What am I looking at?

This was a very clean, late 1970s DeFever trawler I looked at (for sale) last week. It's the 10th trawler I've looked at over the last 3 months. Never have I seen an exterior finish with this appearance before.

Is this just a lousy glassing job or something more sinister? (Notice the window at right is a replacement.)

It looks like Manly beach on a rough day. What happens when you press on one of the raised areas? There looks to be a mark to the left about 2/3rds down the pic. Is that real and what is it, or just artifact on the pic?

I have seen that on quite a few far eastern built vessels. My best guess is the materials are hygroscopic or were not completely cured when originally constructed. Either can cause dimensional changes. I have seen these with and without moisture involved.

Looks from the photo like the pox.

A delamination of the gell coat , or deeper, usually caused by a poor repair or poor shop conditions on the origional layup.

Usually mostly a cosmetic problem seldom structural enough to cause the hull to fail.

Yes, I should have clarified, these are hard surface dimensional changes, not color variations. Hard, not soft to touch.

Run Forrest RUN

Looks like above water blisters. Wonder what the bottom looks like.

Ted

Really hard to say from just a picture.

If that is the exterior of the superstructure and it is very solid, like hit it with a hammer and notbing happens solid, it might be a lousy glass job where resin pooled and hardened before it got smoothed out.

That is more common on horizontal surfaces by an impatient glasser (me), but possible on vertical surfaces too.

Could be bubbling under glass layers where the cloth didnt stick yet thick enough to feel hard to a soft touch, not the hammer test.

The third possibility would be someone tried to slather filler all over and didnt do a good job of fairing.

Either way, one of the worst glass jobs I have seen.

Not a show stopper if either of the above and the pky is dry and strong underneath, but a lot of work to correct, especially if all over the entire superstucture.

But without finding out why it looks that way and if a repair (why also?)..... you have a dilemma.....

Many Taiwan trawlers suffered from leaks and subsequent substrate rotting, those windows were likely wood originally. It looks to me like the walls were not rebuilt, just glassed over. Is there signs of damage inside? Discolouration or staining? A smell? If any, I would run. If not, carefully look underneath the side decks in the saloon and in both staterooms for signs of damage. Did it have teak decks?

A lot of owners, when faced with this failure just glass over everything as the proper repair is daunting and expensive. That's what this looks like to me.