I have a friend who is considering buying a boat, and has asked me to give "expert" advice. We are looking at an Andersson-23 (English, heavy GRP construction from the early 80's). It does look acceptable for the low price, except for one detail, which I can not judge.
On the side, well above the waterline, there is an old scar, about the size of a fingerprint. Around that are fine hairline cracks in a circular pattern, something line 15 cm (6") wide. I suspect there has been some sort of impact damage, the gel coat was damaged, and water has started to enter.
I am wondering how seriously I should worry about this blister? Will it sink the boat this summer? Will it get worse and worse, and destroy the whole boat in a few years? Or can I treat it as a cosmetic problem, and sail happily for years without worrying about it?
We have got the boat offered at a pretty low price from the previous owner (family of my friend) whose wife don't like sailing. The boat has not been in water last season, and seen pretty little use the season before that. The owner does not remember seeing this scar before, so it may be a new development (the boat has been moved around a few times during the last two years, further and further back on the winter storage area).
Nice to see you in here ol' buddy Deep down, all real men are sailors!
I'm working on converting a 28' GRP fishing cutter right now. As long as the star is well above watermark, don't worry. It will not drink water to worry about, unless you go for serious deep water sailing. You can fix it when it is hauled out of the water in the autumn. As for repair I would say grind it down, so all the pattern is gone, and get as deep as you can at the impact itself - you'l probly find the center delaminated and crushed. then again build up with mat and polyester, so all cracks are sealed. And recoat.
See you Ole
"Heikki" <h47@lsd.dk> skrev i en meddelelse news:425b95b6$0$181$edfadb0f@dread11.news.tele.dk...> Hi,>
I hope it is OK to ask a repair question here.>
I have a friend who is considering buying a boat, and has asked me to
give> "expert" advice. We are looking at an Andersson-23 (English, heavy GRP> construction from the early 80's). It does look acceptable for the low> price, except for one detail, which I can not judge.>
On the side, well above the waterline, there is an old scar, about the
size> of a fingerprint. Around that are fine hairline cracks in a circular> pattern, something line 15 cm (6") wide. I suspect there has been some sort> of impact damage, the gel coat was damaged, and water has started to enter.>
I am wondering how seriously I should worry about this blister? Will it
sink> the boat this summer? Will it get worse and worse, and destroy the whole> boat in a few years? Or can I treat it as a cosmetic problem, and sail> happily for years without worrying about it?>
We have got the boat offered at a pretty low price from the previous
owner> (family of my friend) whose wife don't like sailing. The boat has not been> in water last season, and seen pretty little use the season before that.> The owner does not remember seeing this scar before, so it may be a new> development (the boat has been moved around a few times during the last
years, further and further back on the winter storage area).>
Schöön Martin 12 April 2005 15:40:29 [ permanent link ]
Heikki <h47@lsd.dk> writes:
On the side, well above the waterline, there is an old scar, about the size> of a fingerprint. Around that are fine hairline cracks in a circular> pattern, something line 15 cm (6") wide. I suspect there has been some sort> of impact damage, the gel coat was damaged, and water has started to enter.>
I am wondering how seriously I should worry about this blister? Will it sink> the boat this summer? Will it get worse and worse, and destroy the whole> boat in a few years? Or can I treat it as a cosmetic problem, and sail> happily for years without worrying about it?>
Any signs of damage on the inside of the laminate? Have you probed the damage? Tip of sharp knife trying to pry open gelcoat would yield some information. Tapping the area and listening would tell you if there is a void or serious delamination. A more subtle damage calls for ultrasonic instruments to assess.
If the laminate looks ok from the inside and sounds solid when tapped you won't sink this summer. I ended a season many years ago sailing around with patch of silver-grey tape over hole in the starboard hull. The hole was not under the water
-- ======================================================================== Martin Schöön <Martin.Schoon@ericsson.com>
"Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by hitting back" Piet Hein ========================================================================
On the side, well above the waterline, there is an old scar, about the size> > of a fingerprint. Around that are fine hairline cracks in a circular> > pattern, something line 15 cm (6") wide. I suspect there has been some sort> > of impact damage, the gel coat was damaged, and water has started to enter.> >
I am wondering how seriously I should worry about this blister? Will it sink> > the boat this summer? Will it get worse and worse, and destroy the whole> > boat in a few years? Or can I treat it as a cosmetic problem, and sail> > happily for years without worrying about it?> >
Any signs of damage on the inside of the laminate?> Have you probed the damage? Tip of sharp knife trying to pry open> gelcoat would yield some information. Tapping the area and listening> would tell you if there is a void or serious delamination. A more> subtle damage calls for ultrasonic instruments to assess.>
If the laminate looks ok from the inside and sounds solid when tapped> you won't sink this summer. I ended a season many years ago sailing> around with patch of silver-grey tape over hole in the starboard hull.> The hole was not under the water >
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you might consider 'sealing' the hairline cracks from moisture and air with Capt Tolley's creeping crack sealer - available in just about all the big marine catalog stores.
This does not sound like a problem at all. Most older boats have> similar impact marks that go only through the gel-coat and not into the> underlying glass. Hit the corner of a dock a little harder than you> expect and suddenly you have another. Buy the boat and dont worry> about it.
Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll go and buy the boat, and don't worry about this blister at least for this season. Next year I'll see if I want to do anything about it. Meanwhile I will have found out what the real problems are...
