M_Boats: Holy barnacles Batman!

[Robbin Roddewig]

So I am back from a great sail with Doug and the other great folks that 
went on the Chesapeake cruise this Saturday and decide that I should 
clean off the marine life that made my M-17 their home this summer 
(guess I should have put new anti fouling on) and as I go about knocking 
the Barnacle carcasses off the hull I start to notice little finger nail 
size cracks.  Being rather slow I figure the barnacle removal may have 
cracked the existing paint or something.  But since I need to put new 
paint on I strip the existing paint to prep for some barrier coat  so I 
do not have to repeat the blister ordeal of my Compac 16.  But lo I find 
once I get to the existing barrier coat (who knew?) there are lots of 
little cracks and, gulp!, blisters.  Thats right, another couple of 
weeks shot to you know where repairing the work of Osmosis.
I will take some pictures as I go in case anyone else has the good 
fortune to need to fill lots of little holes in their gelcoat below the 
water line.
One other thing that is bothering me though (beyond being the slowest 
boat on the cruise) is why the little buggers were on my boot stripe.  
Are not the stripes supposed to be just above the water line?  Mine 
isn't, and I have the barnacle feet on the stripe to prove it.  Any 
other have experience with how high the M-17 rides when in water?  You 
don't think my keel is full of water and rust do you....maybe that is 
what slowed me down.

thanks
Robbin
  

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