[Steve L]

I have a 1998 Taria 3100 Open and was wondering what moisture meter is best to check the moisture in haul and in other parts of the boat ? And what should the moisture not exceed ? I was told that Taria had a moisture problem at the rub rail . Any feed back would be apprecate Thank  Steve

[jclark003]

Make sure you get a good marine sounding meter such as Electropysics. Generally a reading of 16 or less is considered acceptable. Thru hulls, deck fittings, air intakes, etc tend to be where moisture intrudes into the core. Also be aware moisture meters are not perfect. They don’t work well over bottom paint and objects behind the fiberglass such as hoses can throw off the readings. A good marine meter is not cheap either. A trusted surveyor may make more sense since they have the tools and know how to interpret the results. Good luck

[GeoDoc]

I got a Klein Tools non invasive moisture meter from Amazon to check the effectiveness of my efforts to find the source of excessive moisture in the foam under a port hole. After lots of probing and replacing gaskets, etc. to no avail I started using Capt. Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure on the mid cleat bolts, the screws that hold down the hand rail and the canvas snap buttons my moisture meter is now showing no leaks. I loaned the moisture meter to our dock master and he found the source of the leaks on the exterior of our fleet of Harbor 20 sailboats. Several areas on the deck and other places that had holes drilled for halyards, lines, etc. were de-laminating around the holes. My meter gave him a notion on the extent of damage. I can't remember but the meter is not big bucks to buy.

[hiccup]

Electrophysics GRP 33 Plus is a good balance of accuracy and cost.

Steer clear of moisture meters not designed and calibrated for fiberglass boats.