Pilgrim (1981 T37) in Cambridge Md., come visit Chesapeakers

airedog · **Joined:** 09 Nov 2011 07:22 **Posts:** 69

Hi all, well, this should make Court smile...I've sold the Hinckley and decided to opt for my T37 over my HB40. I don't need cache, I like to go fast. I heard from a member who lives in SW harbor and works at Hinckley. He said I was nuts for going with the Bermuda 40, that Pilgrim will sail better. Now, having owned and worked on the HB40, I can tell you the construction is just amazing. Unparalleled. But the Tartan is a great boat and I've worked hard to address any common T37 problems she had.

So here I am, preparing to launch. To my current projects/questions/decisions. I took all the bottom paint off to do a barrier coat out of obsessive compulsion. In the sanding, in spots where I went through the whitish (I guessed gelcoat but I've had opinions it's a white barrier coat directly over the glass?)...anyway...in spots where I went through to the glass there are tiny 1/8th in "blisters". The boat has been on the hard for years so the hull is dry. Will they fill when all done and splashed? Varying opinions. A surveyor said don't worry, west system the spots I've exposed and barrier coat. But others say shave it and barrier coat. Others say shave and apply a layer of fabric, fair and barrier coat.

Now I'm really a lucky guy and here I have a friend who is very reputable, the best in the Annapolis area at this type work. (Bayside Boatworks@yahoo.com/ Jeff Hickman)...he'll probably shoot me because he's so busy...but he's giving me a great price on either way I go. He's the one who strongly recommends I fabric. And trust me, he doesn't need the work. My boy works harder than anyone I know (and I'm a marble man)...I digress...

The bare fiberglass is covered with "white spots" up to a half inch in diameter. Jeff says they are blisters under the surface of the glass that will eventually open up. So the shaving will eliminate them and the vinyl-ester applied fabric will seal and strengthen the hull. So I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it. Any thoughts? I'm thinking the extra layer will make the hull bulletproof....

airedog · **Joined:** 09 Nov 2011 07:22 **Posts:** 69

oh..I was going to say, any owners here that would like to visit would be welcome. I'd love to hear your opinions and pick your brains...I'm splashing @ Oct 14th and haven't sailed Pilgrim yet, and any owner who'd like to come for the first sail or so to run her for me and show me the ropes would be cool too.

Tortuga's Lie · **Joined:** 27 Oct 2006 10:32 **Posts:** 827

I had visited Cambridge on Tortuga's Lie earlier in the summer and could have met you then had I known...oh well, maybe at a later time.
We had those blisters as well and about 15, maybe 1 years ago, I had done a proper barrier coat and about two years ago I had noticed just a few blisters showing back up. I decided to pay someone to sand it back down to the previous barrier coat and grind out any blisters to let dry. Afterwards, I added another barrier coat system. We'll see if leaving the previous barrier coat will haunt me if I trapped water or did it add extra protection and grinding out just the apparent blisters do the trick??? Time will tell. The bottom line is that these blisters pose no structural issue and are primarily cosmetic.....I've been happy with the barrier coat.

Now, going back to the Hinckley B-40 vs the Tartan 37C.......They both are very pretty boats with the edge to the Hinckley. The Hinckley has a lot more bright work which is a double edged sword. The Tartan is a more accommodating boat and obviously a more modern design. Although I have never sailed on the Hinckley, I have been told that it is a very wet ride....True? I almost went for a Ocean Cruising 40 by Hank Hinckley, but it needed too much work......for a lot more money than my T-37......

airedog · **Joined:** 09 Nov 2011 07:22 **Posts:** 69

Too bad! I would have loved to have met and see her. The crazy thing is I never sailed her. I owned a HB40 and never said her. Geeze. Also both are the royal blue. But, yes, I've heard they take water into the cockpit in big following seas. But great boats. I'm totally content tho...no regrets.

You've just made my decision for me (I've been mulling fabric vrs just barrier coat after shaving). Jeff astounded my when he told me barrier coats aren't waterproof. Here I had a sneaking suspicion confirmed. I'm a retired marble and ceramic tile man. Put tile (which doesn't expand and contract) on a wood floor, it cracks. Put hard epoxy (which doesn't expand and contract) on a hull which will flex and it will crack? Sure, epoxy is waterproof when sound. What Jeff is doing is applying fabric with vinyl-ester after shaving into the surface of the glass. Vinyl-ester is waterproof. Then he fairs (with his homemade) vinyl-ester based mixture. Then I'm using the Sherwin Williams Mil Spec as barrier coat. I had bought Interprotect and Jeff urged me to take it back. Said he shaves it off every week. So I returned it. Plug West Marine here. I bought it 2 years ago. It has a sale/shelf life of 1 year. I was amazed West took it back and gave me credit. MAybe I could have saved $20 buying online, but do you think Defender would have refunded me 2 years later?

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

As I have posted elsewhere on this site, I was faced with a similar problem 20 years ago and came to a similar conclusion to recover the glass, albeit I think it was wrong and overkill on reflection. Found thousands of tiny blisters on hauling the boat. Called the premier glass guy in SF Bay Area to look at it. He recommended stripping all the gelcoat and a layer of glass off. Did that. Let it dry for several months in the yard. Then put a couple layers of cloth over the entire bottom and faired everything. In retrospect, it was gross overkill. Turns out the PO had put a preventive epoxy coating over the gelcoat while the hull was still wet. Hence, blisters between the gelcoat and laminate. No delamination found anywhere. I can see why our glass guys recommend the process --a lot like asking your doctor if you should really come in for a minor thing. I guess it is comforting to know I will never have a bottom issue, but I personally think the blister panic was way overplayed by the boatyard folks, and the preventive efforts can cause as much or more damage the an the potential problem.

Tartan37.com

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Pilgrim (1981 T37) in Cambridge Md., come visit Chesapeakers

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