Am i Screwed?

[meb885]

I would have never noticed this if i had not taken a power washer to my boat and suddenly saw bright white spots turning into dark spots....aparently below the water line my gel coat is blistering and bubbling.... i have never noticed this before yesterday when i started applying cleaner to the bottom to get the hull clean (the blisters were there before i added any chemicals)

its not the whole hull primarily the observer side near the back.

i know theres a big debate between waxing below the water line but i've heard it prevents exactly this. i did not wax below the water line because of multiple boat places around me (i never asked the bu dealer) saying it was a waste of time and money. my boat sits in the water the majority of the season.

Is it to late for anything to be done, if not what can i do? how do i prevent it from happening again/spreading.

i'm freaking out. my "near perfect" gelcoat is not near perfect any more.

[edwin]

Sitting in the water will do it...I don't believe wax or the lack there of has anything to do with it.

[Big Mac]

Gelcoat is permeable to water. If the boat sits in the water for long periods of time, water can seep through it by osmosis and cause that blistering by separating the gel coat layer from the fiberglass layer. Most boat manufacturers exclude gelcoat blistering from their hull warranty. They recommend that if the boat is going to sit in the water for extended periods, the bottom be painted with some kind of barrier coat like Interlux bottom paint. Wax won't help. West Marine sells a lot of that stuff, and has articles on it.

Edited November 4, 2007 by Big Mac

[210vrs]

Gelcoat is permeable to water. If the boat sits in the water for long periods of time, water can seep through it by osmosis and cause that blistering by separating the gel coat layer from the fiberglass layer. Most boat manufacturers exclude gelcoat blistering from their hull warranty. They recommend that if the boat is going to sit in the water for extended periods, the bottom be painted with some kind of barrier coat like Interlux bottom paint. Wax won't help. West Marine sells a lot of that stuff, and has articles on it.

here in switzerland we keep our boats in water all the season. to prevent osmosis we use antifouling paint to build a osmosis barrier. the product is based on epoxy. you can find different make for this product.

[Chia]

I would have never noticed this if i had not taken a power washer to my boat and suddenly saw bright white spots turning into dark spots....aparently below the water line my gel coat is blistering and bubbling.... i have never noticed this before yesterday when i started applying cleaner to the bottom to get the hull clean (the blisters were there before i added any chemicals)

its not the whole hull primarily the observer side near the back.

i know theres a big debate between waxing below the water line but i've heard it prevents exactly this. i did not wax below the water line because of multiple boat places around me (i never asked the bu dealer) saying it was a waste of time and money. my boat sits in the water the majority of the season.

Is it to late for anything to be done, if not what can i do? how do i prevent it from happening again/spreading.

i'm freaking out. my "near perfect" gelcoat is not near perfect any more.

having read the article posted by Big Mac, it would appear that yes, you are screwed. It does not sound like an easy fix.

Is this still a problem with the newer boats, i have read about this before on this forum and wonder if Malibu has changed formulas (and what year) to address this?

[SacRiverRat]

You're screwed

[chadwick02]

hmm.

As far back as I can remember we've always had boats sitting in the water for a good 6 months out of the year, and never had a problem with the gel coat blistering on any of them. (now that I say this- the bottom of my boat will be a wreck next year...)

Is there something about different water or stuff in the water, or maybe the climate that makes this happen to some and not others?

[88Skier]

Bad news is there's nothing you can do about it. Good news is, it's below the water line. I have some blistering on my 88 Skier that has been moored for 2 months at a time for the past 15 years. You just got to live with it.

[meb885]

Bad news is there's nothing you can do about it. Good news is, it's below the water line. I have some blistering on my 88 Skier that has been moored for 2 months at a time for the past 15 years. You just got to live with it.

so should i just be using a gelcoat repair kit on each little bubble as they pop so as not to have the fiberglass exposed?

[SCOTTDOMINE]

Don't quite understand why waxing would not help below the water line. It would have to help somewhat. I know that the water may wear the wax off quickly, but it has to be better than nothing at all????

[SacRiverRat]

Don't quite understand why waxing would not help below the water line. It would have to help somewhat. I know that the water may wear the wax off quickly, but it has to be better than nothing at all????

How much wax do you really think is left on the hull after you rub on, then buff off? .... and then water blast it, for a couple hours. Whatever little bit of wax that was there would be long gone

If the dude stores his boat in the water, where would he wax the hull? If he could pull it out on a trailer, you think he would store it in the water?

[Big Mac]

Don't quite understand why waxing would not help below the water line. It would have to help somewhat. I know that the water may wear the wax off quickly, but it has to be better than nothing at all????

How much wax do you really think is left on the hull after you rub on, then buff off? .... and then water blast it, for a couple hours. Whatever little bit of wax that was there would be long gone

If the dude stores his boat in the water, where would he wax the hull? If he could pull it out on a trailer, you think he would store it in the water?

Pretty hard to wax a boat on a trailer and not have to skip some areas of the hull. Somehow, I don't see suspending the thing twice a year so it can be waxed, even if it DID do any good in protecting against gel coat blistering.

IMHO, if the boat's going to sit in the water, I think the owner's just going to have to spring for an epoxy barrier coat or take the risk that it will blister.

[Tory1340]

Our boats have always been in the water all season, and never a problem with blisters. Never though of bottom painting for fresh water, but maybe it's worth considering based on his results. Hmmm....

[jgouveia3]

i have never looked into BUs recommendation on boats left in water because I have a lift, but when I had my MCs in the past, they always recommended bottim painting, whether is was salt, brackish or fresh water.

[Big Mac]

I never know what to make of this blistering problem. It really seems to be a hit-or-miss proposition, and the majority don't seem to have a problem. There are so many variables that might contribute - water quality, humidity wind, sun....and even then, two boats from the same mfgr on the same lake and one will blister and the other not. Maybe a problem with that particular run of gelcoat spray, or that color...maybe some kind of contaminant on the hull mold, maybe the gelcoat got too thin in one area as it was sprayed on...I just don't know. The boat mfgrs OTOH seem pretty certain in their minds that it's entirely a physics problem and that ALL boats are prone to it. Their solution is therefore to cover their a$$es by excluding it from the warranty and recommending a barrier coat. I guess I'm not convinced that it's not a quality issue.

[onamission]

I would have never noticed this if i had not taken a power washer to my boat and suddenly saw bright white spots turning into dark spots....aparently below the water line my gel coat is blistering and bubbling.... i have never noticed this before yesterday when i started applying cleaner to the bottom to get the hull clean (the blisters were there before i added any chemicals)

If I have this correct, you had bright white spots on the boat then power washed it and they turned dark? Can you post any pics? I've never heard of blisters turning color. Most of the blisters that I've seen shrink in size after the hulls been out of the water for a couple on days and dries out.

Buy the way 5 boat over 20 years that stay in the water from May - Sept., (pulled out every 3 weeks or so and cleaned) and no prolbem with blisters on any of them.

Edited November 5, 2007 by onamission

[BlastRlxi]

I would have never noticed this if i had not taken a power washer to my boat and suddenly saw bright white spots turning into dark spots....aparently below the water line my gel coat is blistering and bubbling.... i have never noticed this before yesterday when i started applying cleaner to the bottom to get the hull clean (the blisters were there before i added any chemicals)

If I have this correct, you had bright white spots on the boat then power washed it and they turned dark? Can you post any pics? I've never heard of blisters turning color. Most of the blisters that I've seen shrink in size after the hulls been out of the water for a couple on days and dries out.

Buy the way 5 boat over 20 years that stay in the water from May - Sept., (pulled out every 3 weeks or so and cleaned) and no prolbem with blisters on any of them.

How long is it out of the water for cleaning? If it's out long enough to dry out, it will help prevent blisters.

[robert12]

my baja got blisters in 2 years they started in the rear the 1st year i saw them when i pulled it but i did not know what it was and though it was from the factory well at the end of the next year they were all over the bottom so i got a lift and never touched them they didnot break open DONT TOUCH THEM KEEP IT ON A LIFT AND THEY WONT GET ANY WORSE-----------I WAS TOLD THAT THE BOAT WILL GO FASTER WITH ALL THE LITTLE BUMPS----

[JAGMAN]

The boat I grew up on had the osmotic blisters on its bottom. They were there for 20 years, and never "popped". They typically will shrink or even disappear completely if the boat is left out of the water for a few months. So, if you are going to go the route of painting the bottom, I would wait until spring, just before you drop it in for the season. That will give the blisters the most time to shrink.

Aside from that get a lift, or just live with the blisters. They won't hurt anything....They will just bug you forever interminably.

[meb885]

I would have never noticed this if i had not taken a power washer to my boat and suddenly saw bright white spots turning into dark spots....aparently below the water line my gel coat is blistering and bubbling.... i have never noticed this before yesterday when i started applying cleaner to the bottom to get the hull clean (the blisters were there before i added any chemicals)

If I have this correct, you had bright white spots on the boat then power washed it and they turned dark? Can you post any pics? I've never heard of blisters turning color. Most of the blisters that I've seen shrink in size after the hulls been out of the water for a couple on days and dries out.

Buy the way 5 boat over 20 years that stay in the water from May - Sept., (pulled out every 3 weeks or so and cleaned) and no prolbem with blisters on any of them.

let me clarify.... the psi of the water from the power washer popped a couple of the blisters....hence going from white gelcoat to not white fiberglass.

it will be out of the water from now till spring (at least late march or april)...so it will have plenty of time of not having water on it...i'll tell u i gotta take some pix tho....i got her cleaned up better then when i took delivery at the dealership last year.....

This Pic is an example of how much work i put into detailing the boat this year....the black where the white lettering is was GREY since i got it, dealership told me it was a defect in the gelcoat if i remember right..... you be the judge. (you can still see a LITTLE of the grey color at the bottom by the stripes, the whole back looked like that.

[SacRiverRat]

Is it ok to powerwash the hull? Seems rough to me..

[kengrutza]

I bought my 93 and it had blisters like what you are describing all over the sides where the boat was in the water, it was getting worse below the water line.

I am having the blisters "fixed" as the boat is not going to be spending extended stays in the water again (more than a week on vaca). I have heard differing theories but, most are agreed on that they are due to the porous nature of fiberglass and gelcoat. It is not covered under warranty and I would agree with the posters who say to bottom paint the boat. The lesss than totally smooth surface on the bottom will actually help the boat turn and move on the water. (as I am told)

I would take it to your local glass guy and see what he says and what he charges to fix and bottom paint.

Hope this helps,

Ken

I would have never noticed this if i had not taken a power washer to my boat and suddenly saw bright white spots turning into dark spots....aparently below the water line my gel coat is blistering and bubbling.... i have never noticed this before yesterday when i started applying cleaner to the bottom to get the hull clean (the blisters were there before i added any chemicals)

its not the whole hull primarily the observer side near the back.

i know theres a big debate between waxing below the water line but i've heard it prevents exactly this. i did not wax below the water line because of multiple boat places around me (i never asked the bu dealer) saying it was a waste of time and money. my boat sits in the water the majority of the season.

Is it to late for anything to be done, if not what can i do? how do i prevent it from happening again/spreading.

i'm freaking out. my "near perfect" gelcoat is not near perfect any more.

[chadwick02]

hmm.

As far back as I can remember we've always had boats sitting in the water for a good 6 months out of the year, and never had a problem with the gel coat blistering on any of them. (now that I say this- the bottom of my boat will be a wreck next year...)

Is there something about different water or stuff in the water, or maybe the climate that makes this happen to some and not others?

DANGIT!!! And now, almost a year later since I made that post, I have to eat my words. I just noticed this weekend small bumps right at, and just below the water line. We've had boats for the past 20 years sit in the water at our lake house for 6 months a year without a problem. A few others on the lake have noticed the same thing, and have not had problems in the past. We have had an over abundance of rain this year (its been down right soggy here!). Someone mentioned maybe all the rain changed the amount of acid in the water causing the blisters? The only other thing that changed this year compared to the past few years is that typically we take the boat out for a week twice a summer to go on trips, and this summer we did not take it out at all. It has sat in the water since the middle of April.

I'm at a loss of what to do right now, or if I should worry about it? This summer is ending early for us. We've got 3 weeks left before the summer is over since they are lowering the lake for damn repairs September 3rd. I could pull the boat out now for a few days and let it dry and see if that helps? I'd rather not pull it out - we typically ski 2 or 3 times a week + the weekends, and I'd hate to loose a week of skiing with only 3 weeks left in the summer. Plus, its been so freekin humid and rainy lately I’m not sure if anything will “dry” very quickly.

Is it critical that I pull it out and let it dry now, or do people think it will be ok for a few more weeks? I’m kinda freakin out a little over this!!

[68Slalom]

hmm.

As far back as I can remember we've always had boats sitting in the water for a good 6 months out of the year, and never had a problem with the gel coat blistering on any of them. (now that I say this- the bottom of my boat will be a wreck next year...)

Is there something about different water or stuff in the water, or maybe the climate that makes this happen to some and not others?

DANGIT!!! And now, almost a year later since I made that post, I have to eat my words. I just noticed this weekend small bumps right at, and just below the water line. We've had boats for the past 20 years sit in the water at our lake house for 6 months a year without a problem. A few others on the lake have noticed the same thing, and have not had problems in the past. We have had an over abundance of rain this year (its been down right soggy here!). Someone mentioned maybe all the rain changed the amount of acid in the water causing the blisters? The only other thing that changed this year compared to the past few years is that typically we take the boat out for a week twice a summer to go on trips, and this summer we did not take it out at all. It has sat in the water since the middle of April.

I'm at a loss of what to do right now, or if I should worry about it? This summer is ending early for us. We've got 3 weeks left before the summer is over since they are lowering the lake for damn repairs September 3rd. I could pull the boat out now for a few days and let it dry and see if that helps? I'd rather not pull it out - we typically ski 2 or 3 times a week + the weekends, and I'd hate to loose a week of skiing with only 3 weeks left in the summer. Plus, its been so freekin humid and rainy lately I’m not sure if anything will “dry” very quickly.

Is it critical that I pull it out and let it dry now, or do people think it will be ok for a few more weeks? I’m kinda freakin out a little over this!!

I would pull it out, in risk of letting the gelcoat lift more. At least pull it out of the water and let a pro. take a look at it, just as a second opinion.

Good Luck, I wish I could get out 2-3 time a week period, your one of the lucky ones in that regard.

[68Slalom]

I bought my 93 and it had blisters like what you are describing all over the sides where the boat was in the water, it was getting worse below the water line.

I am having the blisters "fixed" as the boat is not going to be spending extended stays in the water again (more than a week on vaca). I have heard differing theories but, most are agreed on that they are due to the porous nature of fiberglass and gelcoat. It is not covered under warranty and I would agree with the posters who say to bottom paint the boat. The lesss than totally smooth surface on the bottom will actually help the boat turn and move on the water. (as I am told)

I would take it to your local glass guy and see what he says and what he charges to fix and bottom paint.

Hope this helps,

Ken

I would have never noticed this if i had not taken a power washer to my boat and suddenly saw bright white spots turning into dark spots....aparently below the water line my gel coat is blistering and bubbling.... i have never noticed this before yesterday when i started applying cleaner to the bottom to get the hull clean (the blisters were there before i added any chemicals)

its not the whole hull primarily the observer side near the back.

i know theres a big debate between waxing below the water line but i've heard it prevents exactly this. i did not wax below the water line because of multiple boat places around me (i never asked the bu dealer) saying it was a waste of time and money. my boat sits in the water the majority of the season.

Is it to late for anything to be done, if not what can i do? how do i prevent it from happening again/spreading.

i'm freaking out. my "near perfect" gelcoat is not near perfect any more.

I'm not a pro at gelcoat, but I thought that there is a layer of sealer between the fiberglass and the gelcoat Can anyone answer that question? So gelcoat should be repairable if the fiberglass hasn't been damaged, and even then you can still fix the fiberglass. Just depends on how much that costs.