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I got blisters, bad :(

Engines, Electric, Plumbing, etc.

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REBMystic
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:27 pm
Home Port: Mystic, CT

I got blisters, bad :(

Post by REBMystic »

Well, I knew this was going to be a bit of a project boat, but did not expect this. This week I had the yard soda blast the bottom to have it barrier coated and new bottom paint. The old bottom paint was patchy and not adhering well. 2 previous boats I had barrier coated with great results. Anyhow, the soda blasting did a great job at popping them. Yard said they were dry. The most affected areas: Transom is very bad. Keel in aft half is bad, and a few areas up in the bow not far from the bow thruster. My boat is a 2001 31TE, twin engine. Another Albin in our yard was blasted at the same time, a 2003 28 TE. It's hull looked great. Zero blisters. (50-50-90....) FYI my boat spent a good portion of it's life in AL and FL. When I bought it, the survey showed no visible signs of blisters or delamination (tap testing). (moisture meter not used since boat was in water and just pulled)

Spring commissioning will be a number of weeks later than I had expected :( I'm familiar with blisters in theory, but never repaired. Youtube has been great on seeing the range of methods. I will not be doing the full gelcoat removal, but should be able to grind out the affected areas to get good adhesion to filler. Wish me luck! Photo's attached for your viewing pleasure. (my boat blue bottom, Albin 28 white bottom) I'm here to help you feel better about your boat! :D
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- Rob
2001 Albin 31 TE
"Time On The Pond"
Nancy
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Home Port: Lake Champlain

Re: I got blisters, bad :(

Post by Nancy »

>>I'm here to help you feel better about your boat! :D<<
🤣 Glad you're keeping your sense of humor!
But seriously, that's really not what you want to run into during spring commissioning. You'll get there, though, and you'll know it's repaired the right way.
Nancy
2005 Albin 35CB
Yanmar 6LYA-STP 370
Valentine

Former boats
1995 Albin 28TE, Cummins 6BTA5.9 250, 2012-2022
1978 Trojan F32, 1998-2012
1983 Grady White 241 Weekender, 1988-1997
1980 Wellcraft 192 Classic, 1983-1987
Jkraft
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Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2019 9:22 pm
Home Port: Chestertown, MD

Re: I got blisters, bad :(

Post by Jkraft »

You aren’t the first and you won’t be the last. Yours does not look great but there is a 46 post on the hard next to me that looks about ten times worse. You will get through it and have one less thing to worry about. Good luck and take pictures as you progress for us.
USCG 100 Ton Master

Current boat:
"New Classic"
2006 31TE / Hull# 221
Cummins QSC 8.3 / 500 hp

Previous boats:
2002 28 TE with 315 Yanmar “Hair Of The Dog”
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REBMystic
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Posts: 123
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:27 pm
Home Port: Mystic, CT

Re: I got blisters, bad :(

Post by REBMystic »

Project update: Before grinding on Tuesday evening, I definitely saw wet spots in the gelcoat near the affected areas. That told me there were still un-popped blisters. Attached photos are after first round of grinding. You can still see some dark spots / un-popped blisters. So I have more grinding / sanding to do. Looks like I will need to get pretty much all the way to fiberglass in these area. I noticed the gelcoat was super thick in some spots, especially the keel. Once I get them all sanded out, I'll wash it well, clean with alcohol and let it dry for a week or two. This BoatUS article I found is the most straightforward on how to fix. I like it's suggestion on how to check for moisture. https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/ex ... ter-repair
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- Rob
2001 Albin 31 TE
"Time On The Pond"
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REBMystic
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:27 pm
Home Port: Mystic, CT

Re: I got blisters, bad :(

Post by REBMystic »

We are getting there with the blisters. After grinding all the affected areas I epoxied and faired the sections (faired as best as I could). Then sanded the epoxy smooth with 80 grid. Today the yard put first coat of barrier coat! Getting closer to launch!! (also compounded and waxed and replace 1 thru hull) :roll:
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- Rob
2001 Albin 31 TE
"Time On The Pond"
Nancy
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Posts: 1906
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:41 pm
Home Port: Lake Champlain

Re: I got blisters, bad :(

Post by Nancy »

She's looking good! It will be great to have this project behind you.
Nancy
2005 Albin 35CB
Yanmar 6LYA-STP 370
Valentine

Former boats
1995 Albin 28TE, Cummins 6BTA5.9 250, 2012-2022
1978 Trojan F32, 1998-2012
1983 Grady White 241 Weekender, 1988-1997
1980 Wellcraft 192 Classic, 1983-1987
User avatar
REBMystic
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 123
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:27 pm
Home Port: Mystic, CT

Re: I got blisters, bad :(

Post by REBMystic »

Nancy wrote: Mon Jun 03, 2024 10:34 pm She's looking good! It will be great to have this project behind you.
Thanks Nancy! Indeed it will! :D
- Rob
2001 Albin 31 TE
"Time On The Pond"
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