Pimples on my bottom

[Memphis_Chung]

Hi,

A potential purchaser of my beloved boat has just had a surveyor look her over. He has found some "pimples" on the hull that have him stumped. He has categorically ruled out osmosis as they are dry - they are full of nothing but air. Some of them go through to the fibreglass. I had a look and they range from a milimetre to a couple of milimetres in size. He doesnt seem too concerned but is referring to a senior surveyor and needless ot say it is giving me the jitters.

Has anyone heard of anything like this? What's the fix?

Thanks team.

Tom

 

[pheonix]

Seen same on a dateline speed boat a freind had for a while he just ground the area out and re gelcoated He considered it to be the dredded osz but personally i did not think that it ticked any of the boxes, just think that they were introduced during innitial lay up of the GRP

 

[pelicanpete]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

... He has categorically ruled out osmosis as they are dry - they are full of nothing but air...

Has anyone heard of anything like this? What's the fix?

Thanks team.

Tom

[/ QUOTE ]

Airsmosis, perhaps? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[fishermantwo]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

- they are full of nothing but air. Some of them go through to the fibreglass. I had a look and they range from a milimetre to a couple of milimetres in size.

Presumably you mean they go as far as the gel coat. I reckon its some crap that was not cleaned off, degreased. before the paint was applied.

 

[luddites]

Hi, this is almost certainly aeration of the gelcoat. This is basically tiny air voids which were trapped in the gelcoat when the boat was built. This commonly happened when the gelcoat was mixed by hand in a bucket which introduced thousands of tiny air bubbles in the thick gelcoat and these remained in it when painted onto the mould, or when air was trapped between coats where more than one was applied.Most boats live with this problem for years without coming to much harm. There isn't much you can easliy do about it. Obviously where a number of these voids are in line they will provide a path for moisture to reach the laminate but provided you have the boat out of the water each winter for as long as possible most of this moisture will dry out readily.
This of course assumes a good sound underlying laminate.
hope this helps.

 

[Memphis_Chung]

That's very helpful (and reassuring!). Thanks.

Tom