Fiberglass resin coloration of various years of Boston Whaler Boats

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FL21WAC
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Location: North Florida

Fiberglass resin coloration of various years of Boston Whaler Boats

Postby FL21WAC » Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:16 pm

I have recently been undertaking some fiberglass repairs; as a result I have had opportunity to become aware of the fiberglass resin properties of the structure of my respective hulls (listed below):

1991 Boston Whaler 21 Walkaround - resin is red in color
1987 Boston Whaler 18 Outrage - resin is blueish-green

Just curious to know if there is any significance in the different colors? Are both polyester resins or is one something else?

Thank you.
1991 21 Walkaround, 2001 Yamaha 250 OX66
1987 Outrage 18 [project]

jimh
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Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: Fiberglass resin coloration of various years of Boston Whaler Boats

Postby jimh » Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:31 pm

I cannot offer any authoritative comment, but I suspect the change in color represents a change in the polyester resin being used.

The manufacturing of fiberglass boats using polyester resins became a topic of emission control by the EPA under control of indoor air quality and with the general term VOC for volatile organic compounds. See

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-are-volatile-organic-compounds-vocs

In a report

https://www3.epa.gov/ttnchie1/ap42/ch04/final/c04s04.pdf

the EPA mentions "resin formulation can be varied to affect the VOC emission potential."

I believe a reasonable inference could be drawn that a change in resin formulation made by Boston Whaler in order to comply with indoor air quality regulations for VOC could be an explanation for a change in the color of the resin found in Boston Whaler boats laid up in 1991 compared to boats laid up in 1987. Also, as a huge user of polyester resins, Boston Whaler may have been subject to further scrutiny for release of VOC into the outdoor air.

Other factors such as cost, material strength, curing time, response to temperature and humidity variation, and so on, could also explain why a change in resin formulation might have occured.

The exact resin formulation used by Boston Whaler may be a trade secret in their layup process, and I don't recall any details being announced. I am sure the best explanation would come from Boston Whaler, if they were willing to discuss this topic. Perhaps you could contact them and pursue the reason or cause for the resin color change.