Micro Blisters

[trapper_501]

HELP ! My Trapper has been out on dry land about 6 weeks & I have just discoverd thousands of very small bubbles/blisters down both sides ABOVE the water line & on the hull only. They where not there 2 weeks ago or when it was lifted out. Most of the blisters are about 2mm diameter a few are about 5mm diameter & when burst have water behind but do not smell of vinegar. There was a leak & the cabin had a lot of water in it just above floor level since 2 weeks ago could this be a factor. Any ideas ?

 

[sailorman]

r u related to Ahoy who posted similar this evening

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I think he's his dad.

 

[trapper_501]

Yes its my son at uni was telling him earler he must have had the same idea as me. Two great minds or what. Cheers

 

[manimbored]

Ha! so you found the on button then! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Haven't-a-Clue]

Yer cheeky monkey, /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif my father in law is 86 this year and does more on his computer than I can.................. wait a minute, that makes me a thicko...........err, right, I'm outa here. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[trapper_501]

Ha less internet savvy my bum whos the daddy !
ME

 

[mikejames]

If its a balsa/foam cored hull that could be rain water in the core, but there has to have been a leak for a long time to spread far from the leak. The water comes out from inside.

If the boat is out of the water then it is more likely to freeze and do more damage.

I notice my deck (29 year old Westerly balsa core, history of rain leaks through shrouds and screw holes) has these symptoms around the leaks and up to 50cm or so away.

 

[trapper_501]

Thanks for all your thoughts. Rain water in the core is possible as the stansions where all leaking when I got the boat almost 2 years ago. What did you do about it in your westerly or can anything be done ! Having said that the blisters dont seem to be deep ie just below the surface.

 

[burgundyben]

Dare I use the \'O\' word.

Dare I suggest it might be Osmosis...

No need to panic, no need to do anything immediately, other than maybe get a decent surveyor to look at it and explain to you the options for having it fixed.

If your Solent based Tony Staton-Bevan is a expert in this field.

 

[trapper_501]

Re: Dare I use the \'O\' word.

you could be right but what i dont understand is that it is all above the water line

 

[burgundyben]

Re: Dare I use the \'O\' word.

Its not unheard of for Osmosis to be above the waterline.

It can be caused by different things, voids, airbubbles in the gel, poor catalysation etc.

Have you scrapped off some antifoul and carefully studied underneath?

 

[damo]

Re: Dare I use the \'O\' word.

Quite common above the waterline - small patches can show up when they are wet, then disappear when they dry out. A mate's small Westerley shows them in several places on the deck and coamings during the season, but he can never find them after the boat has been out of the water for a while in dry weather.

 

[LymingtonPugwash]

Re: Dare I use the \'O\' word.

Have you found that it's mostly on one side of the boat? Something quite common with Westerlys......

 

[Wai_Tapu]

Have the topsides been painted or is it original gelcoat? My painted Trapper got a load of blisters under the paint last winter where the cradle support pads held water against the hull. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif