Over the past four Saturdays I removed Somerledi's anti-foul layers of paint - 5 layers deep - down to a gray barrier coat that I decided to retain. During the removal of the anti-foul paint it was obvious that Somerledi was suffering from a number of both repaired blisters that were mostly failing, as well as very small and new blister forming. After discussing with Somerledi's owner, we decided that while the bottom job was being worked on it made sense to go ahead and properly repair the old and new blisters. That work started today.

Arriving at Somerledi, I set up the 4" grinder with a 40-grit flap disk, suited up and began to open up the blisters (old and new) on the starboard side. I worked from the bow to tiller, the tiller itself, and then back up the port side, when with a couple feet to go my grinder decided to play dead. The 5 hours of continuous use, add fiberglass dust, and the grinder shut down due to heat. I would later test the grinder at home and it switched on. Those last couple feet of bottom, plus a few small forming blisters, would be addressed on my next visit.

What I found across Somerledi's bottom while grinding was a poor polyester resin saturation on mostly the outer layer of glass - created dry pockets, voids, in which water would pass through the gelcoat and find a place to react with the resin, creating the blister - a build up of an acidic liquid through the process of osmosis, in severe instances leading to delamination of the fiberglass layers. In the case of Somerledi, most of the issue was found between the first and second layer of glass - mostly a cosmetic issue, but not a good look.

There were some areas where a significant void was present, and these were ground out deeper and would require anywhere from 1 to 3 layers of new 1708 biaxial cloth to build back to a fair surface; the balance of the blisters were ground very shallow to get back to solid laminate, and will be faired with a fairing compound. The resin to be used on the repair is epoxy (West System), and the fairing compound a mix of 406 colloidal silica and 407 low-density fairing filler. After all voids are glassed, faired, and sanded to a fair surface, an epoxy-based barrier coat will be applied. Peel ply was used as much as possible in this first work on the blisters, a nylon fabric that is applied over the work, and once the work cures then removed, taking amine blush with it and leaving a surface ready for additional work without having to sand prior.

The next visit should complete the starboard side of the hull as no, or very little, grinding work will be required.

Total Hrs: 8.25