1977 53MY Punta Gorda Fl

[Kaf]

My apologies, I think the files were too big. There is one more I will attempt to put in the next post. We did stop to see her about 2 weeks ago and quite a few more blisters appeared from drying out. Any advice is appreciated!

[Kaf]

Last photo...sorry for the duplicate, the drag and drop is difficult. Many thanks!

[cww]

Almost all Hatt's in saltwater have blisters, it's just a characteristic of the boats. They're cosmetic only and don't affect structural integrity or performance. I wouldn't stress over that. That doesn't mean you got a bad deal on the boat.

[SeaEric]

My apologies, I think the files were too big. There is one more I will attempt to put in the next post. We did stop to see her about 2 weeks ago and quite a few more blisters appeared from drying out. Any advice is appreciated!

It's a 41 year old, well built boat. IMHO - Knock the loose paint off the bottom and give it a coat of bottom paint. In fresh water, hauling every winter it almost deosn't even matter what paint. DO NOT spend a fortune on peeling and re laminating. If you want to grind out a few of the worst looking spots and fill them - have at it. Like cww said above- It's all cosmetic.

[bostonhatteras]

It's a 41 year old, well built boat. IMHO - Knock the loose paint off the bottom and give it a coat of bottom paint. In fresh water, hauling every winter it almost deosn't even matter what paint. DO NOT spend a fortune on peeling and re laminating. If you want to grind out a few of the worst looking spots and fill them - have at it. Like cww said above- It's all cosmetic.

Seaerics advice is probably the best course, depending on what you'll use the boat for. If you'll put many miles on her at cruise rpm, then maybe a full bottom job is right for you. if you intend to go out on Saturday or Sunday for a leisurely cruise, then likely a huge waste of money. Peeling is no guarantee of sucess either. If the yard peels the hull but fails to prep the surface properly afterward or fails to apply adequate thickness, then you can be back in a similar state with barrier coat flaking off or more blisters. You could have the bottom soda blasted to the gel coat and then make a far more informed decision as to what the bottom needs. 40 years of paint can be deceptive. A true bottom restoration job is a serious commitment to time, attention to detail and $$$

[SKYCHENEY]

Mine looked like that or worse when I bought her 21 years ago. It had always been in the water bubbled in the winter in Detroit. After I bought the boat, I started storing her in heated storage in the winter. After a few years, all of the blisters dried up and now you can't find any of them; not even right after haul out. I wouldn't worry about it. I did at first too. But they are not really a concern.

I was in the same situation as you are. I started a bottom job at Grand Isle right after I bought the boat but the costs soared after they started and I stopped it right there. We just barrier coated and painted. Don't jump to do anything right away. It will improve in storage each year. Who did you get the quote from? Walstrom?

Feel free to give me a call. Send me a PM and I'll get you my number.

[jim rosenthal]

I can save you some money right now, I think. Don't peel the bottom of your boat. Before anything else, strip the existing bottom paint off and then dry the hull for months. Check it frequently with a moisture meter. You may need to glass-bead or soda-blast the bottom. Get it as dry and clean as you can, then fill and fair all the blisters with VC Watertite or something similar. Then have them apply Interprotect 3001 to spec, which I think will be about 10 mils. Then roll on new bottom paint and you should be fine for years. I am going on more than twenty years on a similar bottom job. Like your Hatteras, mine is out of the water for 4-5 months in the winter. If done right, you won't have to worry about the bottom again. You do not need to peel your boat from what you describe.

[Kaf]

Thank you all so much! It is so comforting to have you affirm what I was thinking. SKYCHENEY, you hit the nail on the head, it was Walstrom. They really run an operation there. The heated storage is nice as they just put up a new building, but it is obscene what we paid. We are getting on a few other waiting lists, but until we secure something else, we are stuck. I actually had to look up where Montague is located. That is really a sweet setup with the inland lake so close to Lake Michigan. Will send PM. CWW, thank you for your reassurance! I guess without adding up the numbers all I can say is that I truly love her so good deal. If Jim has 20 years on his bottom job, sounds good to me. We do not plan on anymore hard travel, we had enough bringing her north. Foresee only Great Lakes from here, mostly Superior. But then who knows... if any of you get up here, please send me a PM. Would love to meet with like minded folks.

[Timeless72]

We learned the hard way, yards will take the most expensive route just about every time. Even if that route is not necessarily the best option. After years of this, I am back to doing most work myself with a reliable third party involved. There is so much business for the yard, they do not seem to take any offense, and I have a better experience with fewer people involved anyway.
Good luck grinding!

[Scarlett]

In all my years of surveying boats I have only recommended a complete peel once and that was on a $500,000 Offshore Motor Yacht. That boat was so bad that you didn’t count the blisters but you counted the clear spots which weren’t many.