New Concern

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Just a little word of caution about a subject that has raised it's ugly head and an issue that many fail to check for or see. Not that it would do much good since it is not an allowed warranty item by any of the manufacturers. The dreaded hull blisters. They seem to appear on the fiberglass where it comes in contact with your wet bunks. Used to be a problem for boats that were kept in the water for long periods of time. Now, due to EPA regulations (approx 2002), the manufacturers have had to use a different gel and it has exasperated the problem. It doesn't deem to be a problem unless they actually get bad enough to delaminate the hull but it's just another thing to add to the "watch" list and it is an out of pocket repair. I am going to swim under my Ranger next week while in Wisconsin and see if I have any.

 

[AirForce]

wow, kinda glad I went to a tin boat.

 

[Marty Klein]

Thanks for the heads up. With my luck, I'll be falling in at some point so I'll check then -

 

[Dick Durbin]

I pulled the seats out of my 2007 Ranger 170VS last night and the fiberglass was blistered behind the seats.

 

[rbstern]

I've repaired a fair number of them on our Larson bowrider. It's something I've just learned to accept for a boat that stays in the water six months at a time. BUT, that hull is white, and the Marinetex I use for the repair is also white, so it's not a very visible issue. I debate painting the hull with a barrier coat, but that's more work than repairing the blisters, so I let it ride.

 

[Greg Meyer]

Just a little word of caution about a subject that has raised it's ugly head and an issue that many fail to check for or see. Not that it would do much good since it is not an allowed warranty item by any of the manufacturers. The dreaded hull blisters. They seem to appear on the fiberglass where it comes in contact with your wet bunks. Used to be a problem for boats that were kept in the water for long periods of time. Now, due to EPA regulations (approx 2002), the manufacturers have had to use a different gel and it has exasperated the problem. It doesn't deem to be a problem unless they actually get bad enough to delaminate the hull but it's just another thing to add to the "watch" list and it is an out of pocket repair. I am going to swim under my Ranger next week while in Wisconsin and see if I have any.

Ahhhh the benefits of tin....no blisters...just popped rivets or broken welds.... LOL

B (break) O (out) A (another) T (thousand)