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Blisters
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From: Anthony Vivenzio [vivenzio@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Friday, June 02, 2000 12:16 AM Subject: Re:Bottom Problems! ...Some bad news today: Six years ago I coated the bottom of Eire with six coats of West epoxy, and then four coats of Micron. I later moved to salt water moorage. I hauled out today to find that the Micron had been very effective, but that a couple of thousand blisters graced the bottom. Pressing one led to liquid seeping within the layer. Breaking one led to ejecting some liquid. A strange fact is that the blisters are also on the iron keel, which has no fiberglass coating, only the epoxy. Am I doomed? What should I do to cope with this situation, short of drinking bilge water? Any help or referral would be greatly appreciated. I believe the boat is of Hinterhoeller vintage built in 1967. Thanks, Bill for whatever you can offer! From: ccs [ccs@direct.ca] Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 4:37 PM To: vivenzio@worldnet.att.net Subject: SHARK BOTTOMS ...are the blisters in the paint or are they in the glass? Moving the boat to salt water will not be the cause of the blisters. If the blisters are in the Micron, get out your scraper and try a differenent paint. Usually with Micron, being that it is a soft paint, if you in fact used a soft paint, doesn't require any more that one or two coats. Four may not have had ample drying or curing time. If the blisters are in the epoxy, well then what you have is typical Osmosis. They need to be popped, then honed out with a grinder, let to dry, filled in and then faired, before applying anitfouling paint. If your epoxy was not still curing when you painted the Micron then then the blisters are for sure in the paint. Epoxy curing puts out a small amount of curing gases which could have raised the paint. On the alternative so can the gases lift top ayers of epoxy causing them to separate. Try this, pop a blister and grind it down a bit (slowly) if the underlying glass is solid then strip the paint. repaint following manufacturers instructions which may also require a primer coat of some type, check with your paint supplier or a ship yard that uses the paint you are planning to use. As to the keel, well it's cast iron, there is no way paint can properly seal the iron. On our boat the keel was ground to shine then filled with epoxy resin and sealed with multiple layers of mat and rove. My specific requirement to my shipright was when he was done with the keel I would take a 10 lb sledge and pop it a good one...no cracks, no leaching no problems for at least one year and he would be paid for his services, it worked our keel is now properly protected from our most dreaded local hazzard - - deadheads (logging you know causes lot's if different kinds of grief if not properly managed.) I will try to locate some pictures for you as to the specific steps taken in refitting a keel. Our hull also experienced a major refit after an oil spill in our harbour leached in behind the clear layer of the gel coat. The hull was professional peeled, faired and painted with AwlGrip, along with reenforcing the transom. A major job better left to professionals. As to blisters my experience managing two marinas and a charter/sailing school has taught me that blisters are blisters, a messy job but some has got to do it...good luck.. Bye the Bye..if you hear of anyone with a new or near new BAL-HED (toilet) let me know. Good luck, let know how this resolves itself. C. C. Steward (Chad) SQUALUS #207 Vancouver British Columbia Canada |