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Hull Shrinkage
blakesanborn	#1  Posted on 08/23/07 - 1:34 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 82 Comments: 2 Joined: 05/29/07	My 81 Outrage has waves down both sides of the hull. They are not severe but are noticeable. What action can I take to correct this problem? I got a feeling that I probably have to live with it. But figured I would ask the Whaler community for insights.
delkins	#2  Posted on 08/23/07 - 5:24 AM
Member Posts: 17 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/16/07	my 89 sport has the same thing, from what i have read this is common in some boats guess you have to live with it, i don't think its a water intrusion problem because mine is on both sides basically in the same spots all the way down the sides
arthureld	#3  Posted on 08/23/07 - 6:32 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 735 Comments: 7 Joined: 02/15/07	My 1984 Outrage 20 has some wavyness along the sides. I was affraid it was caused by using a roller trailer without keel rollers, but I've seen wavy sides on quite a few Boston Whalers. Mine doesn't have a water log problem either.
MWH	#4  Posted on 08/23/07 - 7:04 AM
Member Personal Page Project Albums Posts: 233 Comments: 2 Joined: 09/30/06	I believe its caused by the foam shrinking and is somewhat common. Some boats are more affected then others. Its not caused by water intrusion or roller trailers...
Tom W Clark	#5  Posted on 08/23/07 - 7:46 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 4280 Comments: 7 Joined: 09/30/05	Mike is correct. The "puckered side" has nothing to do with water intrusion or roller trailers (though roller trailers can leave dimples on the hull's bottom where the rollers contact the hull.) The puckering is caused by the foam core shrinking back over a period of years early in a hull's life and pulling the fiberglass skins in with it. The puckering is most pronounced on the sides of the hulls because that is a flat shape more prone to "oil canning." More complex shaped parts of the hulls held their shape and in some cases the foam would separate from the fiberglass leaving a void. Puckering was a problem in the early 1980s especially in the first year or two of the Outrage 18 (1981 and 1982). Many Outrage 18s had their hull replaced under warranty because the puckering was severe, and I mean SEVERE. I've seen one of those hulls and they were really bad. A little waviness is nothing to be concerned about which is a good thing as there is not much to be done about it.
blakesanborn	#6  Posted on 08/24/07 - 12:51 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 82 Comments: 2 Joined: 05/29/07	IT seems to be pulling the gel coat from around the stern to bow. How severe do you mean Tom? Mine seems to be about 1/8 th inch deep wave
Tom W Clark	#7  Posted on 08/24/07 - 7:19 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 4280 Comments: 7 Joined: 09/30/05	1/8" deep is nothing. Severe is over an inch deep.
blakesanborn	#8  Posted on 08/25/07 - 3:15 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 82 Comments: 2 Joined: 05/29/07	That just made my day sir. Does it continue to shrink Tom? Over time?
Tom W Clark	#9  Posted on 08/25/07 - 11:31 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 4280 Comments: 7 Joined: 09/30/05	Blake, No, the foam does not seem to continue to shrink indefinitely. Most of the 1981 Outrage 18s replaced under warranty were replaced around 1987. This is when I saw the really bad hull I describe above. I would think the foam shrank over a period of the first five years or so and then stabilized. Edited by Tom W Clark on 08/25/07 - 11:34 AM
blakesanborn	#10  Posted on 08/26/07 - 1:36 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 82 Comments: 2 Joined: 05/29/07	I will no longer worry about it. I was out in the boat yesterday and was considering how if I could repair the waves. But without major glass repair founf no solution. Just gonna live with it. It isn't that bad anyhow. Thanks again!
MW	#11  Posted on 08/26/07 - 1:45 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 1827 Comments: 10 Joined: 01/08/06	I got one, "Port side" towards the transome, I see it when I wax the Hull, no biggie, always been there, if you see my "Wave"... "WAVE" back ! mw
triggered	#12  Posted on 08/26/07 - 3:48 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 33 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/20/07	My 13 foot sport is an 81 and it has a little bit of the wave on the side about mid way down the side but you can only see it if you look at an angle at it.