Viper bottom coat bubbling

[digitish]

I have an 81 Viper that I am hoping to get back in the water this weekend. I was checking out the hull to make sure its still in good shape and safe a noticed a few things.

1) Bubbles in bottom coat.
2) Cracks in bottom coat.
3) Paint/Fiberglass coming off center stringer (?), near drain plug.

Attached are some pics. What do you think...is the boat okay to use this weekend or do I need a new bottom coat & some other work first? Hoping to do some skiing & tubing. Thanks in advance. This is our first motor boat.

[flatbackcanoe]

I understand that bubbling on the bottom means water has gotten into the wood, its rotted.
Cracks allow water in as well.
Boat would probably be ok for a weekend, as long as its not tearing up the lake.
Nothing over 30
if its not important, start restoring the boat.
remove and replace the floor, core, stringers, transom.

[digitish]

It seems like the bubbles are just in the under coat paint. If I pop them I can see the next layer of paint below.

[transomstand]

The boat is unsafe and should not be run. It needs a full resto.

[FMP]

Seriously , tear it all out, fix it right and then ask.

[olboatman]

The bubbles are osmatic blistering ( water gettin thru the gelcoat and stoppin at the mat) and usually means the gelcoat needs to be sealed. That is done by spraying new gelcoat or paint over the old. As transomstand said that my be the least of your worries!!! Time to get at it!!!! JMO Gary

[Karsten]

I would say you have some work ahead of you just like I do with my CVX-20....Wet Wood seems to have this thing about spreading somehow to all the wood in the boat. As for this weekend, myself I would pass and not put friends, family or myself at risk.

Karsten

[digitish]

Thanks again. Any recommendations from someone in Massachusetts to do such a job? Don't think I have the time or skills to pull this off.

[RussF]

White mountain Fiberglass in Rumney,NH......just a little north of Plymouth.........603-254-4478

[digitish]

You guys are the experts here & I really appreciate your advice. I just got this boat last year & it was in great shape, no bubbles. We used it a lot last summer with no issues. I guess the bubbles/pimples developed over the winter.

Have you guys seen this article...
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/BuyingBlisterBoat.htm

Here are a few more pics. Is there a chance that the pimples/bubbles didn't destroy the wood core? Is there any way to tell without taking out the floor? Can I take it easy tubing & skiing then redo the core in the fall/winter? I am not looking to break any speed records. That said safety has to come first. I just hate to miss the short season here in new england.

[Karsten]

1st off get rid of the rollers and either get a trailer with Bunks or convert the one you have. Before you tear the floor up drill some test holes and see what comes out of the stringers....I would bet it is wet or rotten wood. You posted pic's of exposed wood...wet exposed wood is like a STD.....one piece give the all the rest of the wood moisture and over time all the wood has been wet including the transom and that is not a good thing.

If this is a Hydrostream Viper it should have a Cork Core that would also be soaked and will need to be replaced.

Best advise I could give you is to get ready to learn some new skills on boat resto and how to DIY....other wise you will be paying big bucks for someone else to do it.

It looks like the boat has spent way to much time in the water for a painted hull, Hence all the bubbling.

So you need to ask yourself how much you like the boat and what you want to pour into it to make it right....or start looking for a new boat in the $5000 plus range it will take to fix what you have.

Karsten

[RONNIE]

cork???

[olboatman]

cork???

Maybe he ment balsa? Gary

[specboatops]

From one of the last pics it looks like you have kept the boat in the water for extended periods of time ?

[digitish]

Yes, we kept the boat in the lake over the summer, maybe 3 months.