Islander 36 seek advice

Rodz47 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-15-2007

I made an offer for an Islander 36 built 1979. When we hauled her out for survey she revealed her bottom covered with blisters. The blister size are 1-2" in diameter.

Does anyone have an opinion if the blisters are only in the gelcoat or could be more serious problem? The boat was in "almost" salty water in NC for the last couple of years.
How well these boats were built? There were approximate 700 built over several years.
What would be recommended remedy to fix this problem?.

I count on you guys.
Thanks

Gene T · #2 (**permalink**) 05-15-2007

Islanders are known for blisters. The fix would be ~$15-20k I would guess. Grind them out to get to good fiberglass, peal all gelcoat off the bottom, dry out the hull, fill and fair all the divots, seal the bottom with epoxy and bottom paint. If you don't know about blisters you should read up on it a bit, your surveyor should be able to give you some guidance if they are any good.

camaraderie · #3 (**permalink**) 05-15-2007

Rodz...walk away. Not worth the time or the trouble even if you get a 10-15k reduction. There are lots of other used boats.

sailingfool · #4 (**permalink**) 05-15-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodz47

I made an offer for an Islander 36 built 1979. When we hauled her out for survey she revealed her bottom covered with blisters. The blister size are 1-2" in diameter.

Does anyone have an opinion if the blisters are only in the gelcoat or could be more serious problem? The boat was in "almost" salty water in NC for the last couple of years.
How well these boats were built? There were approximate 700 built over several years.
What would be recommended remedy to fix this problem?.

I count on you guys.
Thanks

I've always considered Islanders reasonably well made boats. But I agree with Cam on the "walk away" recommendation. You need to recognize that this boat didn't develop blisters just yesterday. The cost/difficulty for repairing blisters ranges from moderate to high, for example if you need to peel the hull skin it gets expensive. The fact the boat shows blisters would imply that the efforts of current/former owners to fix them have been inadequate, why try to be the hero, andr assume that your wallet will be bigger than theirs...move on to a boat that will have just the routine surprises and repairs..

Good luck.

Good luck,

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 05-15-2007

Plenty of boats on the market....why get one with a possible huge problem?

Rodz47 · #6 (**permalink**) 05-16-2007

Thanks guys very much. I face tough decision as the boat is mostly in a good shape.
I have an estimate for fixing blisters problem by peeling off the entire underwater part to the fiberglass and replacing it with several coats (12-14) of epoxy and paint. The price I got for this job is ~9k guaranteed for 10 years.
Because of the blister size is it possible that the blisters go into the fiberglass?? If it does, how much more difficult is to fix it??

Rodz47 · #7 (**permalink**) 05-16-2007

This is the third boat I tried and ... you know ..... third with hull problem.... Can I find a boat 25-30 years old that has hull and deck in good condition?? I do not have a big wallet so I am looking for the best deal possible.

seabreeze_97 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-16-2007

This bad or worse?
BRIAN & JEANNETTE'S ADVENTURES ABOARD PUFF!
As seen in those pics, the damage can be fixed, but I'm in agreement with the others. There are so many others out there I'd keep looking, unless you're not in a big hurry, and just really wanna learn how to do it. Yes, there are 30 year-old boats in great shape. Mine's 32y/o, decks are rock solid with no blisters.

camaraderie · #9 (**permalink**) 05-16-2007

Rodz...there ARE lots of good boats out there with no blisters OR with them taken care of. It is unlikely that the blisters on your Islander have a real structural impact BUT they must be dealt with which costs both money and time. If the PO will support the repair cost then you can proceed but be aware that you won't be going sailing this season as the hull will need to be peeled and left to dry out for some months before repairs can begin. Why put yourself thorugh all that? Find a better boat and go sailing this year!

SimonV · #10 (**permalink**) 05-17-2007

Rodz
I would love to know what price range you are looking at, my enquiries with the Islander 36 show them to have very little if any problems with blisters, being a well built vessel of the mid 70's. Admittedly some of the lower end boats have been poorly maintained, but on a whole there is little if any talk of major osmosis.