Blisters

[bschnur]

A question that's been floating around in the back of my mind for months now is about the blistering history, if any, of the M382-4 series of boats. I bought "Dual Will" (hull #179) last year from her original owner, and he told me that the boat had never had a blister. I know this to be true because I had 17 seasons of bottom paint removed -- and the bottom looked totally pristine. However, the boat was berthed and sailed primarily in the waters around Maine. With a short 4 month sailing season followed by 8 months on the hard drying out, the boat may not have had a chance to develop blisters. Now that "Dual Will" has her home port in Southern California, she will only go on the hard for a few days every 2 to 3 years for bottom maintenance, and I wonder if blisters could be a future issue. Tending to be fairly conservative, after the old bottom paint was stripped off I layered on three coats of an epoxy barrier coat "just in case". But I still wonder what sort of problems others may have had. So, all you owners who keep your boats in the water year 'round, particulary in warm water, what does happen with regard to blisters? And does a barrier coat really do any good? Put another way, did I waste money on an un-needed barrier coat?

 

[don]

In July '96 we bought a '79 M-382 which had been kept on the west coast of Florida for at least five years and probably much longer. When we had the boat hauled and surveyed, the inspection revealed no blisters. Though I can't say for sure, I don't think any special barrier coat had been applied.

 

[dennstap]

We have 382 hull #75. No blisters to date, almost 20 years in San Francisco bay and fresh water on the Sacramento river. we installed a barrier coat in 1989 on a 7% water content hull. The only blisters are in the barrier coat, which is not uncommon.

 

[balthazor]

I hve Morgan 382, Hull 163. She has been in the water--med, caribbean, and then 20 years in Seattle. The hull is sound and no blisters. All bottom paint was stripped two or three years ago and there were no problems.

 

[bbeach]

<div>Well, I'm not so lucky. As I was telling Jeff offboard, I live on my '78 382 #46. She's been in the water on the Chesapeake for 3.5 yrs now, vice a pull for bottom paint. This year I discovered severe blistering. I popped some of the larger ones, about 30, filled them with epoxy, painted the hull and moved on. This was recommended as my friends, 25 yr cruisers, tell me it's mostly cosmetic. Well, it still leaves me concerned. It was quoted to do a complete blister job around $8k, which I don't have. So the patch job will have to do for now.
Does anyone know if blisters are very damaging to the integrity to the hull? I am planning on a cruise to Venezuela this fall, as I've heard that it's so much cheaper and the work is very well done there. Any comments? Please!Tony
</div>

 

[wissner]

<div>
Tony That's a long way to go to save a couple of grand unless your interested in going there to start with. By the time you get your stuff together you've spent the difference plus some.But good luck sounds like a great adventure.
</div>

 

[saillavie]

I bought my 1970 M381 in 1986. It came from Hopetown, the Bahamas complete w/30-40 silver dollar sized blisters. I had the hull sand blasted and 3 coats of Interlux epoxy, 5 coats of Interlux barrier primer and 3 coats of Micron 44 (which was a superb bottom paint but outlawed soon after due to tin content). That job lasted for 2.5 years and slowly but surely the blisters started to come back. Last year I had the bottom sand blasted again and this time I used a different epoxy and primer as I felt the original "cure" was not very long lasting. The boat is in the water for a year and out for a week or so for a yearly bottom paint job. I am still looking for a "cure"--if it exists.