Cosmetic Blisters?

kddmhc · #1 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002

We are looking at a 32''O''day, and the broker says a 2001 survey showed cosmetic blisters. He is saying this is nothing to worry about, that because the boat is on a warm lake that is normal. Is he correct? Do the blisters need to be fixed? We plan on having a new survey done if we make an offer. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

ptapaul · #2 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002

I am a salesman(not in the marine industry) and I am turn off when any salesman tries to minimize a defect. While blisters are rarely a serious threat to the structural integrety of a boat, they are a serious nuisance. The broker is correct if he said they seem to be more common in warm fresh water lakes but if the bottom of the boat is covered with blisters, it can be a very costly repair. After repairing the blisters (and you should), you will need to apply no less than 2 coates of epoxy paint to seal it watertight. Then, I would inspect and clean the hull every 6 months and repair any new ones that appear every 12-24 months.

DonFoley · #3 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002

...and it''s common to negotiate the cost of the repairs into your offer/counter offer.

If you offered $50,000 on a $55,000 boat, for instance, and the counter offer came back at $52,000 and you accepted it ''upon results of the survey" it''s common to use the survey results to either cancel the offer (if the boat is unacceptable...bad blisters or whatever) or to counter back with a new offer that takes into account the repairs, so if your blisters and engine repairs were going to set you back $2,000, then after the survey you could re-negotiate for $50,000. The seller can take it or leave it and you can back out if they don''t want to drop the price.

kddmhc · #4 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002

Thanks for the input...as to repairing any blisters, I''ve heard that it can be difficult to do and that often more damage is done during a botched repair job than the blisters themselves would have caused. So I am very confused. We did put an offer in contingent on a survey...I would appreciate any and all input. I will post back after the survey is complete with the results. I am also going to get a copy of last year''s survey before proceeding with a new one.

hamiam · #5 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002

If you put a contingent offer on the survey you can either: 1. Walk away as the survey did not come back clean. or 2. Figure out how much it is going to cost to make ALL the repairs specified by the survey and counter offer that amount. The seller than can make the decision. Nothing to be confused or worried about. This is YOUR offer. Don''t be pressured into doing anything you are not comfortable with.

DonFoley · #6 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002

If the blisters aren''t deep, or too big, then you shouldn''t have any problem repairing them. Blisters are pretty common and NOT the end of the world. Ask around a marina (boat owners, not the marina staff) about who does good blister work. Where are you located? Someone here might be able to point you to someone who can do a good job.

If you''ve got only a handful of small blisters, you''ll probably find someone who will take them out for around $35 each, so your real costs are going to be in the hauling, scraping (if needed) a new barrier coat (or two) and a new coat of paint. It''s not a bad idea to start out a new boat on your own schedule and just do all this now. Your surveyor can also recommend other items that can be taken care of while your blisters are being taken care of, such as replacing your cutlass bearing and checking to make sure your shaft is straight and perhaps replacing old keel bolts or thru-hulls that might need replacing/upgrading.

Good luck,

Don

ptapaul · #7 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002

I have heard occasional horror stories concerning repaired blisters but they usually stem from customers who didn''t understand the repair process the boat yard was going to complete. A good reference book to read is "The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual" and it is available through Amazon.com. The book outlines step by step directions on "How To" but do not assume you can do this yourself. However, if you arm yourself with the information in the book you can make decisions that will assure a good repair.

WHOOSH · #8 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002

kddmhc:

(I''ll admit I continue to be confused by folks who seek the help of others, yet can''t manage to offer a first name. Just seems a bit odd to me...)

Don''t overlook the whole repair process when considering your ''counter'' counter-offer, presuming the survey indicates blisters (it may not if they were filled this Spring and painted over) and the owner counters your offer. E.g. you''re buying in the middle of summer with the likely hope you''ll still have most of the season to use the boat. OTOH it would be prudent, after the blisters were opened, to allow the area to dry for a while.

What''s a month''s yard storage cost in your area? What''s the ''use'' loss worth, to you? And if you address the problem correctly, as outlined above, someone must pay for the full removal of old bottom paint and prepping the hull for the epoxy work.

A good idea might be to sit down with your preferred yard in the near term, work out together what the ''right fix'' would include, and to not miss the intangibles (loss of boat use, pro-rated insurance premium, etc.). You may not get all this backed out of the ultimate price, but you''ll have fewer regrets after the fact and won''t feel you left something on the table simply because of the press of events.

Jack

kddmhc · #9 (**permalink**) 07-19-2002

Thanks for all the posts...Jack I just use the sign on I created a long time ago out of laziness...so I don''t have to remember new ones.
The boat is located on Lake Norman, NC...so if anyone can direct me to a good surveyor or blister repair person, I would appreciate it.
Thanks,

Keith

kddmhc · #10 (**permalink**) 07-19-2002

OK, I just got the 2001 survey, it reads..."there were thousands of 1/2" or smaller blistersthat were very shallow all over the bottom. The rudder had approximately 20 blisters about 1" in diameter." Yet this guy rated the Hull and Underbody in good condition, and put a value of 10% above average price for the boat. Any comments? There aren''t a lot of surveyors in this area to choose from. i have a sea trial scheduled for Sunday afternoon...at this point I''m considering walking away before I pay for a survey.
Thanks,
Keith