Is this blistering?

[Owen Birch]

Hello - I recently purchased a 2007 150 SC with 3 hours. The boat had been sitting for some time, was a bit dirty, but overall like new. I now have 9 hrs, what a great boat!

I spent time over the weekend waxing, and then noticed what felt like algae on parts of the bottom. The area was rough whereas the rest of the hull was smooth. I used "Goof off" with great sucess, cleaning the stains off, but the area is still rougher to the touch. I didn't notice any larger bumps, but some of the area does look a little pourous (barely).

Any thoughts on what this is, if it's something to be fixed, and if I can do it myself?

Cheers - OB

 

[rexsteiner]

if its not something that was caused by the previous owner then it may just an imperfection left by the mold from production. you may be able to buff it smooth with some heavy rubbing compound

 

[Owen Birch]

Thanks Rex - This is exactly what my neighbors thought as well. we could see the rougher areas (along part of the first rib) which kind of looked like tape marks. We don't believe it's blistering. The inside of the boat looks like it's never been touched, and I doubt the boat was repaired. I really don't think the average person would even notice....

Are mold imperfections somewhat common?

 

[dothadoo]

Mold imperfections in theory should not happen, but depending on the type of molds and the number of molds that Sea Doo uses, they could potentially get damaged. From the sound of the issue, it could have a little of an orange peel effect, meaning that the mold was heated up. A mold is made with a special gelcoat that is harder and more durable than that put on a boat, so it can withstand more heat from the production of a boat. As the fiberglass cures, it gets hot and after multiple hulls made, it could have produced a mark in the mold. That should have been an issue easily caught by any good FRP technician at the plant. The mold should have been taken out of service, but sometimes the production schedule requires them to make a certain number of the boats and they need the mold to stay in service instead of losing a fews days of production off of one mold. On the other hand, if it was from the mold, then QC should have caught the issue and at a minimum fixed that boat. If there is any way you can get a good picture, I should be able to tell you what it is, although I know it will be difficult to see in a picture.

If you wanted to try and fix it, I would try sandpaper first and start with about 220-320grit, but nothing any lower and work your way up to 1000 grit, then break out the buffer. It should not take too much work, but simply a buffer will not quite be enough.

 

[Owen Birch]

Here are a couple pictures. It's difficult to see the finer details, but you can see the rougher area around where the rib joins the rest of the boat. It does feel like the rougher section could be lightly sanded, but I'm not sure of the risk associated...

Looking through the ski locker and everywhere else, I haven't seen anything to indicate this boat was repaired. Aside from being a bit dirty, the boat was essentially new.

 

[dothadoo]

Well, it is really hard to see anything there. A blister will look like a small bubble. Generally the only times you really see blisters is if the boat has been left in the water for an extended amount of time. I do not like to have a colored gel coat below the water line bc they tend to have more problems with blistering. Not that white does not have issues, but it is not quite as common. If you saw blistering on that hull, it would be more prevalent on the underside on a larger surface area section. I would say that you are safe there. Fix it if you want, but it is not hurting anything. One thing I did not mention before is that along the strakes, there is more fiberglass and resin that tends to build up in that particular spot, causing more heat. Sometimes as a hull cures, it may cool down a little too quickly, causing the gel to shrink and give small ripples. That could also be the case with your boat. If that was the case, QC should have caught it.