I can't believe this!

[CJD]

Glad to hear it's not as common up north. I imagine the high temps down here accelerate blistering...

[mlaosa]

I totally agree with you CJD! I'm in Texas too and growing up on lake Austin, my grandparents would leave the old mastercraft in a "wet" slip year around. Never seemed to affect the gel coat but man was it a pain to clean the water line and below when we pulled it out twice a year! I wouldn't dare continuously leave my supra in the water all year, much less a summer.

[SquamInboards]

Blisters can most certainly become a problem for new boats. It's best not to leave a boat in the water full time, and if you have to, bottom paint or some other type of prep work should be done to keep this from happening. It doesn't matter how new or old the boat is, they all have the same gel coat and are susceptible to the problem. I was just reading about this on the MC forums....

http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/...ad.php?t=65868

I agree that blisters can happen on new boats, but all I'm saying is that it shouldn't happen. It is a common practice in many places to leave a boat in the water for months at a time, and most boats do not develop blisters under those circumstances. In my opinion, something's not right if there are blisters appearing from simply leaving a boat in the water.

Of course, if you have a choice, take the boat out! Nothing good can happen to a boat sitting in the water. I would love to have a lift if I could! But I don't, and my boat has spent 26 years in the water and it's fine, along with the huge majority of boats I've seen the underside of, which is in the thousands.

[Zim]

I agree that blisters can happen on new boats, but all I'm saying is that it shouldn't happen. It is a common practice in many places to leave a boat in the water for months at a time, and most boats do not develop blisters under those circumstances. In my opinion, something's not right if there are blisters appearing from simply leaving a boat in the water.

Of course, if you have a choice, take the boat out! Nothing good can happen to a boat sitting in the water. I would love to have a lift if I could! But I don't, and my boat has spent 26 years in the water and it's fine, along with the huge majority of boats I've seen the underside of, which is in the thousands.

But it doesn't matter how new or old the boat is. It's not about the quality or newness of gelcoat or fiberglass. The reason this happens is because the gel and fiberglass has tiny pores in it that allow osmosis. New or old, Supra or Bayliner, every single boat is susceptible to the exact same condition regardless of being in the water for a weekend or a year. It's just something that happens with fiberglass and gel-coat. The properties of these materials don't change just because the boat is newer or older, or in a warmer climate or colder climate. It's all the same.

[SquamInboards]

But it doesn't matter how new or old the boat is. It's not about the quality or newness of gelcoat or fiberglass. The reason this happens is because the gel and fiberglass has tiny pores in it that allow osmosis. New or old, Supra or Bayliner, every single boat is susceptible to the exact same condition regardless of being in the water for a weekend or a year. It's just something that happens with fiberglass and gel-coat. The properties of these materials don't change just because the boat is newer or older, or in a warmer climate or colder climate. It's all the same.

But clearly there are variables that cause some boats to develop blisters, while others don't. If all boats were created exactly equally, they would all develop (or not develop) blisters at the same rate under the same conditions.

All cars do not rust at the same rate, either; it varies by manufacturer, and by locations (e.g. salted roads). Yet every steel car is susceptible to rust.

[CornRickey]

The water reacts with uncured resins and cause the blisters. I'm thinking Friday boats are the most susceptible.

[DAFF]

The largest factor of blisters is the technique and quality in laying the glass and the thickness of the layers. That blister pic from the MC is a case where the boat should be deemed unfit, it is approaching the point where the structural integrity of the hull has been weekend. Most appear as little pimples and are totally harmless and found in most larger boats.

Myself leaving the boat in the water will greatly age the boat. I prefer to trailer it and keep it inside. Blisters are a the small part of the problem, the sun, wind, rain, water infiltration of the foam and theft are others which trump the blister stuff.