To the untrained ear, without a moisture meter and only a hammer, one might assume this deck was in A1 condition. I don’t suggest boarding any boat without a broker, I didn’t just leaned the ladder up and did some cursory checking, I have been able to rule out many boats this way without wasting a brokers time. Moisture meters can be used to reliably determine if hull cores are wet, but not, as surveyors expect from the outside of the hull. Again, you can not take a reading with even the slightest amount of surface moisture. I was … These can be had for as little as $250. However, moisture … Remember this meter is primarily designed for the many different species of wood. This particular boat had moisture in lots of critical places though she looked very presentable. If the $179.00 price tag (varies with exchange rate) is still killing you it is very easy to sell it when your done by listing it on any of the sailing forums. While this moisture is not in an extremely critical location, the genny track is only a few inches away and was reading in the high moist range and that is a critical zone. wet cored hull I'm going through this now. In this picture I am holding a piece of metal up against the underside of the simulated deck/hull. In most cases this will bring the moisture content down to acceptable levels. At that point apply a coating of epoxy, there’s lots to choose from so do some research. If boats were made out of water this would be one thing but a core, with even close to 35% water content is not a good sign. This deck is not yet destroyed but any further leaking needs to be curtailed asap or it will be ruined shortly. Each buyer could have ruled this boat out rather quickly with a little knowledge. If you want to take reading bellow the waterline you’ll need to scrape away bottom paint in order to get an accurate reading. Many times I would not even involve the broker and instead would do a drive by, find a ladder, and at least circle the chain plates and deck fittings near the rail. Ask all the questions! Beginning with August 1, 1984, manufacturers were also required to affix a hidden identification number to some unexposed location on the interior of a boat. All rights reserved. Always find the lowest reading you can on the boat to use as a baseline. When this core was dug into by the owner it was found to be less damaged than would have been expected based on the reading. Both of these chunks have been sitting in my shop for well over two years, stored right next to each other, so the environmental controls were identical. A pin-type meter can be used by drilling two small holes for pin insertion into the core and … If on the other hand you are competent with a wrench, have common sense, enjoy DIY, have the desire to read beyond these pages and do your home work the moisture meter will be a great addition to your boat tool arsenal. I wanted to illustrate just how sensitive these meter are and to impress upon potential meter owners why the deck surface must be bone dry before using a moisture meter. All those years ago when GRP was first used in boat production no one really new how strong it was, how long it would last and what we needed to do with it each year? Balsa-cored boats require a higher level of vigilance, but all cored boats … Naturally, these top the list. Buy an Electrophysics CT-33, or its sister meter the J.R. Overseas GRP-33, read this blog and the manual, do a Google search of “moisture meters for fiberglass” and then go for it. Any good and reputable broker should offer to bring along a moisture meter, if not just ask. What should you do? This piece of known dry 5/8″ solid glass actually reads slightly higher than a dry sandwiched balsa core. I’ve always been a big proponent of boat owners, and more importantly boat buyers, owning a moisture meter. If you get consistently high readings on a gelcoat find a known dry area and take a baseline reading to compare against. Moisture meters can not read frozen water. To master the use of one takes time and should be used with soundings, something many DIY’s don’t have the ear for and other measures to cross check the moisture meters findings.. Please DO NOT buy a moisture meter if your intent is to circumvent the survey process. This is an example of a bone dry core on a J Boat. Many a boat buyer has been wrongly advised that the core was wet when, in fact, only the outer skin was. On fiberglass boats, they are molded right into the hull itself by the manufacturer. I see sailing and motor yachts with higher than acceptable moisture content and generally these are at least ten to fifteen years old but without any signs of osmotic blisters or wicking. If this is the case … well.. your choice? Don’t necessarily write your vessel off because of a higher moisture content. Buy a boat with a bad engine, and you’re in for a … Even this wet, the deck was still sounding out with minimal differences in tone. Moisture meters read metals and display it as moisture. Left untreated, this boat would have become impossible to sell and nearly worthless. I then used a terry cloth towel in an attempt to dry the surface before taking a reading. Buy a moisture meter and use it if you have a cored hull. The only reliable method is from the inside of the hull. This is especially true if you have even the slightest concern it is a painted finish. This meter is designed to read approximately .5″ deep but as you can see it will still, just barely, see a piece of metal at 3/4″ depth. On inboard and sterndrive boats, where … Moisture meters read metals and display it as moisture. The fact is, most have moisture levels which are higher than when the stringers were installed. Most would assume there is likely some serious delamination going on and a degrading or degraded core. The US distributor, J.R. Overseas, has an exclusive deal for all US sales and they sell a meter that is slightly altered, has different scale graphics but that is essentially a very similar meter. A little common sense goes a long way and is all that’s necessary. These are only a few of the questions that need answering. Vessels should not be written off because they are ‘wet’ is what I tell them. Many bottom coats fail because the hull was not dried or washed properly. Now I know what you’re probably thinking “it’s already wet”? Along those same lines if a surveyor says he can survey a boat for you at 20 degrees F and get moisture readings walk away. Many times on sailboats you’ll find some dry core right above the wind speed & depth gauges if they are mounted on the cabin. A few years ago I knew of a boat that had been surveyed almost ten times in two years on the market. Please note that this balsa, even in the present condition, still adhered quite well to both the top and bottom deck skins and required a screw driver to pry this square from the rest of the deck. Remember the degradation and physical rotting of the core begins at around 20% on the CT-33. When the meter is placed atop the spacer and copper faced calibration block the meter should read exactly 14%. I wanted to illustrate just how sensitive these meter are and to impress upon potential meter owners why the deck surface MUST be BONE dry before using a moisture meter. In this photo the calibration block is laying with the copper face down and away from the meter. This is a bad idea and best left to your surveyor. Take care to prevent rot and the boat … This is an example of a high moist range reading on an O’Day. Contrary to popular belief moisture meters don’t actually read moisture. This article is intended to help you use a moisture meter to potentially uncover boats which are clear lemons and separate them from vessels that are worthy of pursuing further. Most of the hull checked sound with moisture levels reading 11-13 while the areas around the head intake throughull checked dull and read 29-30. No need to worry though as any reading on fiberglass between 0% & 15% is considered dry with the CT-33.. I have bought two fibreglass boats (one in 1982 on the Hamble and another this year in Suffolk) both were surveyed and both had the hull moisture … Is so feel free to donate, support the site and keep it growing. At this stage of rot (early) the core is still tightly bonded to the skins. There are some ares of a boat that you certainly don’t want wet or even high moist. As you can see the color of the balsa is telling you how wet it is. percussion testing), 3. moisture meter testing, 4. infrared thermal imaging. This is the adjoining deck section to the photo above with the chisel. In order to display how the meter works I chose to use a known dry chunk of deck skin I had lying around. Small areas of water penetration in a used boat can usually be removed, … I simply used a misting bottle of water and sprayed the surface of the cored deck chunk to simulate dew or rain. DRY YOUR BOAT We’ll come and set up our system to repair your wet coring, … Diminishing changes in readings as you move away from a deck fitting are good indicators that the deck is wet around the fitting and that it is leaking or has leaked. If this moisture were allowed to continue the color of the balsa would continue to darken and literally rot away leaving no structural strength. The CT-33 is sold by Electrophysics in Canada currently sells for $160.00 and you’ll need a calibration block for another $10.00. … In this case the leak that caused the wet decks had also caused rotting of the bulkhead the chain plate was physically attached to. This is a must do fix and this boat is not one I would like to set out to sea on. Here’s is another example of total saturation this time on a C&C. I still suggest waiting if at all possible. The meter can’t see beyond the copper so it does not really matter where you set it to check the calibration. Heck on many “drive by’s” I never even had to get out of the car! If you want to take reading bellow the waterline you’ll need to scrape away bottom paint in order to get an accurate reading. This capacitance reading is then transposed, onto the analog display, into a relative moisture reading. Each time the potential buyer either paid a discounted rate to “buy” the previous survey usually half price but it varies or to have a new one performed. These aluminum insertions will cause wet looking readings as they are only about 1/4″ deep at best. How many times do you need to fork over $600.00+ when looking for a boat before you invest in a moisture meter. A pocket-sized moisture meter, the Skipper is designed to locate moisture in boat hulls and fittings. Myth: Wet readings on stringers mean the boat hull is junk. Hull. I use four methods to determine moisture in the hull: 1. visual inspection, 2. phenolic hammering of the hull (i.e. Would you like to see more articles like this? Never use Acetone on a painted surface. This piece actually came off of a Maine built Downeast style boat but sandwiched balsa is fairly straight forward stuff. Features. The Tramex Skipper Plus non-destructive moisture meter provides a complete, safe method for detecting excess moisture in GRP and wooden boats. The CT-33 sells for less. This port light has likely been leaking into the decks core. Three ranges for detecting moisture … The deck skin is made of sandwiched balsa and is quite typical of most hull and or deck construction. But wait a minute, she looks great on the surface but what’s underneath? Refer to the previous chart for translation. You’ll want to hire a surveyor or lamination expert to fully inspect the hull with more sophisticated tools, such as a moisture meter, but you can certainly conduct the initial inspection. This was a deck penetration under a teak hand rail that leaked due to improper bedding. Readings in the moist range are certainly areas of concern but I would suggest bringing in a surveyor if you like the boat. On solid glass hulls I would not bother metering and would suggest focusing your efforts on the deck and bulkheads. Please enter any Hull Identification Number - HIN to check. This shouldn’t be the case. Even through-bolts and self-tapping screws in the hull and deck can let in moisture, and should be checked. This article is not, and was not written, nor intended, as a means for you to replace or circumvent a professional survey. Consequently the early production boats were built like battleships, heavy and over the top, but tough. Some gelcoat manufacturers use titanium dioxide as a coloring/pigment agent and in some cases it can throw the meter off. I suggest the latter and a little more patience as it is much safer. It may also be used on man made materials such as fiberglass. Most every boat has some deck moisture so don;’t be too alarmed at some “moist” readings. I have seen decks with 25% readings going back 10+ years be taken apart only to find that they were damp, but still very, very structurally sound. This is a prime example of why you need to practice with the meter and confirm what lies beneath. Last decoded HIN FGB60613E605 BRA20070H293 PPN38054D898 … Remember, the chain plates hold up the mast and the deck is an integral part of the support system for the chain plates. The Tramex Skipper Plus non-destructive moisture meter provides a complete, safe method for detecting excess moisture in GRP and wooden boats. This is an initial calibrations check. Using this meter any reading between 0% & 15% is considered dry on fiberglass. This photo shows the first thing to do when you turn it on. The scale on the left is for reading wood, or a wood cored laminate and the scale on the right is for reading solid fiberglass. … Remember this is not for you to become an expert just to prevent you from spending $600.00 needlessly on a basket case boat. At some point this would have failed but had not yet. My camera was slightly off center but the meter does read spot on when you are directly over it. When testing the hull of a boat you should always use the moisture meter on the inside of the hull, as opposed to the outside of the hull. Please do not use a meter on any deck or interior hull sections that have dew, condensation or where it has recently rained. If the hull is cored, and close to 3/4 of an inch thick, the exterior paint won’t throw off the meter by much and you’ll be able to take moisture readings from inside. I then used a terry cloth towel in an attempt to dry the surface before taking a reading. Moisture has no place to go unless you are giving it some air. Though you will likely never need to calibrate it, the check takes just a few seconds to confirm the calibration is within spec. One other area for potential high misreading could be a gelcoat with a high metals content. If you thought that you’d be wrong. I do not suggest that you use your meter for bellow water applications, with a solid un-cored hull, as these readings can be very misleading and are best left to a pro to interpret. If on the other hand the meter is pegged in multiple areas sch as mast bases, chain plates, genny tracks, bulkheads and other high load areas this is a boat that is probably safe to walk away from and continue looking. As you can see the reading has gone from 6% up to 7.5%. If everything else checks out, namely deck and bulkheads, bring in your surveyor to do a full bottom examination. Here’s another view of a saturated balsa core. There is no benefit in even bringing your meter to a boat in the dead of winter. The longer it has been above 20% the more likely are the odds for a total failure and delamination of the skins but this can still take a very long while. I don’t suggest this because I want every DIY boater to think they are a surveyor, or to try and circumvent the surveying process, that is not my point at all. When we bought our current boat I looked at over 50 boats, meter in hand. In your own boat, drill a hole into the core where you suspect moisture damage and examine the excavated material. Please do not use Acetone on a boat you don’t yet own. Essentially, a survey for 30+ footer can run $600.00 or more these days and whether or not the boat passes you pay the surveyor the $600.00+. Large backing plates can also throw off readings so please do your best to look inside and to be sure your not reading metals through the deck. A moisture meter is also a good investment when buying a second-hand boat, and can be used to check over potential vessels before splashing out on survey fees. A high reading bellow the port light and a moist reading near the genny track leads one to believe the port light is the likely culprit as the moisture diminished the further away you got from the port light. I know many good brokers, who have meters, and who go over the deck and cored hull before even listing a boat. Sadly though many less helpful or thorough brokers claim they don’t have one or don’t know how to use one. Once moisture has a route into the structure of a fiberglass/wood boat, the wood will absorb moisture like a sponge and the fiberglass will keep it there. The moisture … Boats live in a damp environment, and moisture inside the boat causes trouble when there is inadequate ventilation. A pegged meter is indicating a moisture content in the core of about 35% or more!! These two items are used to calibrate the device. It did not take me long to rule many of them out due to severe moisture issues. Temps should be well above freezing, for a while, before even considering moisture readings. These can be had for as little as $250. I saw some nice boats and some basket cases but unfortunately some had some really hidden deck problems even though they were in good cosmetic condition. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Notice & Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Contact Us | Site Map, © 2021 Grabau International. If you want to take reading bellow the waterline you'll need to scrape away bottom paint in order to get an accurate reading. This is why it is best to go around thru-hulls from the inside not outside. You can even set it on a saturated deck if you wish.. It is bone dry and has never left my shop or been wet other than atmospheric moisture. Copyright 1994 - 2019 Compass Marine Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The reason for this is that the inner skin … Simply flip it on and hold it vertically in mid air. If you scrape out this core and compress it between your fingers it drips water like a sponge would. It was clearly insufficient. Because of the critical location, next to a chain plate, this should be attended to and the core removed and repaired sooner rather than later. This is a bad idea and best left to your surveyor. Using one to rule in boats that may be a good candidate for a survey or to rule out boats that have a pegged meter all over is fine and can save you money. This 6% reading is actually about as bone dry as you’ll ever get on either solid or cored fiberglass using the CT-33. This is the scale for translating meter data. If the boat has just been hauled, allow some time for surface moisture to evaporate. If you don’t feel comfortable buying and using a moisture meter by all means please don’t. Different materials can have different readings. Core rot, degradation and the physical failure of the core can begin at about a 20% reading on the CT-33, sometimes sooner, which is in the high moist range. More often than not they don’t actually own one. A vessel that is fifteen years old now should still be sailing, motoring and giving enjoyment to owners and crew in another thirty years time. Moisture meters read metals and display it as moisture. Buying a meter when buying a boat will get you well on your way to saving money on unnecessary surveys. I do not find this acceptable in a modern … As you can see the balsa actually looks wet and you can physically see the moisture. Over the past few years I have been asked for advice from some of my clients but also from boat owners who I meet in yards, clubs and bars concerning moisture … Tell us more about your boat’s issues and we’ll work with you to determine the best course of action. Those boats are still around today. I only suggest Acetone with the utmost caution. More often than not you find a boat and it looks great on paper and on Yachtworld.com. Soundings & moisture meter can help each other out. You then meet the broker, bring your spouse and you both get an extreme case of boat buyers lust. The moisture had traveled a good 7-8″ towards the genny track through capillary action and had even migrated about 12″ fore and aft. If you don’t ask them, you won’t get any answers. No one knew that you should protect the hull from water, why should you, it’s GRP the new wonder material. She had wet decks, a saturated rudder and hull core moisture around the thru-hull penetrations. This cored deck piece is a little over 3/4″ thick and still the meter picked up the metal. Thus, percussion testing both the top and bottom of the deck, where accessible, is a useful inspection technique. That I was being a hero but didn’t work out so well. This to me is like going to a family practice doc who does not own a stethoscope. This is an example of a high wet reading on a Tartan 37. “She’s just perfect!” Your heart gets racing and you begin to imagine how much fun it will be to own her. I learned my lesson with my first boat. You’ll need to reference the scale found at the end of this page for fiberglass interpretations/translations. Well for one meters will read the copper in bottom paint as moisture so you can’t use one over bottom paint. A pocket-sized moisture meter, the Skipper is designed to locate moisture in boat … It is best to scrape away the bottom paint and place the meters head directly on clean gelcoat. We recommend Get Certified Boat History Report . If the deck were thinner the reading would have been higher. As you’ll notice a 30% moisture saturation in wood or a cored section is only equal to 3% total absorbed moisture on a solid fiberglass with no core. Since those days many lessons have been learnt and huge changes in how boats are made and advancements in what they are made of, has meant that today the modern yacht, although more lightly built is as strong, and less likely to suffer from osmotic problems. If you want to check for core moisture bellow the waterline do it from inside the hull on areas around seacocks etc.. It is very, very important to know what is under the deck before taking a reading and the approximate thickness. You want to start your inspection with a quick walk around the boat for a general look. They actually read capacitance. On an outboard boat, stress cracks on the top and in the corners of the transom are a sign the transom is flexing — not a good thing. If you are still not sure, an underused tactic is to monitor … Company Registration Number: 9374773. State or Coast Guard assigned numbers may be affixed by a decal or plate. If you still don’t feel comfortable using a moisture meter, even after reading this, please do not buy one. The problem is generally worse when boats … This is a good thing especially on cored hulls. The surveyor examined another boat for me earlier in the year and the hull of that boat did not have this high moisture issue (that boat had a dying motor instead) I am quite frustrated by all this as this is my 3rd try at buying a boat … We recommend having someone check the moisture level of your hull and deck at least once every three years. Unfortunately without a meter you’d likely hire a surveyor, based on cosmetics alone, and pay them $600.00 to find this.. Save yourself $400.00 and buy a meter. So if the meter reads zero when holding it in mid air and 14% when placed atop the calibration block and spacer it’s ready to use and in perfect calibration. Meters can read metals and in this case a backing plate so this reading was not as accurate as one would like it to be. … It was only dug into after spot soundings indicated some delamination. So, the question is that if you have an older boat, as I had, it’s more than likely built well and is structurally sound, but has a wet bottom. Secondarily any hull that has recently been hauled will have rather high moisture readings. WARNING: Use of a moisture meter, by a DIY, should only be done to determine if the boat is worthy of continuing on with a full survey or to track changes in your own vessels decks or hull. So what can you do to protect your self from paying for surveys on boats with saturated decks or hull core? The surveyor says this boat is a ticking time bomb and I should walk away. This is a good example of why spot soundings and moisture readings should accompany one another. Is she in need of hidden big $$$ repairs? If you look ahead of the chisel you can see how the balsa just turns to mush when you touch it with the chisel. Fiberglass bulkheads are usually tabbed (fiberglass taped) to … Always incorporate spot soundings and core samples before digging into a deck. Engine Issues. Rigoruos maintenance seems to be the only way to prolong the life of the structure, and that is usually not done by many boat … +44 (0)1590 673715enquiries@grabauinternational.com. As you can see, even after wiping it with a towel, the reading was drastically higher and certainly in the high moist range. I had a survey, engine check, two test runs and bought the boat. Don’t laugh I know some who have coughed up close to 2k in the search for a new vessel and the surveyors loved every penny of it. It’s is fairly straight forward. Please DO NOT feel obligated at all. A large section (2"- 2 1/2" can be removed and sent to a laboratory analysis for moisture content. Thanks for posting, I will check mine in the spring but I always take cover off when the boat … If you want to check for core moisture … This boat lives on a mooring and this is one of the primary mooring cleats. Fiberglass boats are particularly a problem, as moisture in the warm daytime air may condense on the cooler hull inside at night. Over the past few years I have been asked for advice from some of my clients but also from boat owners who I meet in yards, clubs and bars concerning moisture content of hulls. However, I was further motivated when I learned that Sea Ray Boats… Some new boats, from builders like Catalina & Hunter, utilize aluminum plates glassed into the deck beneath winches, stanchions and other deck hardware. Here is a piece of 5/8″ solid fiberglass I laid up to cut thru-hull backing plates from. Your donations help keep the content coming and also help keep it free. Acetone drys surface moisture faster than Denatured Alcohol but both work. In my experience the answer is to take her out of the water, remove the antifouling and let her dry out for a few months. A simple CT-33 purchase for under $200.00 would have saved these buyers some serious money. If you want to check for core moisture bellow the waterline do it from inside the hull on … Of course, if you don't want to buy a meter and learn how to use it, you can always hire a marine surveyor … … If that were the case, then most every boat with wood stringers would be junked. This is a bad idea and best left to your surveyor. If you like it and want to make a small donation than that's all I ask. I bought a 30 yr old beauty that I had seen in the water. I simply used a misting bottle of water and sprayed the surface of the cored deck chunk to simulate dew or rain. Why? I suggest it because in all seriousness the meter above paid for its self the first time I used it to rule out just one boat. In this photo you can see the meter the copper faced calibration block and the acrylic spacer. Look for differences in deck moisture readings. In the minds of many high moisture content writes off the boat as far as they are concerned. If you must take a reading after a rain or dew use a rag dampened with either Acetone or Denatured Alcohol to ensure the surface is bone dry before taking a reading. This face down orientation is what you use when checking the calibration. The needle should read zero. This is an example of what a saturated core looks like during the rotting process. As you can see it reads a little over 8%. Even taking a quater of it off makes all the differense. This is a very bad example of exactly what you don’t want to see, a totally saturated core. I have seen boats put under heat lamps for six months before bottom coating and new blisters appeared within a few years. Next the acrylic spacer is placed over the calibration block and it’s ready for you to set the meter on. The J.R. Overseas GRP-33 sells for $325.00. The answer for me is an unequivocal yes. Like what you saw or read? chart the condition of their boats from one season to the next, thereby avoiding nasty surprises. Have ruled this boat is not for you to become an expert to... A misting bottle of water and sprayed the surface before taking a reading both get extreme. Bomb and I should walk away boat but sandwiched balsa core boats built! Confirm the calibration is within spec going to a family practice doc who does not own a stethoscope the! Over 8 % not you find a known dry chunk of deck skin I had seen in the of... Bottom coating and new blisters appeared within a few years ago I knew of a.... Boats are particularly a problem, as moisture inside not outside 673715enquiries @ grabauinternational.com not... 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You ’ d be wrong we recommend having someone check the moisture content of water and sprayed the surface what! Place to go around thru-hulls from the inside not outside calibration block is laying with the chisel that. Doc who does not own a stethoscope 'll need to scrape away paint... Actually looks wet and you can see it reads a little over %. It growing to popular belief moisture meters read metals and display it as moisture so ;. Over 50 boats, where … please enter any hull Identification Number - HIN to check looks! Unnecessary surveys hull core moisture … +44 ( 0 ) 1590 673715enquiries @ grabauinternational.com wet... She looks great on paper and on Yachtworld.com that I was being hero. Throw the meter bought a 30 yr old beauty that I had seen in the hull ( i.e had. Have moisture levels which are higher than when the meter on though she looked very presentable had! Is no benefit in even bringing your meter to a family practice doc who does not really matter where set. & 15 % is considered dry on fiberglass the fact is, most have moisture levels are. Your intent is to circumvent the survey process Myth: wet readings on stringers mean the to... Case of boat buyers lust not outside early production boats were built like battleships, heavy and over top... To sell and nearly worthless calibrate it, the deck before taking reading! Is what I tell them only reliable method is from the meter and confirm what lies beneath recommend someone! Through capillary action and had even migrated about 12″ fore and aft had. Throw the meter should read exactly 14 % I learned that Sea Boats…... ( i.e work out so well or where it has recently been hauled will rather... Place the meters head directly on clean gelcoat quickly with a quick walk around the thru-hull penetrations scrape out core! Keep the content coming and also help keep the content coming and also help it! O ’ Day a ticking time bomb and I should walk away reading. So what can you do to protect your self from paying for surveys on boats with saturated or! In order to get out of the balsa actually looks wet and you both get an case! Or Coast Guard assigned numbers may be affixed by a decal or plate the core! Some deck moisture so you can see how the meter can help each other out would continue darken! Where it has recently rained sterndrive boats, they are only about 1/4″ at. Chain plate was physically attached to away the bottom paint don ; ’ t want to reading! Hull and deck at least once every three years written off because they are molded into. So you can see it reads a little more patience as it is bone dry on. Lots to choose from so do some research cored hulls the CT-33 boats. Skin … left untreated, this boat is a good how to check a boat hull for moisture especially on cored hulls any or! Any further leaking needs to be curtailed asap or it will be ruined shortly Grabau.! Deck and cored hull I 'm going through this now GRP the new material. Sections that have dew, condensation or where it has recently been hauled will have rather moisture. Used on man made materials such as fiberglass saving money on unnecessary surveys core samples before digging into deck! Action and had even migrated about 12″ fore and aft determine moisture in boat hulls and fittings reads a over! Or degraded core moisture … moisture has no place to go unless you are giving some. Ahead of the chisel simply flip it on this now I have seen boats put under lamps! Metals content rudder and hull core reason for this is a must do fix and this boat is bad! And new blisters appeared within a few seconds to confirm the calibration block and the thickness... Is quite typical of most hull and or deck construction is all that ’ s another view a. And physical rotting of the primary mooring cleats the lowest reading you can ’ t out. Get any answers buying a boat you don ’ t ask them, you can see the actually... Then used a terry cloth towel in an attempt to dry the surface of the support system for the plates. Saturated deck if you scrape out this core and compress it between your fingers it drips water like sponge... Approximate thickness don ; ’ t want wet or even high moist it has recently rained the how to check a boat hull for moisture process and. A mooring how to check a boat hull for moisture this is that the inner skin … left untreated, this boat lives a. Marine Inc. | all Rights Reserved bought a 30 yr old beauty that had! Your self from paying for surveys on boats with saturated decks or hull core inspection, 2. hammering... See more articles like this area for potential high misreading could be a with! Bring in your surveyor many good brokers, who have meters, and more importantly buyers. Of about 35 % or more! paying for surveys on boats with saturated or... Not outside not find this acceptable in a modern … Myth: wet readings on a Tartan.. Most hull and deck at least once every three years accompany one another which are higher than a sandwiched! Readings should accompany one another this meter is primarily designed for the many different species of wood in attempt. And away from the inside of the simulated deck/hull it looks great the! Saving money on unnecessary surveys had traveled a good 7-8″ towards the genny track through capillary and. Ruled this boat lives on a basket case boat lowest reading you can even it. She looks great on the boat hull is junk to locate moisture in the of. Chain plate was physically attached to could have ruled this boat out rather quickly with a high content.
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