3 replies to this topic

[RodDarmaga]

Newbie Rod here from Ontario Canada.

Well 2 weekends ago pulled our sportster out from storage & started to wax 'er up & noticed blistering pretty much over the entire hull below the water line. Fine pimple-like blisters.

Also have hull cracking, again, below the water line on both sides near stern.

Waiting for rep to view w/ owner of establishment where we bought the boat.

Read a few posts re warranties implying we should remove from water after use & both occurences are pobably considered "cosmetic" but need some input from any one else who may have experienced this problem or are experiencing it now. Another local dealer has a few Sportsters like ours, 1 is a demo & has been beaten pretty bad, but neither boat has blistering or cracking.

I mean we're talking 1 season of use here, part of which was babying the boat on break-in.

The "remove from water after use" is the most ridiculous thin I've ever heard. Some research I have done points to inferior materials / workmanship. We've got a '97 Wellcraft that's been in the water forever & guess what - no blisters.

Hate to get lawyers involved....

[tiggerman]

Waiting for rep to view w/ owner of establishment where we bought the boat.

This is the most important first step in getting your issue resolved. Your dealer and their rep should have a good enough relationship to cure this the least painless way.
The gelcote on every boat is porous and can absorb water. Different chemistries will absorb water at different rates. Maybe that's why Bombardier recommends removal from the water. Read this:
WHAT IS OSMOSIS?
Osmosis is a process of degeneration within a fiberglass laminate. It is caused by a chemical reaction between water and unreacted substances remaining in the manufactured hull. The water enters the hull through the gelcoat and, once inside, reacts with the chemical components creating acidic substances. These substances create pressure behind the gelcoat, which causes blisters and eventually cracking. Once the gelcoat is breached in this manner, the underlying laminate is capable of absorbing water like a sponge.

Osmosis is not only caused by water on the outside of the hull – bilge water from the inside can also cause a problem. It is therefore worth making efforts to keep your bilges dry.

WHEN MIGHT OSMOSIS OCCUR?
Any unprotected hull is likely to show signs of osmosis eventually, like rust on a car.

The exact length of time before osmosis occurs depends on many factors, including: the type of water in which the hull is moored; the temperature of the water and most importantly, the quality of the original hull construction.

In some cases, reactive impurities in the gelcoat and laminate will cause osmosis in the early life of the boat. This is a structural problem and should be referred back to the boat manufacturer. However, even well-built, fiberglass hulls will eventually experience osmosis and blistering.

Doo a Google on "hull osmosis" and read the wealth of info about your problem. I'm not saying it's not substandard craftmanship or materials, just offering an explanation of why these things occur.

[keviseeb]

I agree with Tiggerman, I have a 43' boat that I would not dream of keeping in the water full time unless it had barrier coat and bottom paint. That is the nature of fiberglass and Sea Doo boats are not exempt from "water intrusion due to osmosis". We have customers who keep their boats in the water for a few weeks at a time and experience no blistering. We have others who bottom paint their boats and have no problems after leaving it in the water for a whole season. The bottom line is, if you intend to leave a boat in the water for any length of time, protect it with a high speed bottom paint. Like it or not, that is the nature of fiberglass. Now, having said all that, the Seadoo technical department should have issued a "caller ID" number when your dealer contacted them about your problem. You have every right to contact Seadoo and get an official answer from them, they have people who handle situations like yours available.

[RodDarmaga]

Newbie Rod here from Ontario Canada.

Well 2 weekends ago pulled our sportster out from storage & started to wax 'er up & noticed blistering pretty much over the entire hull below the water line. Fine pimple-like blisters.

Also have hull cracking, again, below the water line on both sides near stern.

Waiting for rep to view w/ owner of establishment where we bought the boat.

Read a few posts re warranties implying we should remove from water after use & both occurences are pobably considered "cosmetic" but need some input from any one else who may have experienced this problem or are experiencing it now. Another local dealer has a few Sportsters like ours, 1 is a demo & has been beaten pretty bad, but neither boat has blistering or cracking.

I mean we're talking 1 season of use here, part of which was babying the boat on break-in.

The "remove from water after use" is the most ridiculous thin I've ever heard. Some research I have done points to inferior materials / workmanship. We've got a '97 Wellcraft that's been in the water forever & guess what - no blisters.

Hate to get lawyers involved....

Since I have been contacted by another member here re more blisters on anothe Sportster I thought I should update our boat's history w/ blisters (& stress cracks @ rear too):

It was bought in Muskoka & spent 1 (2204) season in the water in a boathouse. When being prepped to be put back in the water the next spring (2005) it was noted that blisters had formed both in the white & yellow areas. @ the end of the 2005 season, the boat was returned to Bombardier & repaired. We pushed to have the clamshell broken & a new hull added but they stood firm claiming that they had a new procedure to fix it. We also tried to flip the boat for the new s/c but they would not give us a fair trade value. All of my research into blisters has shown that this is non-corrective as once the water permeates the layers & especially freezes over a winter, will resurface eventually. Search "hull blisters" & u should be able to find the same info en masse.

I did not have a chance to inspect prior to winterization, will in the spring, the boat was only in for 2-1/2 mos this season.

When first reported, Bomardier went straight to the "read ur warranty" bs claiming that their products are to be removed from water after every use..... Many other manufacturers have gone this way especially Sea Ray after their disasters. A brand that Gordon Bay Marine was carrying also suffered heavily, in that instance the manufacturer tried to locally find someone to refinish the boats which turned into a disaster - they ended up taking the boats back to the factory & re-clamshelling - can't remeber the manufacturer there though....

Also of note is that when the boat was returned to us, parts of the trailer have turned yellow - did they refinish on the trailer?? Looks like possibly dust from gelcoat has bitten porous plastic of parts of trailer.....

Will update next season.... if I remember.... lol!