Hull saturation

[tucamonday]

Do fiberglass poles become water satuated?

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[Orion Jim]

You need to flesh that out a little. You're not giving us much to work with.

[transmitterdan]

It depends on the resin. Many fiberglass formulas will absorb water. Some more than others. Most layups will absorb water if glass fibers are exposed (water wicks up the fibers into the layup). Some epoxy and isopthalic poly resins are resistant to water.

[rbyham]

I sure hope not... :-) Seriously I suppose a little but I just purchased a boat that has been in salt and not moved under its own power since 2005. Lots of growth that divers cared for but the hull looks and feels otherwise to be fine...

[tucamonday]

Sorry about the typos.. My phone chat features does not cooperate very well... I was wondering about fiberglass hulls... Do the get water saturated?

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by tucamonday

Sorry about the typos.. My phone chat features does not cooperate very well... I was wondering about fiberglass hulls... Do the get water saturated?

Lololo , phone typos can get you some funny looks!


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[TeddyDiver]

May or may not.. If it does it creates visible blisters filled with water. Haul out to see.

[Suijin]

Below the waterline? Absolutely. That's why boats are barrier coated. That's why people use moisture meters on hulls, and boats get hauled, peeled, and sit on the hard for long periods to dry out.

[Cheechako]

They can. Some seem to some not. I've seen one hull so saturated it has blisters on the INSIDE also.

[appick]

Yup from what I understand every hull will absorb a certain amount of moisture. The amount depends on the resin used and any dry fibers or voids in the layup. Whether or not it actually becomes a problem and causes blisters again depends on the type of resins, and any contaminants that got into the layup. Yes a fiberglass pole will absorb water. Will it matter? Probably not.

[a64pilot]

If I were buying, I'd much rather survey a boat that has been sitting in the water, than one on the hard.
Give them a surprisingly short amount of time and a lot of blisters disappear, or re-absorb or something, but they aren't visible.