Osmotic Blister Repair

[mjr119]

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I've never seen this happen to a boat before. How much would it cost to repair something like this?

[mjr119]

Is this mostly cosmetic?

another shot

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[996scott]

looks like it is just cosmetic but i have no idea what would cause it or how much to repair. I would take it to a fiberglass shop and ask them. My guess is they have probably seen it before. Is this something that just happened this season?

[zabooda]

There have been some threads on the condition. If I remember right, it is from sitting in the water for an extended time.

[mmandley]

Yes this can happen when the boats are in the water all the time, this is one reason SC won't warrenty the hull if its in the water all the time.

I think last time I read about this they have to grind all the Gell down and re-gell the boat. Not cheap at all.

[mjr119]

This isn't my boat. It's a XLV that i am going to look at today. Thanks.

[mjr119]

I wonder if this could be fixed with bottom paint instead of a re gel. It isn't like it'd a brand new boat so not like I would be painting over some expensive gunmetal flake. It's a really good deal on the boat.

Like smoking good deal.

Would you guys take the chance or would you be too worried that the hull is trashed?

[parrothd]

I'd pick that up in a second if the price was right.. Lol..

[jmb]

Believe it or not, fiberglass and water don't get along for any extended time. Just a cosmetic. problem.

[mjr119]

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[mjr119]

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[mjr119]

So here's some pics of the damage. Gel coat is toast. But I do believe that it is only cosmetic. The fiberglass shop next door to the place that has the boat said it was structurally sound. They inspected it and laid an extra layer of fiberglass on the inside for reinforcement.

The boat has center ballast only.

Prop is toast. Rudder shaft is badly bent. Although I did not notice it while driving it.... only noticed it after it was pulled out of the water for inspection.

When you turn on the stereo it makes an unbearable static noise that seems to vary with the engine RPM or other electrical. It changed pitch when I used the wake plate.

Wake plate pump is brand new. gauge doesnt work.

Speedo doesnt work.

Fuel gauge is cracked.

New "water pump" at beginning of the season. Guy says he always does this. So not sure if he meant impeller.

Trailer is good but the bunks need carpet.

Upholstery is decent but not perfect. The bow seat backs are losing the stitching. The sundeck has a tear near the engine hatch hinge.

Vdrive oil was so clean I could barely see it on the stick.

Engine oil was due for a change but within specs.

Tranny fluid was a little dark and at the 1/2 mark.

The boat ran really cool. Like 125 130 degrees. I think the Tstat was stuck open. It also idled kind of high sometimes. I think this is related to the thermostat. If it runs cold it will never go out of "choke mode," correct?

What do you guys think? I have first dibs on it. Title comes in this week. What would you pay for it?

[mjr119]

Another strange issue: We took the boat out for maybe 30 minutes and it put over an hour on the meter? Wtf?

The owner said he has noticed it before. The gauge says 1100 hours, but the owners says it has 650 on it. I think he is telling the truth honestly. Ive never seen an hour meter roll that fast. You could literally watch it constantly moving. What would cause that?

[parrothd]

10k$?.. Depending the year..

Very very few people are going to be interested in that boat. I'd search around Craigslist and find the average for that boat, then split it half. Remember you may need to sell it, and most people will pass unless you fix everything, so make sure to get it dirt cheap and account for the funds/time for the repairs.


New interior 4k, prop and stuff 1500$, gelcoat 5-6k? Radio? Plus it has 1100 hours, doesn't matter if it's right or not..

[mjr119]

Valid points. I would get it to keep it probably, fix it up over the winter perhaps. Not sure if I would get the gel coat repaired or not. Quote was 4k. I would look into a bottom paint probably. I would sell my 03 LSV come spring. I still need to replace the vdrive in it.

The boat is a 2004 by the way. The interior is not bad at all. One seat bottom has collapsed foam. Easy fix. The sundeck would be a couple hundred to redo. The front would be another few hundred. Everything else is in really good shape.



Hearing all other opinions.

[mjr119]

I am trying to be thorough when describing it so I can get honest opinions on accurate information. The price is right so I'm strongly considering it. Just want to hear some opinions.

I can live with the imperfections for now and fix stuff as I go. I would need to fix the rudder and trailer asap. The interior and gauges would be winter project. Perfect servo and paddle wheel aren't needed. But would fix them eventually. Stereo would get a complete overhaul anyways. Nothing outrageous. I'm pretty good at getting great value for my money. I take pride in it.

[parrothd]

Your crazy, perfect pass and wheel not needed! Must not be a wakeboarder or surfer, or you're single.. Lol

[mmandley]

The boat has center ballast only. Up gradable for 500

Prop is toast. Rudder shaft is badly bent. Although I did not notice it while driving it.... only noticed it after it was pulled out of the water for inspection. 1500 for a shop to repair, also be aware the trans might be toast as well, driving with bent shafts, or the actual strike can cause clutch damages in the trans.

When you turn on the stereo it makes an unbearable static noise that seems to vary with the engine RPM or other electrical. It changed pitch when I used the wake plate. Gut it and start over, has serious grounding issues

Wake plate pump is brand new. gauge doesnt work. Possible ground issue with the other electrical issues your having.

Speedo doesnt work. See above

Fuel gauge is cracked. I would replace this, 100-200

New "water pump" at beginning of the season. Guy says he always does this. So not sure if he meant impeller. I expect he means impeller, but figure on all hoses, belt, plugs, wires, cap rotor, fuel filter to all need replacing. <600>

Trailer is good but the bunks need carpet. Couple 100 it might need new boards and hardware as well.

Upholstery is decent but not perfect. The bow seat backs are losing the stitching. The sundeck has a tear near the engine hatch hinge. Sounds like you know a guy for this

Vdrive oil was so clean I could barely see it on the stick. That might mean hes got the wrong weight in it, or it was so low he filled it and its brand new oil, I can barely see mine on the stick as well.

Engine oil was due for a change but within specs. As long as its not black, it should be a dark brown, Black means its burnt and has a lot of blow by from the pvc system.

Tranny fluid was a little dark and at the 1/2 mark. This worries me, with the bent rudder and shaft, you might be looking at anew trans <3-4K>

The boat ran really cool. Like 125 130 degrees. I think the Tstat was stuck open. It also idled kind of high sometimes. I think this is related to the thermostat. If it runs cold it will never go out of "choke mode," correct? Its stuck Open but most likely it stuck close, boat ran hot, and he removed it completely, most of the time a T Stat goes bad in the closed position.

What do you guys think? I have first dibs on it. Title comes in this week. What would you pay for it?

10-12K would honestly be my max. You have to also think about spider cracks, you can see them already on the bottom, those can run and reach the sides, paint will cover them up for a little while but they can still run. With the rudder damage, expect to replace the rudder, steering cable, shaft, engine alignment, and hope the V drive and trans isn't damaged. A buddy hit a sand bar here recently, no damage to the boat but he kept driving it like normal, couple weeks later the trans failed.

The dash gauges can be replaced but the noise in the stereo is more then just the stereo, you can expect electrical gremlins, the Hour meter running too fast might be the gauge its self, and once you replace it you have no true record of hours on the boat, that will destroy resale if you try later.

I honestly think you are going to be 7-10K more in repairs to bring this boat to a really nice level, 3-5K to bring it to what people would expect out of a 10 year old boat.

Also don't be too surprised if you have blown head gaskets, warped heads, if the T Stat was removed then it failed closed, or they just didn't know since most of the gauges don't work and they over heated the boat. This will be another 1500+ repair.

Now I personally wouldn't run away from a boat like this, as most of this is all fixable but you need to really be ok with going in with an open Mind, and an Open wallet, you have to understand you are buying a Restoration project and anything can be wrong.

By the way, this part.... They inspected it and laid an extra layer of fiberglass on the inside for reinforcement. How did they do that? You have to separate the boat to do it, these are foam filled boats so you can't just clean them out and reglass the bottom internally. It doesn't matter but I would call BS on that from a dealer.

[mjr119]

Your crazy, perfect pass and wheel not needed! Must not be a wakeboarder or surfer, or you're single.. Lol
Haha my wife - to - be is an excellent driver. We don't really need perfect pass. It's when a buddy tries to hop behind the wheel. That's when I really need it.

[mjr119]

10-12K would honestly be my max. You have to also think about spider cracks, you can see them already on the bottom, those can run and reach the sides, paint will cover them up for a little while but they can still run. With the rudder damage, expect to replace the rudder, steering cable, shaft, engine alignment, and hope the V drive and trans isn't damaged. A buddy hit a sand bar here recently, no damage to the boat but he kept driving it like normal, couple weeks later the trans failed.

The dash gauges can be replaced but the noise in the stereo is more then just the stereo, you can expect electrical gremlins, the Hour meter running too fast might be the gauge its self, and once you replace it you have no true record of hours on the boat, that will destroy resale if you try later.

I honestly think you are going to be 7-10K more in repairs to bring this boat to a really nice level, 3-5K to bring it to what people would expect out of a 10 year old boat.

Also don't be too surprised if you have blown head gaskets, warped heads, if the T Stat was removed then it failed closed, or they just didn't know since most of the gauges don't work and they over heated the boat. This will be another 1500+ repair.

Now I personally wouldn't run away from a boat like this, as most of this is all fixable but you need to really be ok with going in with an open Mind, and an Open wallet, you have to understand you are buying a Restoration project and anything can be wrong.

By the way, this part.... They inspected it and laid an extra layer of fiberglass on the inside for reinforcement. How did they do that? You have to separate the boat to do it, these are foam filled boats so you can't just clean them out and reglass the bottom internally. It doesn't matter but I would call BS on that from a dealer.
Yeah I really didn't believe the guy when he said the fiberglass part. I have the fiberglass guys number so I'll give him a call tomorrow and see what he says. the guy wants 12k for the boat.

[mmandley]

Yeah I really didn't believe the guy when he said the fiberglass part. I have the fiberglass guys number so I'll give him a call tomorrow and see what he says. the guy wants 12k for the boat.

I would do the deal at 10, I would probably pay 12 as well but I wouldn't sell my current boat until this one is up and running reliable, I am not willing to sacrifice a summer without a boat LOL.

[mjr119]

Well my current boat is done. Needs a vdrive. So I'm tempted to get the xlv to at least get me thru the last few weeks of the season here. Lake levels are already dangerously low.



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[parrothd]

Haha my wife - to - be is an excellent driver. We don't really need perfect pass. It's when a buddy tries to hop behind the wheel. That's when I really need it.
Once you use it you'll never go back, no matter how good of a driver you are.. Lol

[newty]

That list of repairs will double quickly for all the things you dont see. Honestly I wouldnt pay more than 6-8k, and even then that's too much. I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to fixing up boats but that's going to cost you some serious money to make it right.
Money you'll likely never get out of it or ever see again.

[lee]

You will need to get the gelcoat fixed or the damage will get worse. The water will continue to damage the gelcoat if not fixed. The old gel will have to be ground off and new applied.

[zabooda]

$5K here. Any boat that floats gets $5K and that is where I would put that. It would be worth more than many other boats in that range when it is fixed up but it will cost more to get to that point also.

[Poison]

I get what you're trying to do, and I appreciate restoring a neglected boat and hopefully saving some money....

But just thinking about all of those problems, coupled with the ones you don't know about yet pegs my stress-meter. I'm sure it can and would work out....eventually...but that seems like a big undertaking with a lot of risk.

[mjr119]

It is a lot of risk. Which is why I am posting on here about it. Otherwise, you guys wouldnt hear about it until I need help fixing the prolems hahaha.

But anyways, $5K really? Is that reasonable??

I see XLV's posted for like $30K. I feel like there is potential. The boat runs pretty good. Im still on the fence about it.

[Jceclipse01]

If this is something that you like to do and enjoy then I say go for it. This boat needs to be rescued by someone. Sounds like a good winter project.

[kaneboats]

I think I"m with Newty at about 8k if the trailer is indeed good. You know from the last boat that when something is not maintained the whole thing turns to zhit and will never be reliable for you. Something else every week. There are so many nicer boats out there I would not want to mess with this one unless it was an absolute steal. I'd offer the guy 9k now and tell him your offer goes down 1k the first of every month till Dec. Who the heck else would buy this boat?

[996scott]

I would walk from this. No matter how much $ you think you will save on fixing it up you will constantly have things that need work/repair. My buddy got a screaming deal on a MC that was pretty trashed with tons of hours. He is incredibly handy and did a lot of repairs himself, but it has been a nightmare for him. He is constantly breaking down. I'd rather pay good money for something that is reliable and I can go to the lake with peace of mind. Just my .02

[mmandley]

It is a lot of risk. The boat runs pretty good. Im still on the fence about it.

I still have to lean heavily on the issue with the boat not warming up to temp, if it only goes to 130 temp because the T stat is stuck open or missing, this just screams I am hiding a problem...

You can have blown head gaskets and leaking water and never know when the engine never heats up, also these engines need a minimum of 140 degrees to goto Closed Loop, so its running rich right now, so this means you are sucking fuel like a pig, and in the long run engine issues will arise because its not running correctly.

I am with you though, I would do it like i said in my other post, just don't fool yourself into thinking it runs Good when it won't heat up.

[sandm]

i am with all of the camp that there are more problems than you see on the surface waiting to come up.

if you get it in the 8-12 range, just make sure you have an additional 15k in the bank you are prepared to dump into the boat and a plan each time you go out for the first year to get back to the dock when it gives up on ya.

I would feel better spending 25 or so on a boat that has a better history. lots of them out there.

you mention in another post about your vdrive giving up. why not sit the rest of the season out and spend the couple grand to fix that?

[mjr119]

i am with all of the camp that there are more problems than you see on the surface waiting to come up.

if you get it in the 8-12 range, just make sure you have an additional 15k in the bank you are prepared to dump into the boat and a plan each time you go out for the first year to get back to the dock when it gives up on ya.

I would feel better spending 25 or so on a boat that has a better history. lots of them out there.

you mention in another post about your vdrive giving up. why not sit the rest of the season out and spend the couple grand to fix that?

Yes I am definitely fixing the LSV. I would like to have a bigger boat if possible. This seemed like a good option. I could fix my lsv and sell it for what I would have in the XLV and repairs. It would be a lot of work.

[maxpower220]

While most gel coat issues are from setting in the water for long periods, it doesn't mean that is what happened. A lot of boat get this where they sit on the bunks of trailers and lifts. Looking at pic #5 of the bottom shows more damage to the get coat. You could run it the rest of this season and repair it over the winter.

However, there are a lot of little mechanical issues with the motor and gauges. For me to do this, I would factor all known and possible repairs to make the boat 100%. Given that cost, plus the cost of the boat, then determine the re-sell market for it. I would need a min of $4K to even consider it. Those repairs for me would be the gel coat, a new long block engine, all broken gauges, and the cost for PP and ballast. That should be in the $13-14K range, plus the boat at $9K then you are at $22-23K. I don't know if you can sell a 2004 for $28K min, you will have to research that.

This factors a worst case so that you don't get burned. Maybe a gel coat repair and grounded the battery/engine will fix most of the other things. Then you still have high hours. In that case, you could sell for less.

Or maybe it turns out to be your forever boat.

[kaneboats]

Or maybe it turns out to be your forever boat.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Halloween approaches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!