Inspection of the hull's wetted surface was partially hindered due to the vessel's position on the trailer. Unexposed areas precluded a thorough inspection. A percussion hammer sounding was performed on the hull's accessible wetted surfaces. Electronic Moisture Testing was limited during the bottom inspection. Further, boat builders utilize various construction materials, fasteners, coatings and composites, many of which will trigger a false positive for moisture. In order to perform an Electronic Moisture Test on a hull's wetted surfaces, the vessel must be dry docked for a minimum of 48 hours and the vessel’s bottom paint & all coatings must be completely removed in the areas to be tested for moisture. It must be understood that Moisture Meters are designed to detect the "conductivity" of substrates; including moisture, among various other conductive materials, and their ability to detect conductivity can be limited by many factors, such as the depth of the conductive material, air space present in-between the laminate and the conductive material, etc. If a more thorough assessment of possible moisture content in the vessel's laminates is desired, it is recommended that a non-destructive Thermal Imaging Survey be performed to the "Infraspection Institute's Standards for the Inspection of Recreational Yachts & Small Craft Constructed of Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic and Composite Materials". Destructive testing may also be considered if a more definitive conclusion regarding possible moisture content is desired.
