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Gelcoat "Goosebumps"

DarkHorseRacing

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This post is mainly aimed at @Gelcoater, but for everyone else this is a 2013 Eliminator 26 Eagle. This boat spends a lot of time in the water and I've noticed that of the gelcoat, one particular area (a silver/grey stripe) gets gel goosebumps from being in the water.
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Is there anything that can be done about this? Is it eventually going to fail the hull (ie delam, rot out, etc)?
 

Gelcoater

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Is absorbing water.
Each of those blisters has water under it.
It’s going to be an issue.
 

DarkHorseRacing

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So can you sand the clear off to get to the color and fix that and then re-clear over top of it?

Is this just a gelcoat problem or will it go all the way to the fiberglass or get into the coring (balsa?)?

Do you recall what Eliminator was putting in for core materials in 2013? I want to say balsa given how much of it was always around the factory.
 

DarkHorseRacing

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Google gelcoat osmosis.

Ok, I'm getting the gist of the issue, but these articles all deal with sailboats and yachts, and the blisters are the size of tea saucers. With these types of vessels, are their fiberglass different than say Eliminator?

For example, there's a difference between a boat built (or layed up) to stay in the water on a more permanent basis and boats like Eliminators which are more day use than sit in slips for months, that should not be left in a slip continuously?
 

Livewire Fabworks

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I have actually heard of this happening in Lake Arrowhead on some boats. Gel coat actually fails because of the minerals in the water I believe.
 

Gelcoater

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So can you sand the clear off to get to the color and fix that and then re-clear over top of it?

Is this just a gelcoat problem or will it go all the way to the fiberglass or get into the coring (balsa?)?

Do you recall what Eliminator was putting in for core materials in 2013? I want to say balsa given how much of it was always around the factory.
I didn’t do much if any Eliminator in 13, they had some other guy in there then.
 

Brokeboatin221

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I’ve been told by an old timer the water has a lot of electricity in it so electrolysis is ten fold. It definitely eats gel on boats along with anodizing and other parts. Lots of hydro hoists on nice boats to prevent it.
 

Hydroman55

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Blistering happens with any boat left in the water. The water in the blister will turn acidic and become a major problem. This is why boats left in the water for long periods have bottom paint.
Had a big 42 foot cabin cruiser on the Cal Delta and redid bottom paint every 2 years.
Other issues are the year and materials used in the layup but no matter the quality and craftsmanship the issue remains.
And yes bottom paint on a performance boat looks like shit. Always kept my Top Gun Cigarette on a hydro hoist at my dock.
 

DarkHorseRacing

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I have actually heard of this happening in Lake Arrowhead on some boats. Gel coat actually fails because of the minerals in the water I believe.

Good guess, that's where this boat spends its time in the water...

I'd love to put in a lift, even if I could just get the boat hull out of the lake as much as possible, but the slip is not in deep enough water (and the slip would need some serious bracing added to support any hoist).

The other thing that drives me nuts about the lake is the green shit it does to the hull. I'm constantly removing it with a no-scratch Scotchbrite sponge to try and keep the bottom clean and white, but even then you have to hit the hull with Slimy Grimy to really get the smell off it.

None of this was a problem when this boat spent summers in Havasu. Out there its more water scale than anything else.
 

Livewire Fabworks

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Good guess, that's where this boat spends its time in the water...

I'd love to put in a lift, even if I could just get the boat hull out of the lake as much as possible, but the slip is not in deep enough water (and the slip would need some serious bracing added to support any hoist).

The other thing that drives me nuts about the lake is the green shit it does to the hull. I'm constantly removing it with a no-scratch Scotchbrite sponge to try and keep the bottom clean and white, but even then you have to hit the hull with Slimy Grimy to really get the smell off it.

None of this was a problem when this boat spent summers in Havasu. Out there its more water scale than anything else.
Sorry to hear about the issues. That lake has some weird stuff in the water. On the bright side, it is only cosmetic and dosent hurt the fiberglass itself, just the gel from my understanding.
 

Outdrive1

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It will come back if you just try and fix the gel. Boats with bumps from Arrowhead will always have those bumps. You just have to live with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Hydroman55

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Sorry to hear about the issues. That lake has some weird stuff in the water. On the bright side, it is only cosmetic and dosent hurt the fiberglass itself, just the gel from my understanding.
As I stated early the water in the blisters will turn acidic pH lower than seven and if allowed to stay in the water for long periods it will damage the fiberglaglass.
For weekend warriors that store out of the water indeed mainly cosmetic.
 
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