Dream Boat Has Osmosis, What to Do?

[The Real Flipper]

So after much searching I found a boat that I really love, at a good price due to needing a bunch of minor maintenance.
A few leaks in windows and hatches, water tank needs flush and new hoses, a lot of cleanup, etc.

The boat would normally be totally 'out of my league' budget wise. So I was VERY excited to have her.
Being a 'minor project' boat I thought I had gotten lucky.
Until I found about a couple pairs of osmosis blisters! They have been popped and did have acid inside so osmosis confirmed.

Now I'm not sure what to do. And frankly I feel gutted.
I could walk away but I've already sunk about 3 days of work and several hundred dollars into the boat, including sanding and new antifouling.
I can't afford to replace it with anything remotely close.

SO: I'm afraid to sail it this summer and repair this winter in case the osmosis gets worse.
I don't know why there are only a handful of blisters. Maybe hundreds of others are lurking?
Water meters show a dry hull except for osmosis spots which I don't get.
There are several layers of Primocon and antifouling which may be hiding more starter blisters.

Other than the osmosis the engine is recent, rigging is good, and there are some nice electronics, and overall the boat was well cared for and in good condition.
Seller doesn't want to drop price much more because the boat is already cheap for it's make and model and I can't really argue. He's right.

Anything else I could afford would be too small for a live aboard. So I'm really torn.

Suggestions and advice much appreciated.

 

[geem]

Are you serious! A couple of blisters! OMG it might sink!

 

[Rappey]

Some will spend thousands stripping gel coat and going to town.
Others wouldn't be bothered and would grind out the blisters and epoxy fill when they get round to it.

 

[Plum]

So after much searching I found a boat that I really love, at a good price due to needing a bunch of minor maintenance.
A few leaks in windows and hatches, water tank needs flush and new hoses, a lot of cleanup, etc.

The boat would normally be totally 'out of my league' budget wise. So I was VERY excited to have her.
Being a 'minor project' boat I thought I had gotten lucky.
Until I found about a couple pairs of osmosis blisters! They have been popped and did have acid inside so osmosis confirmed.

Now I'm not sure what to do. And frankly I feel gutted.
I could walk away but I've already sunk about 3 days of work and several hundred dollars into the boat, including sanding and new antifouling.
I can't afford to replace it with anything remotely close.

SO: I'm afraid to sail it this summer and repair this winter in case the osmosis gets worse.
I don't know why there are only a handful of blisters. Maybe hundreds of others are lurking?
Water meters show a dry hull except for osmosis spots which I don't get.
There are several layers of Primocon and antifouling which may be hiding more starter blisters.

Other than the osmosis the engine is recent, rigging is good, and there are some nice electronics, and overall the boat was well cared for and in good condition.
Seller doesn't want to drop price much more because the boat is already cheap for it's make and model and I can't really argue. He's right.

Anything else I could afford would be too small for a live aboard. So I'm really torn.

Suggestions and advice much appreciated.

Don't panic! No boat has ever sunk due to osmosis. Use it as a price negotiation issue, even though the seller says no, does he/she have anone else interested? If the price is right then it's ok.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Tranona]

Grind out the holes, fill, Primocon, antifoul and go sailing! Nothing is going to happen, your boat won't sink and the worst you will see is a couple more blisters next year that you treat the same.

 

[PCUK]

Yes, ignore the hype, treat the blisters as they appear and enjoy your dream boat as it won't become a nightmare unless you let it!

 

[KompetentKrew]

Congrats on finding your dream boat! ??

 

[The Real Flipper]

Wow OK so maybe I've overestimated this.
There aren't any other buyers right now as the boat is technically 'sold' and off the market.
The vendor has indicated that I can use this for further negotiation so now I'm thinking that's what I'll do!
Even though I won't get much lower price. I really was more concerned with the problem.

So that then leaves dealing with the already popped holes.
I suppose then I'll sand them out with my small power sander (I also have a dremel if that's better?).
Then epoxy, primocon, and antifoul per suggestions.

I was planning to sand down all the antifouling and Primocon next winter as the vendor suggested since there are so many layers.
And maybe gel shield if I'm up to the work.

Thanks for the advice everyone!
Since the boat is not replaceable I'll deal with the osmosis ?

 

[Momac]

Until I found about a couple pairs of osmosis blisters! They have been popped and did have acid inside so osmosis confirmed.


Suggestions and advice much appreciated.

As said really - doesn't sound like a lot to worry about.
Leaky windows sound like a bigger issue .
Localised repair to the blisters .

When my boat was out in March the boat next to me had so many blisters there was no hull area below the water line without a blister per square inch. Now that might be something to worry about. A shame really as its otherwise its a very nice older boat.
.

 

[Poignard]

You have got a good bargaining chip. Why not use it to maximum advantage?

 

[ashtead]

I was once in the boatyard doing my anti fouling etc and there was this retired chap boat next door who spent about 2 weeks cutting out blisters and filling and he said it was therapeutic. He didn’t work that fast,had his deck chair ,thermos and sandwiches and seemed to spend as much time looking acros Portsmouth harbour,having his meals and snacks chatting as working but he clearly enjoyed life in the yard so I guess if you lift out with a nice view and good weather and have the time it might be less of a chore than you might fear.

 

[The Real Flipper]

I was once in the boatyard doing my anti fouling etc and there was this retired chap boat next door who spent about 2 weeks cutting out blisters and filling and he said it was therapeutic. He didn’t work that fast,had his deck chair ,thermos and sandwiches and seemed to spend as much time looking acros Portsmouth harbour,having his meals and snacks chatting as working but he clearly enjoyed life in the yard so I guess if you lift out with a nice view and good weather and have the time it might be less of a chore than you might fear.

I suppose the work itself will be therapeutic. I found when looking for a boat that I actually just enjoy being in boat yards.
Call me crazy but anything's better than the office. LOL.
By the sound of it osmosis is overrated.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Wow OK so maybe I've overestimated this.
There aren't any other buyers right now as the boat is technically 'sold' and off the market.
The vendor has indicated that I can use this for further negotiation so now I'm thinking that's what I'll do!
Even though I won't get much lower price. I really was more concerned with the problem.

So that then leaves dealing with the already popped holes.
I suppose then I'll sand them out with my small power sander (I also have a dremel if that's better?).
Then epoxy, primocon, and antifoul per suggestions.

I was planning to sand down all the antifouling and Primocon next winter as the vendor suggested since there are so many layers.
And maybe gel shield if I'm up to the work.

Thanks for the advice everyone!
Since the boat is not replaceable I'll deal with the osmosis ?

IMHO the sander won't be suitable for the job. The Dremel might, with a suitable tool attached. A sander will take the top off the blister, but you need to go slightly deeper, to dig out the delaminated layup
The weapon of choice is an angle grinder. Lidl or Aldi are sure to offer DIY-quality cordless models soon at a comparatively cheap price. Besides osmosis, you will find all sorts of uses for it.

 

[zoidberg]

The posts above are quite right, 'Real Flipper' or whatever. Osmosis is mostly a cosmetic matter, quite easily dealt with. The real cost of repairs, even in the hands of a pro, will be modest. Even less if you learn to, and do it yourself.

The boat is ideal for your purposes, you say, so I'd recommend you go right ahead and come to a reasonable, fair and amicable agreement with the owner. 'Win-win' for both of you, that you both can feel content with....

 

[Concerto]

Now some words of encouragement. Osmosis blisters are really just localised boils, but once filled a few more may keep appearing. Once you have mastered fixing the first ones, it will become part of your regular maintenance.

Older boats can be made to look a lot better with lots of TLC. I should know as I have been working on my boat for 8 years and nearly completed a full renovation.

https://wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk/images/3/3f/Concerto.pdf

This short video is 18 months later than the above link to show even more work completed.

If you want to know what I am currently doing, then click on the link in my signature and then read this thread and the further links.
Round Britian day 1

 

[john_morris_uk]

When we bought our boat, the survey said that the hull had moisture and was about to suffer from osmosis. We used the boat for 12 happy years before I finally got round to having it peeled and epoxy coated. It didn’t seem to make any difference and the only reason I had it peeled was because I wanted peace of mind. The peace of mind is probably an illusion anyway.

Buy the boat, enjoy it, and don’t worry about the blisters. As lots of other people have said you can DIY treat them and all will be well.

 

[andsarkit]

How old is the boat? If it has a couple of small blisters after say 20 years then you might get a couple more in the next 10 years. If under the waterline it is not even cosmetic as it will not show.
I don't think an epoxy coating is recommended any more unless you completely strip the gelcoat. It seals in any problems which will later cause the coating to fail. Just look on it as a small extra winter maintenance job to clean out and fill blisters as they appear.
Some reading here from West Epoxy if you download the PDF instruction manual for blister repair. West
Also go to the Monty Mariner download page and you will find more information at the bottom of the list.
Hopefully this will reassure you that you have a relatively minor problem that will not stop you sailing and enjoying the new boat.

 

[Stemar]

The real cost of repairs, even in the hands of a pro, will be modest. Even less if you learn to, and do it yourself.

I think that depends on the professional. A good one will do what you could do yourself and charge a couple of hours of time, plus lifts in and out. With a bad one there will be sucking of teeth and talk of gelcoat peeling. If you're foolish enough to listen, the cost of that will be about as modest as a street walker on a Saturday night.

If she's out of the water, grind out the blisters and leave them to dry. Paradoxically, washing regularly with clean water helps everything dry out because it leaches out the styrene and stuff that you can smell. When you're ready to launch, fill with epoxy filler and antifoul over the top. Then enjoy your sailing.

You may get more blisters. If you do, treat them the same way, but most important, don't lose any sleep over them. Serious osmosis that needs professional treatment involves lots of blisters the size of dinner plates, and is due to bad layup. It tend to manifest itself quite quickly. Older boats get nuisance blisters, very rarely more.

 

[Iliade]

I found severe osmosis on my first boat and power-planed the bottom (at a time when they were still grit blasting, if only I'd patented the method!) jet washed it, tented and waited a whole season for it to dry before putting on two layers of epoxy. What a waste of time, sailing and effort! What I should have done was to ignore it or at most use a mini router to cut out the boils.

I would suggest a cutting tool is better than a grinding tool in terms of finish, but you will get through them and they aren't cheap.

Do wear a good quality mask and NBC overalls. Ideally have vacuum extraction of the dust. SWMBO holding a hoover nozzle would suffice for a few blisters.

 

[slawosz]

Osmosis is physical phenomen. It will be always there. Now, what you need to worry about is delamination due to neglect or building mistakes. This book explains it well: Fibreglass Boats by Hugo de Plessis
I highly recommend buying this book, and understanding what you are dealing with.

All depends on the size and depth of the blisters. They often come up in gel coat/fibreglass layer.