It may also be used on man made materials such as fiberglass. 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. At that point apply a coating of epoxy, there’s lots to choose from so do some research. Why? Some new boats, from builders like Catalina & Hunter, utilize aluminum plates glassed into the deck beneath winches, stanchions and other deck hardware. Many times on sailboats you’ll find some dry core right above the wind speed & depth gauges if they are mounted on the cabin. To the untrained ear, without a moisture meter and only a hammer, one might assume this deck was in A1 condition. Readings in the moist range are certainly areas of concern but I would suggest bringing in a surveyor if you like the boat. The Tramex Skipper Plus non-destructive moisture meter provides a complete, safe method for detecting excess moisture in GRP and wooden boats. I was … 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 … 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. Moisture meters read metals and display it as moisture. Please DO NOT feel obligated at all. At some point this would have failed but had not yet. But wait a minute, she looks great on the surface but what’s underneath? In this photo you can see the meter the copper faced calibration block and the acrylic spacer. In this picture I am holding a piece of metal up against the underside of the simulated deck/hull. 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. Left untreated, this boat would have become impossible to sell and nearly worthless. I know many good brokers, who have meters, and who go over the deck and cored hull before even listing a boat. The meter can’t see beyond the copper so it does not really matter where you set it to check the calibration. If this moisture were allowed to continue the color of the balsa would continue to darken and literally rot away leaving no structural strength. If you want to check for core moisture bellow the waterline do it from inside the hull on … Your donations help keep the content coming and also help keep it free. This piece actually came off of a Maine built Downeast style boat but sandwiched balsa is fairly straight forward stuff. You can even set it on a saturated deck if you wish.. 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 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. This capacitance reading is then transposed, onto the analog display, into a relative moisture reading. As you can see it reads a little over 8%. It did not take me long to rule many of them out due to severe moisture issues. 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. When we bought our current boat I looked at over 50 boats, meter in hand. 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. However, moisture … 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. Consequently the early production boats were built like battleships, heavy and over the top, but tough. This deck is not yet destroyed but any further leaking needs to be curtailed asap or it will be ruined shortly. If you like it and want to make a small donation than that's all I ask. Balsa-cored boats require a higher level of vigilance, but all cored boats … The needle should read zero. Look for differences in deck moisture readings. The reason for this is that the inner skin … This is an example of a bone dry core on a J Boat. 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. 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. This shouldn’t be the case. This was a deck penetration under a teak hand rail that leaked due to improper bedding. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Notice & Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Contact Us | Site Map, © 2021 Grabau International. I simply used a misting bottle of water and sprayed the surface of the cored deck chunk to simulate dew or rain. In order to display how the meter works I chose to use a known dry chunk of deck skin I had lying around. Engine Issues. 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. Next the acrylic spacer is placed over the calibration block and it’s ready for you to set the meter on. At this stage of rot (early) the core is still tightly bonded to the skins. I learned my lesson with my first boat. There is no benefit in even bringing your meter to a boat in the dead of winter. There are some ares of a boat that you certainly don’t want wet or even high moist. Using this meter any reading between 0% & 15% is considered dry on fiberglass. I simply used a misting bottle of water and sprayed the surface of the cored deck chunk to simulate dew or rain. 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. If everything else checks out, namely deck and bulkheads, bring in your surveyor to do a full bottom examination. 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. The moisture had traveled a good 7-8″ towards the genny track through capillary action and had even migrated about 12″ fore and aft. Refer to the previous chart for translation. It was clearly insufficient. The CT-33 sells for less. Buying a meter when buying a boat will get you well on your way to saving money on unnecessary surveys. Don’t necessarily write your vessel off because of a higher moisture content. A little common sense goes a long way and is all that’s necessary. 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