What is 'osmosis' ?

[TRCM]

As some of you my know, I have a problem with the hull on my rig. I found some spots right above the bunk board on the stbd side that look like insufficient resin was used when they built the hull. It does appear to be sealed by the gelcoat, but you can see & feel the weave pattern of the fiberglass.
The dealer took some pics of it, and had their local fiberglass guy give them an estimate.

He says it is something called 'osmosis', that happens when the hull sits on the wet bunk board. He also says if it is fixed, it will come back.

Well, calling it osmosis (by definition) means water is getting into the fiberglass from the bunk boards, which is not a good thing, but they seem to think it is not an issue, and don't seem to want to fix it.


1) Has anyone ever heard of such a thing ?

The spots are only on the one side of the boat, even tho both sides sit on the bunkboards

[Deletenow]

There are two types of osmosis.....reverse and diffusion.....Diffusion would be diffusion of fluid through a semipermeable membrane from a solution with a low solute concentration to a solution with a higher solute concentration until there is an equal concentration of fluid on both sides of the membrane. I dont see how fiberglass could be a semipermeable membrane but maybe condensation could be possible but highly unlikely.

I think the word he was looking for was Hydrolysis of the Laminate which causes blisters.

[Jig A Low]

Mark, I don't believe a word of that crap. Osmosis is where water passes through a membrane at the molecular level and everything else is too big to pass. Fiberglass (if done properly) is a non-permiable substance.

sitting on a wet bunk board won't cause fiberglass to break down or thin out. hell look at all the OLD boats out there that sill look like new on the bottoms. they sit on boards all the time.

[Bass Commander]

Ive heard of it happening but normally on boats that are 20 years old and on brands that arent known for attention to detail. I dont want to sound rude but when I bought a brand new Nitro in 1994, I too was given some lame excuses from Tracker Marine that made me get rid of that rig in 95.

Sorry to hear about your problems.

The correct term of what youre experiencing is delamination.

[TRCM]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Basshunter2006 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There are two types of osmosis.....reverse and diffusion.....Diffusion would be diffusion of fluid through a semipermeable membrane from a solution with a low solute concentration to a solution with a higher solute concentration until there is an equal concentration of fluid on both sides of the membrane. I dont see how fiberglass could be a semipermeable membrane but maybe condensation could be possible but highly unlikely.

I think the word he was looking for was Hydrolysis of the Laminate which causes blisters.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks Pat, I know what the real definitions are ( )

That is why when they told me that was what it was called I said no way.

[mcherry]

I know you love your boat as anybody on this board, but it just might be time to find another brand. They don't want to fix it, is lame. The sad part is they are screwing people left and right. What other options do you have..

[TRCM]

Found some more info on it

http://www.nautica.it/info/maint/osmosi_e.htm

[SpinnerB8T]

Mark, I am sure that you love your boat, don't take this the wrong way but buying a boat from BPS is like getting a puppy from a puppy mill.

[Lea]

Mark, who is their "local fiberglass guy"? Did he make his determination from the pictures the dealer took? If so, it does not sound very professional....

I hate this for you, but it sounds like a 2nd or 3rd opinion might be needed. Rising Sun Yacht Repair has one of the best glass folks in the country, right here in VA Beach.

That write-up on osmosis that you posted, does not sound like what you have described on your hull. You are saying you can feel the glass weave under a too thin layer of gel. Do you have the bubbles the article describes?

[Blue Steel]

Call David Sape at Rising Sun in Va Beach, tell him I sent ya, he can take one look at it and tell you whats wrong. Best fiberglass guy around.

[TRCM]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lea &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Mark, who is their "local fiberglass guy"? Did he make his determination from the pictures the dealer took? If so, it does not sound very professional....

I hate this for you, but it sounds like a 2nd or 3rd opinion might be needed. Rising Sun Yacht Repair has one of the best glass folks in the country, right here in VA Beach.

That write-up on osmosis that you posted, does not sound like what you have described on your hull. You are saying you can feel the glass weave under a too thin layer of gel. Do you have the bubbles the article describes?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Lea, their fiberglass guy was there when the lifted the boat off the trailer.

They also found more spots than the ones I saw, and said all of them are directly over the bunks. Well, of course, cuz if not, you could see them in the driveway.

I felt the spot, but did not lift the boat high enough see them, so it MAY be they are bubbles and not a weave pattern. I may lift it again this weekend myself and check.

[TRCM]

On a side note, I'm curious how many of you reading this have ever lifted your boat up off the trailer and checked for this ? I am getting told by a LOT of people, Todd Morgan being one of them, that this is very normal, and that most people don't even know they have them/it.

Apparently gelcoat is permeable, and the water on the bunks, combined with the weight of the hull, gives the pressure needed for the water to seep under the gelcoat.

[FireBassr]

Might be frequent than some realize, but it sure as hell isn't normal.

[Froggtog]

Yep I had a 97 Skeeter that had that illness and I raised so much hell they gave me another boat.

[NITROBOY3]

There is a reason i am off the Nitro Virginia State Team and carry my boat to Pops for engine work and WILL not go back to Tracker.Thats all I'm saying about that.

[TomW]

When the industry had to change gelcoat formulation, due to goverment regulations, the new gelcoats are not as good at preventing osmosis causing the gelcoat to seperate from the fiberglass under the bunks.

If you guys with boats newer than 5 or so years old don't think you have this problem just leave about 1 foot from loading and pull up on the ramp and feel where the gelcoat sits on the bunks. There will be blisters on a lot of current boats.
My 2002 Triton was loaded with these blisters and another 2007 brand I had the same problem. Take a look and report back, you'll be surprised.

[Bass Commander]

Tom, I too used to hear those same excuses from Arkansas. It got really old quick. My favorite lame excuse was the disgruntled ex-Champion employeee that was cracking the hulls with the fuel tanks. I'll give you a report on my hull 20 years from now...Im really not worried about any problems.

[pumatrac]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Blue Steel &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Call David Sape at Rising Sun in Va Beach, tell him I sent ya, he can take one look at it and tell you whats wrong. Best fiberglass guy around. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Just came across this, so I'm behind the curve, but Mike is right. Had David do some hull work for me quite a few years ago and he did a top notch job.