Blisters

airedog · **Joined:** 09 Nov 2011 07:22 **Posts:** 73

Pilgrim had thick layers of ablative on her bottom and I use hard. (I've read ablative needs 10mph to ablate. So on a sailboat it's not going to perform as intended. What you get is a blue(?) cloud of toxic paint around you at the sand bar when scrubbing the bottom.)...anyway

As I sanded off the paint residue (I scraped the layers off with a long handled weighted scraper) as I went through the white (gelcoat?) there were tiny (1/8") "blisters. Spots. They flake off with a flick. Under the surface of the glass I'd exposed there were ever present white spots (de-lamination). A surveyor told me not to worry, fill with epoxy and barrier coat. But I'm obsessive compulsive, a stickler. I also am cheap (poor?)lol, and the thought of spending $500 on barrier coat (i'd bought Interprotect but Jeff at Bayside Boatworks (@yahoo.com/ 410-271-2057) strongly recommends the Sherwin Williams Mil Spec. So I returned the Interlux and bought Mil Spec. And I'm using Trinidad paint, another good chunk of $$ so I don't want to be grinding out new blisters in two years, and grinding away expensive bottom. Jeff recommends double layers of fabric laid in vinyl-ester, so that's what I'm doing.

Step one is Jeff shaved the bottom. He designed the tool and sells the tool and franchise areas, and he's pretty much the man in Annapolis, so if you want to have it done right he's the one to get...she is now shaved and this weekend the fabric is going on.

Update; I'm so happy I listened to Jeff. One comment I've heard about this is blisters aren't life-threatening. Others question this project. The clincher for me was after stripping, the white de-lamination spots everywhere. These I hear are from unmixed resin shot on the hull (chopper gun?) at production. Jeff dug out all the spots and filled them before the fabric. Bottom line is the bottom is as good or better than new. I keep her, and I'm set. I sell her, the new owner has a solid boat they can trust. It's an expensive job, but how much is peace of mind worth? I've done barrier coats before and had blisters re-appear. After all that work, to have to sand out new spots on a new bottom really is discouraging.

If you'd like another opinion of Bayside Boatworks (Jeff Hickman) call Bert Jabin's yard in Annapolis. Jeff does a great deal of work there. Again, best in the Annapolis area.

T37Chef · **Posted:** 03 Oct 2013 18:50

Not all ablatives are the same, Pettit SR 40 or 60 will ablate around 5 knots.

Here is link to a post I submitted on SailNet regarding the blister repair job I performed on our boat. Several years later now I the bottom shows zero signs of blisters.

Toast

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-main ... tml#322678

puffcard · **Posted:** 03 Oct 2013 22:32

Man you are going at it. Glad I never had to that, bought a New England boat. Question when you re-did the rudder, how was the metal frame inside? Did you look at buying a new one, think they still offer them?...just looked, never mind they're $3.2K

I use Pettit SR 60 after 3-yrs it's gone, very quick to sand. Did my 100-grit rough up in 4-hrs. I've got 20 years on Interprotect 2000, love how it has held up. I did that, then went with a good hard epoxy paint like Uni-epoxy for the the first coat, then go ablative the following years. The hard epoxy paint gives you a good bite and hard base to sand smooth. Another trick, I spray my bottom with an airless sprayer (Wagner HD type), with very good results. Been doing this for 35 years. I'm hauled out now in Norfolk at Cobb's, if anyone wants to stop by and check it out give me a call. You can try out the sprayer, see if that Huckleberry thing works out for me. She as smooth as a baby's butt.

Chef nice job and good looking T-37.

airedog · **Joined:** 09 Nov 2011 07:22 **Posts:** 73

The frame inside the rudder was fine. Luckily. I had bought one two part unit of Kardol polyfoam but though I thought I did the math right came up short. I did waste a mix though. After the 2nd mix (I was stupid and mixed in the same container thinking it was soon enough to re-use). So after wasting the 2nd mix, I put the part B in the frige for an hour or so to cool it (says under 68 degrees for part B). Used new containers to mix each time with cooled B and it went well thereafter. Finishing today. We were worried the foam may push out the replaced side panel (cut out for the gutting) but doing small mixes didn't cause a problem. After she's filled today we'll double fabric the starboard side (port is done). Then fair, barrier coat and paint.

I need the washer that goes on top of the rudder post. Where can I get delrin?

puffcard · **Posted:** 04 Oct 2013 06:52

I had a spare washer from 3 yrs ago will try to find it tonight. If I can find it, it's your's. I had mine made at a local mechine shop, and the Delrin I believe they had. They use sheet Delrin for washers between moving parts.

airedog · **Joined:** 09 Nov 2011 07:22 **Posts:** 73

that would be great. That's encouraging...make one. They started the fabric today. When they wetted it out, the cored area was transparent. Could see the balsa squares. made me glad I'm doing this (which I've had several people tell me is overkill). But it looks fantastic, Jeff is an artist with this stuff. Here's pics...

T37Chef · **Posted:** 07 Oct 2013 11:04

Looks great! What the cost up to? Snicker

airedog · **Joined:** 09 Nov 2011 07:22 **Posts:** 73

As for cost, I am getting a buddy deal. A 38' sailboat (forget what it was, similar 3/4 rudder and skeg design) done here at this yard paid $14,000 this summer here at this yard. That's about what our boats would cost to do with double mat. I'm paying much less, bought the materials (I'm using 1808, heavier than usual mat) myself and am paying T&T. Lucky. But I was a tradesman, did marble and hardwood, so I "speak the language" of tradesmen. I have the same such luck with an electrical systems man. He's going to lay out a system for me. I was going to do 3 battery banks but he talked me out of it yesterday. Said it's too complex, too many things can go wrong...K.I.S.S.

Tartan37.com

Blisters

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