Toms Tips on Blisters

By Tom Neale, 2/19/2009

        1. Some blisters are so deep that they have structural significance and boats with problems like this should be avoided.

2. Some don’t appear to be deep but are symptomatic of inherent delamination which you can’t readily see unless you do something like cutting a plug out of the hull. Delamination can make a hull fail catastrophically.

3. While moisture meters are a good tool, you shouldn’t forget that you’re dealing with a hull that’s submerged most of the time. If a guy with a moisture meter is telling you to take draconian steps because your hull is “wet” inside, listen to him, but seek a second, maybe even third, qualified opinion before you spend a lot of money.

4. Most of us know that we can tap hulls looking for blisters and delamination. However, other things, such as inner structures and design changes in the hull (as where the layup changes from keel support function to areas of broader hull expanse) may also affect sound.  Don’t freak over tapping until you check with a qualified expert as to what the sound variations may actually mean.