Keel blisters

[LP McQuack 0]

Long time listener first time caller.

Have a Capri 25. Overall in remarkable good shape.  Pulled recently for annual maintenance and found a few blisters on the keel (the hull is blistered to hell but no way I'm  going down that road on this boat). 

I ground the blisters till they burst and worked the edges until dry was encountered. The water was between the fiberglass and the lead.  Last year I fixed a blister under the gelcoat with epoxy and no matting/cloth.  Can I get away with this again or do I need to replace the cloth? 

Anyone done this before? 

Yes, easiest to sink this 4ktsb but unfortunately I love her.

Thanks

LP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rain Man 957]

On 4/2/2021 at 4:20 PM, LP McQuack said:

Long time listener first time caller.

Have a Capri 25. Overall in remarkable good shape.  Pulled recently for annual maintenance and found a few blisters on the keel (the hull is blistered to hell but no way I'm  going down that road on this boat). 

I ground the blisters till they burst and worked the edges until dry was encountered. The water was between the fiberglass and the lead.  Last year I fixed a blister under the gelcoat with epoxy and no matting/cloth.  Can I get away with this again or do I need to replace the cloth? 

Anyone done this before? 

Yes, easiest to sink this 4ktsb but unfortunately I love her.

Thanks

LP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are lots of blister repair threads here you can look at.  In the case of your keel blisters, take it down to bare lead and put a coat of neat epoxy on the bare lead.  Then, before the neat epoxy has cured, fill the crater with peanut-butter texture sandable epoxy filler leaving the epoxy slightly proud of the crater - epoxy filler shrinks a little when it cures and you want to avoid a low spot.  Sand smooth and paint.  You don't need cloth for this application.

If the hull is cored, and it is blister city, it will eventually be the end of the boat.