Repairing Blistering
by Captain Tom Martin
You have a couple options regarding blister problems...
First, you could do it yourself one blister at a time, or you could have someone with the skills and experience sandblast or grind off the entire wetted surface.
I've done my own blisters when their number has been under 50 for my own 28 foot Morgan.
It's a fairly simple process using a high speed grinder on the gel coat and allowing the blisters to dry out for several weeks. Once they are dry use two part epoxy to fill the holes then fair them.
Coating with gel coat is optional. This is hard work but it doesn't take a lot of talent and is low cost.
If your blisters are more than say 50 but not over 100 you might still do it yourself. Anymore than that, I recommend you have it done professionally. Getting a pro to sandblast or grind (with a claw like device) off the gel of the entire wetted surface.
The epoxy is rolled on after the hull is dry (drying time varies due to locality). Drying time might be a month before a moisture meter determines if it's okay to coat the bottom. Bottom paint can be selected that will bond with the epoxy after a prescribed drying period. The price of all that will vary based on locality and availability.
I checked around in Florida and with a little bit of bargaining got prices between $800 and $1000 dollars for grinding, epoxy, and new bottom paint. The boat would have a new wetted surface with a moisture barrier to include the rudder. Don't forget the cost of storage while waiting.
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Repairing Blistering
Here's an interesting video about blistering, a common problem on older fiberglass hulls. The video shows exactly what the problem looks like. (2:12)
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