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Maverick gel coat blisters - pls help??


JWalk

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1 hour ago, JWalk said:

Capt. Troy whoa wait a minute  - - you had a wet cushion sitting for 2 months on a MA blister your gel coat????  WOW!  That is all I can say to that is, WOW!  I'm speechless.  I have owned probably a dozen different boats over the years, of all sizes, vintages and brands.  I've never worried for one second about keeping my boat in the water for vacation, standing puddles in the boat that may not have drained entirely after washing, wet things in gel-coated storage compartments, etc., etc.  Seriously I don't even know what else to say.

Read what I wrote

"As for how long it takes an exposed boat to blister the condition of the gel-coat to start with will have something to do with how long it will take. Both of my 21 MA have been left in the water up to weeks at a time with zero issues. "

 

It took 2 months for it to blister and it was not a factory cushion. It was a 4 inch non closed cell cushion. I will promise you if you leave basically a sponge on a gel-coated surface that stays wet with no air able to get to and let it sit for 2 months it may well blister.

 

Also consider that the boat you are looking at is a dark color and that alone in the sun will begin to chalk and fade and break down if not cared for. I think the cared for portion may also effect the blister aspect. Harsh cleaners, sun, age, are all things that cause gel-coat to become more porous. My current 21 MA is a 2010 and I had a 99. The 2010 has had 2 engines now and around 1200 hrs of running time which equates to about 6 times that much on the water time. The bottom has been cleaned several times due to tannin staining. I know the gel is becoming more porous on the bottom. I wouldn't chance leaving it in the water at this point for over a month. Not worth the chance.

 

There are tons of reasons it can happen and plenty to research. I have owned countless boats over the years and have only had issues with this a couple of times myself but have seen it many times. It appears the dark color and the fact the blisters are below the water line and on the sun baked sides may indicate there is more to this story.

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Okay - sanity check here:

 

1) Gel coat is supposed to get wet.  It is used on boats.

2) The boat is 17 years old.  We don't know how long that issue has been going on, and we REALLY don't know what the previous owner did with it.  We know what he says, we know that JWalk trusts him, but the fact is, we don't know.  

3)  As for MBC, I don't think that, in any case, anyone would see this as the manufacturers responsibility after 17 years.  That ship, if it ever existed, sailed about 15 years ago!   I do think the question is - does MBC know that this issue occurred on this model with some level of frequency.  IF not, we'd want them to in the hopes that they can identify any potential manufacturing cause and address it in their current models.  IF so, It would probably re-assure a lot of owners to hear that it was an identified issue and the manufacturing process was changed to address it.  Or, if you want to state it in a less incriminating way - they saw an opportunity to increase the longevity of their process.

The worst thing that any company can do in a situation like this is to deflect, ignore, or debate facts that appear to be evident to owners.  It MAY be that what we think happened (i.e. an issue with a root cause in the manufacturing) isn't the case.  It's always better for the company to say "let's take a look" then disprove through an investigation than to say "Not us" without even looking into it.   To be clear, I don't think MBC has done either, in this case.  

Frankly, I'm amazed at the fact that these boats last as well as they do.  My 2000 looks like it rolled off the show room floor a couple of years ago instead of 17.  My 87 was structurally sound and the only gel coat issues it had were caused by oysterbars.  Maybe I have low expectations, but dang, I love these boats knowing that my current one is still a spring chicken in MBC terms.   

Heck, can you imagine being on some of the other boat manufacturer forums?   This is a fun thread though, I thought Troy was trying to say that Gelcoat wasn't supposed to get wet when it began!  Thanks for clarifying.  I still think that cushion thing sounds a little sketchy, though.

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I called MBC about my 2002 MA 21 blistering, started the conversation with Im not looking for you to fix this under warranty but I'd like to know what caused this and how can I prevent it from happening again. I was told basically that sh@t happens and that the boat was meant to be kept on a trailer, not in the water. Keep in mind, my boat was in the water for only 6 days. 

I would much rather them say we've had that problem on boats like yours and this is what we've done to correct it. I love my boat but would be very hesitant about buying another MBC product.

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I walked away from the purchase.  I will find something else, and I will need to think long and hard about what that will be.  I asked some questions in my last few posts that I assume won't (or can't) be answered, and some of the things said on here really, really surprise me to say the least.  I had to keep checking to make sure I was on a BOATING forum.  But no matter, I'm moving on to something else.  Thanks again everyone.  

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I don't have a dog in this fight and this whole thread went a direction I never expected.  Lesson learned there and I'm done.  But I will ad one more thing.  It did not feel good to bail on an older couple, who frankly did not even have good enough eyesight to notice these blisters, and also try to soft pedal that my reason for doing so was due to their crazy vacation days ON THE WATER.    

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7 minutes ago, JWalk said:

I don't have a dog in this fight and this whole thread went a direction I never expected.  Lesson learned there and I'm done.  But I will ad one more thing.  It did not feel good to bail on an older couple, who frankly did not even have good enough eyesight to notice these blisters, and also try to soft pedal that my reason for doing so was due to their crazy vacation days ON THE WATER.    

What were your expectations?  I have been wanting to buy a Maverick for the last year!  I didn't care what shape it was in.  I came close but I screwed that up and to this day feel like SH!T about it.  If you want a Maverick and it has been used, your going to have some issues.  Everyone on this site has been open and honest about what they know.  I can tell you this, I am not a Maverick owner yet, but I will be and when I have an issue this is the first and only place I will go to seek information and knowledge.  As for this specific issue.  My father found his boat half sunk in Biscayne Bay back in the late sixties, paid $300 bucks to have it towed.  50+ year later that boat sits in his backyard with not one blister.  Why!!! Have no idea.  What I do know of technology and innovation is that, things change, some because of safety issue others because of environmental.  Has anyone given thought that the resin product used or gelcoat products used during that time made a change of properties?  

Just my $.02

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31 minutes ago, RacerxV6 said:

What were your expectations? 

I had never seen this before and was especially surprised to see it on such a low hour vessel that was trailer stored, so I was looking for advice.  I got that and I am thankful for every person's input.  I can tell you that I was most certainly not expecting some poor guy to tell me that a wet cushion blistered his Maverick.  Again I am thankful to everyone who posted here and I appreciate your opinions and input.  I posted some questions that I don't expect can really ever be answered and it no longer matters as I have walked away.  Thank you for your reply and everyone else as well, I really do appreciate it.

 

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3 minutes ago, Lap it Up said:

Is the boat listed for sale somewhere?  Since you passed perhaps you can share the link? 

The boat was never listed, just a word of mouth contact for a boat sitting in a garage unused.  After this, my guess is it will stay that way.

 

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1 hour ago, JWalk said:

I don't have a dog in this fight and this whole thread went a direction I never expected.  Lesson learned there and I'm done.  But I will ad one more thing.  It did not feel good to bail on an older couple, who frankly did not even have good enough eyesight to notice these blisters, and also try to soft pedal that my reason for doing so was due to their crazy vacation days ON THE WATER.    

This is not forum fighting like many other internet sites this is just passion, although they do look alike on the internet. I've been here awhile as have others in this conversation, and we all get along well.

If you want to help an old couple out, pass on the sale info. PM me the sale info, my MA could use a friend. I guarantee this site will sell their boat, blisters or not.  A fair priced good condition MA can sell pretty quick.

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JWalk - seems odd that this boat wouldn't be for sale, unless you had a personal connection with the owners.   While about half of the folks on this thread might have seen the blisters as a deal breaker, another half (as you can tell) would have put them in the same category as the scratches that appeared in the same pics - i.e. normal aging of 17 year old boat.  Most guys use boats to fish, only some of us are anal retentive about the way they look too.  As far as I can tell, fish don't care and oceans don't either.  

Let's help the seller find a buyer.  It's a phenomenal boat and I have a personal affinity for that color - my 87 was the exact same color.  I love my newer one with fighting lady yellow, but when that blue is cleaned and waxed, it will always get comments at the ramp!

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Thanks guys - I met these nice people totally by chance upon seeing their boat in the garage, while in a neighborhood I'm usually not in chopping up Irma trees with a friend.  I indeed gave the owners a link to this website and suggested they come here to list it if they want to sell.  These are not tech savvy folks, just really, really nice people.  I read through a lot of this with them, but the whole thing is too much for them and confusing.  They just lightly used and enjoyed their boat and don't understand what I am talking about.  I don't even understand what I am talking about, as some of this stuff on here sounds like nonsense.  I urged them to come here though and that is entirely up to them.  Thanks again everyone I'm signing off this thread for good.  I appreciate everyone's input.    

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2 minutes ago, JWalk said:

Thanks guys - I met these nice people totally by chance upon seeing their boat in the garage, while in a neighborhood I'm usually not in chopping up Irma trees with a friend.  I indeed gave the owners a link to this website and suggested they come here to list it if they want to sell.  These are not tech savvy folks, just really, really nice people.  I read through a lot of this with them, but the whole thing is too much for them and confusing.  They just lightly used and enjoyed their boat and don't understand what I am talking about.  I don't even understand what I am talking about, as some of this stuff on here sounds like nonsense.  I urged them to come here though and that is entirely up to them.  Thanks again everyone I'm signing off this thread for good.  I appreciate everyone's input.    

Thats good, and thats about all you can do.

I will say, I think you should buy it if its what you say. Those blisters will not be an issue any time soon,  your missing out on an all around great boat.

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29 minutes ago, hurricane said:

Those blisters will not be an issue any time soon,  your missing out on an all around great boat.

Damnit I really want off this thread but keep feeling like I need to respond!!  LOL 

How can this be an all around great boat if I can't take it on my vacation in December and leave it in the water for a week, like I have done for the past 25 years with all of my other boats?  How will the blisters not be any issue any time soon if I do that?  Won't these get worse if I put the boat in the water?  How many consecutive days could I launch this boat from my ramp and fish all day with the trolling motor, without damaging the hull?  Isn't that pretty much the same as it sitting in the water?  Do I buy it and then grind it and barrier coat it so I can take it on vacation or fish all day?  (That last question is in jest).  Like I said I will find a different boat I don't need to worry about.  This was no crazy low purchase price or anything and I was offering to pay a good and fair price given the low use.  I came knocking to the owner, and they were kind enough to let me in.  This sounds like a big job after the purchase and I have no interest in that.  I need a normal boat that can be used normally - i.e., it can get wet without problems unless I leave it sitting in the bay for a long, long time.  

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1 hour ago, JWalk said:

Damnit I really want off this thread but keep feeling like I need to respond!!  LOL 

How can this be an all around great boat if I can't take it on my vacation in December and leave it in the water for a week, like I have done for the past 25 years with all of my other boats?  How will the blisters not be any issue any time soon if I do that?  Won't these get worse if I put the boat in the water?  How many consecutive days could I launch this boat from my ramp and fish all day with the trolling motor, without damaging the hull?  Isn't that pretty much the same as it sitting in the water?  Do I buy it and then grind it and barrier coat it so I can take it on vacation or fish all day?  (That last question is in jest).  Like I said I will find a different boat I don't need to worry about.  This was no crazy low purchase price or anything and I was offering to pay a good and fair price given the low use.  I came knocking to the owner, and they were kind enough to let me in.  This sounds like a big job after the purchase and I have no interest in that.  I need a normal boat that can be used normally - i.e., it can get wet without problems unless I leave it sitting in the bay for a long, long time.  

You made the right choice for you, and no you don't need to respond! You missed out on a good boat, because what it does and how it rides. I don't expect you to understand that, since you don't own one.  You can leave it in the water, this is not caused by being left in water. That's what the owner told you, right!

If one 15 year old boat with one issue, gives you a bad taste about all the boats in the line, then move on. If you are looking to buy a 15 year old used boat, you will find a problem with most all of them, and bigger problems with lesser brands. Good luck in your search for different brand, you should also avoid Hewes and Pathfinder and Cobia, since they are all made by MBC. 

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9 minutes ago, Convertible13 said:

His isn't an isolated incident. 

Meaning what?  Did you have issues with blistering too, or are you referring to other issues?  

I think this thread's run its course, though in a very strange direction.  JWalk, I have to agree w/ Hurricane on this - based on the hours, condition, and other things you've described, it's a good boat, but if cosmetic issues are important to you, not the right boat for you.   This is the first time I've even heard of the blistering (Hurricane, I didn't know until now that yours had that issue!), but I think we've established it's a cosmetic issue, not caused by sitting in water (IT IS A BOAT) and probably caused by the manufacturing process but well outside of MBC's responsibility.    Hurricane is right, if you want a perfect boat, cosmetically, this isn't the one - as evidenced by the other scratches.  Wait for MBC to produce a new MA, spend the 50-60K and you'll have what you want.   

If you want to spend <20K for a great boat, you are probably going to deal with some cosmetic imperfections, or you'll have to go for a cheaper brand that will look good new, won't last the 30 years that these do.     

Good luck, if you go with an MBC boat, let us know where you land!  

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1 hour ago, JWalk said:

Damnit I really want off this thread but keep feeling like I need to respond!!  LOL 

How can this be an all around great boat if I can't take it on my vacation in December and leave it in the water for a week, like I have done for the past 25 years with all of my other boats?  How will the blisters not be any issue any time soon if I do that?  Won't these get worse if I put the boat in the water?  How many consecutive days could I launch this boat from my ramp and fish all day with the trolling motor, without damaging the hull?  Isn't that pretty much the same as it sitting in the water?  Do I buy it and then grind it and barrier coat it so I can take it on vacation or fish all day?  (That last question is in jest).  Like I said I will find a different boat I don't need to worry about.  This was no crazy low purchase price or anything and I was offering to pay a good and fair price given the low use.  I came knocking to the owner, and they were kind enough to let me in.  This sounds like a big job after the purchase and I have no interest in that.  I need a normal boat that can be used normally - i.e., it can get wet without problems unless I leave it sitting in the bay for a long, long time.  

Off the chain here Cuz. You find a boat of that age you don't need to worry about get a unicorn saddle and hold on.

You have gone from daily use to some crazy can't get my boat wet thing in your head.

You don't have to grind, barrier coat a thing.

Find and buy a boat of the age your looking at and be proud that the floor/transom aren't rotted out and the engine doesn't fall off the back. It would be the nice ones of many makes without a single blister. Soft cores, transoms, stringers, decks may never show a blister on the exterior to the naked eye.

I can show a many high end boat of the era you seek without a single blister. They will also not survey well as the core, structure and the rest of the vessel are toast under the deck and the shiny parts.

 

Find me a Grady White/ Pursuit of that era that the structure has not been replaced from the stringers up. Most of those have not a single blister on them.

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32 minutes ago, whichwaysup said:

Meaning what?  Did you have issues with blistering too, or are you referring to other issues?  

I think this thread's run its course, though in a very strange direction.  JWalk, I have to agree w/ Hurricane on this - based on the hours, condition, and other things you've described, it's a good boat, but if cosmetic issues are important to you, not the right boat for you.   This is the first time I've even heard of the blistering (Hurricane, I didn't know until now that yours had that issue!), but I think we've established it's a cosmetic issue, not caused by sitting in water (IT IS A BOAT) and probably caused by the manufacturing process but well outside of MBC's responsibility.    Hurricane is right, if you want a perfect boat, cosmetically, this isn't the one - as evidenced by the other scratches.  Wait for MBC to produce a new MA, spend the 50-60K and you'll have what you want.   

If you want to spend <20K for a great boat, you are probably going to deal with some cosmetic imperfections, or you'll have to go for a cheaper brand that will look good new, won't last the 30 years that these do.     

Good luck, if you go with an MBC boat, let us know where you land!  

Yes I have blistering issues with my MA 21 that are identical to the original poster. I guess you haven't read all the threads on this issue. I brought it up months ago and have stated twice what MBG's response was. Florida Sportsman has a long thread on the same issue with a Pathfinder. I have to disagree on the phrase "not caused by sitting in the water". My problem happened only after my boat was sitting in water, tied to a dock for 6 days.

After doing a lot of research I found that because resin is expensive, batches of it throughout the year are bid out with most boat companies. Hence some MA's of the same year have blistering problems due to inferior resin, some dont. Does or did MBC do this. I have no clue. I've floated this theory out before with no response to confirm or deny from MBC.

I think the thread will run its course when someone steps up and explains why this happened mostly to MA's  built in the early 2000'S.

 

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