Question about different kinds of hull repair.

[PennYanGuy]

Hello, my name is Steve and am the proud owner of a 1971 Penn Yan Imperial 19.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/464x276q90/538/ehFViC.jpg

I come to you fine folk here because I have read many threads on your forum looking for answers to many different issues and figure this is the best place to start.

Ive been working on this boat for around 10 years now and am finally to that dreaded "paint and fix the exterior" job, that just sounds like a blast to do.

So here we go, question number 1 is: Has anyone ever seen or dealt with this odd looking dimpling effect?

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/464x276q90/909/8k4WOF.jpg

Its been there since I have owned it and only is on the one side, I havent a clue on what to do about that, but know I shouldnt paint over it.

The more (kind of) pressing issue is a new stress(?) looking fracturing and spiderwebbing that goes all the way through the paint at some points.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/464x276q90/540/Iu03uM.jpg


I have watched countless videos, but havent found anything like this. All Ive found are smooth sided sailboats and yachts with similar problems, and this seems a little more intricate than those.

Any help, ideas, and suggestions would be greatly appreciated during this troubling time.

Thanks for reading,

Steve

 

[undone]

Those dimples are blisters, a quick search will find many threads on the subject.

Fixing them is an all or nothing project, half hearted attempts (short cuts) typically end in more blisters showing up at some time in the future, it makes the less than complete repair a wasted effort.
If the boat isn't kept in the water for long periods of time a less than full blister repair "may" work though.

The fix is to remove all of the gel coat and affected laminate (glass) below the waterline so you can get down to good glass and then rebuild the surface back up to where it was. Since yours is only on one side you may be able to just do that side, but it depends on the reason for the blisters, they may have just done something wrong on that side.

Sometimes doing nothing is the best option.

The cracks can be from gel coat that is too thick, a flexing laminate, or combination of both. Fix the flexing first and then the cracks.

 

[PennYanGuy]

Thanks for the reply, I was kind of up in the air on whether or not to get into fixing the blisters, but think I will give it a shot as it really needs a paint job. I guess I better get some sandpaper, lol. Also thought it was kind of odd that they are above the water line as well, going all the way up to the burgundy strip along the top.

I wonder what could be flexing at that point in my bow? It is reaaally solid up there, as its an old Penn Yan and am pretty sure the glass is really thick. Maybe something is happening when I put it on the trailer?

thanks again

 

[jigngrub]

When you say you've been working on her for 10 yrs, what all does that entail? Full gut and resto with new stringers, transom, and deck.... or just the cosmetic stuff?

 

[PennYanGuy]

Well, it has been used for about a week every year, usually costing about 500 dollars in repairs every year. But thats all just plain use and the boat acting like a lemon I guess. Other than that, yes Ive been replacing everything, yes I had to get new stringers, and completely redo the interior. New outdrive, steering (<-huge pain in the rear finding that), and so on. Pretty much everything on the 3.8 Buick v6 short of rebuild. New camper canvas, plus travel canvas. Heck, I even put on a new prop today! lol.

So in the end, its just a big money pit, so might as well make it look good while I'm at it. Here's some pics I found, hope you like it!

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/464x276q90/910/ucl9NQ.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/464x276q90/536/CdWS0r.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/464x276q90/905/YYZSK6.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/464x276q90/674/gANUoV.jpg


I still would like to put a mercruiser outdrive on it, a nice teak swim platform, and maybe get a bimini that I can stand up under, (I'm 6'4"), after the outside gets painted.

 

[undone]

Some times when there are sharp contour lines and tight radii like on those hull sides they use a putty in the radius to help eliminate air bubbles and make the lamination process go faster. If they do everything right it can work OK, do something wrong and it ends up a being a mess a few years down the road.

Dig out a blister and see if you find multiple layers of different products, there should be a single layer of white gel coat and then the darker layers of glass, if you find multiple layers of gel coat, or a layer of putty behind the gel coat this could be the problem. You should also be able to tell which layer the blisters are located in, this will determine the extent of the repairs needed.

If they did use putty in the radii it can be the cause of the cracks too, putty can be weak and brittle, so it may fail if stressed.

 

[PennYanGuy]

Thanks undone, I will dig out one of the blisters tomorrow morning. Right after I posted here I chipped a tiny piece of the cracked paint off, as Im not gonna put it in the water like that, and it looks exactly like what you said its supposed to, it was paint that was stuck to a piece of dark material that looks like the glass.

 

[undone]

The gel coat should be someplace around 20 mils thick, a typical business card is 10 mils, so double it over and see how the gel coat thickness compares to that.

 

[PennYanGuy]

Wow! That is exactly how thick the white is on the chip I took off, amazing! Stuck to it is about the same thickness of glass, and am I right to assume that I will have to chip off all that loose stuff, and end up doing some glasswork? Or fill it with something.

 

[Rickmerrill]

#10 PenTanGuy can you get some betters pictures of the stress crack?

 

[PennYanGuy]

Ok, I dug out one of the blisters and it appears that its just glass under the paint, not sure if thats good or bad.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/180x240q90/673/NobKw9.jpg

I also took a few more pictures of the stress crack, ( i dont remember hitting anything, but one never knows I guess).

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/180x240q90/537/HlEpJk.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/180x240q90/902/BbocCq.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/180x240q90/538/iqQ96b.jpg

They might be a little easier to see, sorry, it seems my flash isnt working.

Thanks again.

 

[jbcurt00]

Is the hull PAINTED? Most boats have gelcoat, not paint

 

[undone]

Size is the issue, the pics are so small it's hard to make out any details. It is possible in this case that the blisters are only from air bubbles under the gel coat, but a close up of one would be needed to get a better idea.

One other thing that will make this easier, you don't have any paint on your boat, you have gel coat, they are two very different things, calling it paint can get responses and answers that will not be correct.