continue its cold and ugly life without the common decency to die. So if you are about to choose a boat, please choose a beautiful one, and if you are about to build, build well and from the heart, or all you'll end up doing is passing your sad misery to others. "Fair winds...Tom

 

[Ron Dague]

Fiberglass does blister

Exactly why is still subject to arguments by experts. To begin with, fiberglass resins are porous. Water will go through, admittedly very slowly. Indeed, there is almost no substance on earth that water won't eventually penetrate or disolve. Gel coat is nothing other than the basic fiberglass resin with a little silica and coloring agents added. It seems like the recent concensus is that blistering occurs because of improperly catalyzed resins imbedded in the lay-up, that then draw water in due to an osmotic process. But this is not agreed by everyone, and certainly other factors might contribute. Don't know if anyone was interested in this discussion, but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in!

 

[R.W.Landau]

Ron is correct

Ron, polyester resins are porous, gelcoat and the layup. The reaction causes the breakdown that results in an acid filled blister. If left untreated it will go on to attack the rest of the laminate.Russ, Your question is a good one. Water ballast has made no sense to me because of the problem. Blisters can start from inside just as they can start from outside. I have learned that keeping a bilge dry is as important as a barrier coat. I don't know what the water ballast mfg people have done to change this, but I think this is a good question to the mfg of any water ballast boat. r.w.landau