1984 pearson blisters?if

[tbruier]

can anyone tell me if 1984 pearsons suffer from blisters? And are there issues with balsa in their hulls?

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, tbruier.

I think that the question is better whether the particular boat you are looking at has delamination/blisters or rot in the core. Both are discoverable by close inspection. Are you considering buying one? If so, get it surveyed, and tell the surveyor about your particular concerns. If you find some degree of problem and want to know what it would take to make it right, come back to the forum with it. Procedures for repairing blisters, repairing core damage, and running like hell to get away from a hopeless boat project are common on the forum. You could find a gem at a reasonable price, or an "It ain't going to sea again." Good luck, and again, the forum members are here to help once you pose the right question.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Welcome to the forum, tbruier.

I think that the question is better whether the particular boat you are looking at has delamination/blisters or rot in the core. Both are discoverable by close inspection. Are you considering buying one? If so, get it surveyed, and tell the surveyor about your particular concerns. If you find some degree of problem and want to know what it would take to make it right, come back to the forum with it. Procedures for repairing blisters, repairing core damage, and running like hell to get away from a hopeless boat project are common on the forum. You could find a gem at a reasonable price, or an "It ain't going to sea again." Good luck, and again, the forum members are here to help once you pose the right question.

Tbruier,
+1 on the above extremely solid advice.

IMO blisters are just a pain if there aren't too many (look up Valiant 40 blister between '76-1981, that's too many). A 1984 boat is probably ok, but have it checked over. Boats in warmer water will show more random blisters than others in cold water.

As discussed above, water in the cored hull is a bigger deal and is an individual boat to boat occurrence. Again get a survey from someone competent. This is a much more costly and difficult repair than random blisters. I know people fix them, but IMO would walk away from the deal if water was found in the hull core.

One incident of water in the hull core that always visually sticks in my mind was exposed when a new thru hull (above the waterline) was installed on a trawler. As soon as the hole saw came through the outer skin, water came pouring out like someone turned on a faucet. The owner did nothing to address the water in the hull core, so those types of boats are out there. Get a survey.