Now that all the paint bottom paint has been removed, (well about 90%, I still have a small section left on the starboard side) I can begin to formulate a plan to repair the blisters. But that repair is going to have to wait a bit...
...because after getting down to the gelcoat and letting the boat sit for a few days these dark spots started to appear on the hull.
I smeared them with my finger to make them go away thinking it might have been dew or something.
Well that wasn't it either; the dark spots returned. So I believe there is water in the gelcoat and the fiberglass laminate. The paint must have been holding the moisture in. I do not believe it is a lot of moisture but I will have to let it dry out before beginning repairs. Epoxy will not adhere to the hull unless it is completely dry. I am ok with this since I am in no rush. The boat is covered and has been out of the water for a year now. Actually, having said that..I really do need to get moving!
That big white spot is the previous owner's attempt at filling an old hole in the boat where there used to be a saltwater intake to the galley sink. The patch worked but it was not done properly. I believe all he did was fill the hole with an epoxy putty and some of it was still wet when I sanded over it. I was always a bit leery of the repair because of other things the previous owner had done in a similar slap-dash manner. I will have to grind all that out and repair it correctly.
So on to the next big job: Removing all the deck fittings, hand rails, stanchions and teak from the topside decks.
This sounds like a daunting task that will be amazing once completed. Liking forward to future updates!
ReplyDeleteYou might want to open those small blisters up with a knife or dremel tool and dry them out.
ReplyDelete