2003 c-dory 22' blister problem

P

patrick and linda

New member
hi all,
in the cinti oh area the 2006 boating season is just about finished.
so, on this past saturday i pulled our "misty seas" from her slip, located on the ohio river. after many hours of cleaning, misty seas looked terrific. one proud owner here. however, to my surprise, i noticed a blister like condition, on all areas below the water line, in the green gelcoat.
that wasn't good!
my immediate response, what the #%**'@ is this?
so, this morning i've emailed the company's rep and explain what had occurred. i'm sure they will respond, but until then, i know other c-brats have experience this problem, so, if you know what steps c-dory took to resolve these problems., i would greatly appreciate your impute. any ideas on how this might ultimately effect the value of my boat, would also be appreciated. i have trust and confidence in c-dory to make this right and will certainly give them the necessary time to do so.
i regard all c-brats as friends and have enjoyed visiting this site for the informative and friendly nature it represents.
hope your season went well.
happy halloween
pat
 
thanks dave,
i'm still looking for information regarding the actual repairing of damage. if anyone has had their boat repaired by the company and would like to share that experience with the rest of us, i'd be deeply appreciative.
pat
 
Mike, Passagemaker magazine had an extensive set of articles on blistering and it's cure about 2-3 months ago.

Could you post some pictures of the hull to help us identify what is happening?

You may have to sand the hull down, seal it with epoxy and bottom coat, but if you could get 'hold of that Passagemaker issue, it show's photos of different types of blistering and step by step restoration.

John
 
hi john
thanks for the info on passagemaker. i'll try and grab an issue.
not sure how to post a picture, but what i can tell you is, this stuff looks like 1000's of 1/8th" or so, irregular bumps, totally covering the green gelcoat, from the water line down. they do not look like the traditional round blister type, never the less, highly visible.
at this point, i'm more interested in exactly what c-dory is going to do for me, rather than thinking about me, having to sand down the damage and reapply gelcoat. i guess it's a warranty item now, thought i had read the hull is warranted for five years.
my history with boats is, only keeping them for perhaps two or three years, so, i'm somewhat concerned about how this situation may effect the resell value.
i'm sure there is someone out there who has experienced this same thing and subsequently had the company take care of this problem, apparently, a number of boats have experienced this, to the point where it might be a manufacturing flaw. i'm not pointing the finger, the company has plenty of time to respond to my need. this is just the fact finding period. a well educated consumer fares better than the latter.
i've been a boater for along time and understand these things happen.
but , having said that, also know, good service is paramount to success.
all responses are greatly appreciated.
this is by far the best web, well meaning, site available.
"sometimes, it takes along time to see there's more to the river than just water".
pat
 
It will be interesting to see how C Dory handles this--there is another green hull which had extensive gel coat blistering. Tony's dory--the thread is "should have gotten a Bayliner". It is worth a read.

I personally feel that any boat which is going to be left in the water long term should have an epoxy barrier coat. The gel coats; even vinlyester, are more permiable to water than are the epoxies.

This just sounds like gel coat blisters, which is much different than the destructive osmosis, which is deeper in the laminate. In either case, the hull needs to be dryed out. After it is out of water for a month or so, take a moisture meter and see if the bottom continues to have a high moisture content. A moisture meter just after hauling is not of much use.

Let us know what the "fix" is--and how the factory stands behind the product.
 
The blistering seems to be more prevalent on boats that are green and in the water for extended periods. This is the third green boat with this problem, that I am aware of.
 
oldgrowth":3d2ltms2 said:
The blistering seems to be more prevalent on boats that are green and in the water for extended periods. This is the third green boat with this problem, that I am aware of.
Click to expand...
Also, as was noted before, it appears to be a fresh water problem - e.g. doesn't appear to happen in salt water moorage. Might be that now that a lot more boats are be sold in the center of the country, we're starting to learn about things that aren't an issue in salt.
 
The Passagemaker articles about blistering lay the blame on water-soluble-molecules (WSM's) used as binders in the resin mix. Previous blame had been laid heavily upon chopped glass fibers and/or insufficient wetting, but their research pretty well nailed the main culprit. It was interesting to read that, although weak, chopped fibers shot by a gun do not contribute to blistering, but chopped fibers bound into a matte sheet do contribute to blistering due to the water soluble molecules in the binder.

As such, it would make sense that a particular batch might have a higher proportion of these water soluble molecules than another.

I do agree with Bob, that any boat left in the water needs an epoxy coating since it is well established that basic fiberglass/gelcoat combo is NOT WATERPROOF. So, you are just tempting fate to leave those materials submerged for long periods.

It would also make sense that the osmotic pressure differential may be much higher in long term fresh water exposure than in long term salt water exposure. John
 
thanks bob, john, chris, roger, c-voyager and all other brother c-dory boaters,
i was unsuccessful in retrieving "tony's dory" post "should have purchased a bayliner", would like to give him a call or email, see what the outcome was for his boat. any knowledge of his where-abouts? tony, are you out there?
could very well be a defective batch of green gelcoat.
have no c-dory dealerships local, probably over 1000 away.
there is a well respected searay dealership, within 10 miles of my location. perhaps the company would allow them to make whatever repairs are necessary.
i will keep you guys informed of my communications with c-dory regarding this matter.
since the boat is pulled for this winter, drying out time, as well as repair time should not be a problem.
thanks again for all the impute
best regards
pat
 
no, there not dots at all. they appear to be irregular bumps, from perhaps 1/8th inch to slightly larger. and just 1000's of them. restricted only to the green gelcoat, from the waterline down. they are highly visible. not the typical round blister type.
hope this helps.
thanks
pat
 
Pat:

Put the word "blisters" in the search line and click.

"Should of gotten a Bayliner?" is the fourth thread in the list that comes up. Tony's problem had a good resolution. The factory asked him to monitor the blisters and offered, in writing, to fix the problem if it got any worse.
 
I'M LEAVING THE OFFICE NOW AND WON'T BE BACK UNTIL THURSDAY.
HAVING A MINOR MEDICAL TEST, TOMORROW AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. IT'S NO BIG DEAL. I'LL BE BACK IN SHAPE, THURSDAY.
HAVE A GREAT DAY
PAT
 
well i'm back and feeling ok. was not supposed to be in the office today but like they say, it's hard to keep a good sailor down.
so, the word from c-dory is in and it's not what i was hoping to hear.
received the call last evening, bottom line is:
1. warranty does not extend to second and subsequent owners.
2. hull warranty for all new owners does not extend to blisters.
3. the direct and proximate cause of this blistering effect, mentioned by the company, is not having applied bottom paint as well as barrier solution.
it's to early for me to comment on this happening, while sadden that my relatively newer boat is now damaged goods, thru no fault of my own, i am now responsible for the time, cost and manner in which the damaged hull must be repaired. that my friends, was not in my float plan!
the home office, while not required to do so, has made me the offer of $500.00 donation, to help offset cost.
i share this information with you, my buddy boaters, because i appreciate each and everyone that has given me advice, concerning this matter.
i would prefer no negative statements regarding the company's position on hull warranty, as this would in no way facilitate cooperation on the company's part for future considerations, to any of us.
a warranty is absolutely a contract, both, legal and binding on all parties.
during my conversation last evening, c-brats was not brought up, had they asked me not to report on this matter, i would not be making this
post. well, now you know as much as me.
best regards all,
capt. pat, out!
 
Patrick-

Sorry to hear the news about your warranty issue, but I believe you're handling it in a very respectable, professional manner. I want to wish you the best of luck and offer any support that I, or any of the rest of our C-Brats can muster. Joe.
 
Sorry to hear about your situation, Pat. On the bright side, though, you have $500 toward a new sealant/bottom paint treatment which is that much less than it would have cost when you bought the boat. I know it may seem like a cold, cruel world, but, realistically, bottom painting a boat that is left in the water is sort of a standard requirement. I doubt that having the hull sanded, sealed and bottom painted will lower your resale value.

John
 
I doubt that having the hull sanded, sealed and bottom painted will lower your resale value.
Click to expand...

I don't think so either. Most people know these boats are in the water for long periods as they cruise and may actually expect it to be painted.
 
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