Brown Bubble in Cabin Roof

[S/V Ruth]

Having gone through 5 days of cold & rain the cabin walls & roof collected alot of condensation, which we wiped off continually, we now have numerous bubbles that when you burst them contain a brown ozzey liquid. How do we rectify treat this? Sand, dry then epoxy?

[James S]

Have you got any pictures you can show us?
What is the material the blisters are forming on/under?

[Wainui]

I had similar problems with my cabin top. It was a plywood laminate that had water intrusion. I had to remove the thin glass from the underneath and dry out the plywood with a heat lamp. I then reglassed (which is difficult holding up sheets from underneath). It has held up fine for 4 years so far.
Good luck
Mark

[rebel heart]

Dry it out, light sand, and put a coat of paint on it?

There shouldn't be any wood exposed anywhere on a boat that's capable of wicking moisture like that. I've got teak decks, holly sole, wooden cabin top, wooden spar, and a wooden boom. Fresh water should never saturate any wood.

Gotta paint or finish that stuff somehow. If you paint it, get ready to have it gassing for a couple days as the paint solvents evaporate.

[Not Sure]

Linseed and/or tung oil would work. Linseed to be absorbed into the wood, and tung oil to seal it and make the final outer coats, or if you want a final coat over that of varnish or shellac or whatnot. Whatever you do, something has to be used that first actually penetrates into the wood to give it some moisture resistance underneath the surface coat, which is eventually always breached.