TRAMEX Skipper Plus User manual

Skipper Plus
MOISTURE METER
FOR THE MARINE INDUSTRY
Non-Destructive Moisture
Detection Instrument for GRP
(Glass Reinforced Plastic)
and Wooden Boats
User
Guide

Skipper Plus
User Guide
Introduction ............................................................4
Fig. 1 Skipper Plus Non-Destructive Testing ....4
Instrument Features ................................................5
Diagnosis ................................................................6
Osmosis in GRP......................................................7
Wooden Boats ........................................................7
Important ................................................................8
Operating Instructions ............................................8
Fig 2. Skipper Plus Features ..............................9
Working With Your Skipper Plus ..........................11
RANGE 1 ................................................................11
Testing Hardwood ..............................................11
Wood Decking....................................................12
Depth Of Field Penetration................................12
Relationship Between Relative ........................
Humidity and Moisture Content ........................13
Fig. 3 Relative Humidity / ................................
Wood Moisture Content Relationship................13
Notes on Specific Gravity (S.G.) ......................13
Fig 4. Wood Density Categorisation. ................14
How to use the Wood SG Tables ......................14
Fig. 5. Wood Specific Gravity ..........................
Adjustment Table ..............................................14
RANGE 2.................................................................15
Testing Glass Reinforced Plastic (G.R.P.) ........15
RANGE 3.................................................................15
Testing for Elevated Surface Moisture ..............15
Notes ......................................................................16
Warranty..................................................................17
Warranty Claims ....................................................18
Product Development ............................................18
2

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TRAMEX MOISTURE/HUMIDITY INSTRUMENTS
SURVEY ENCOUNTER: The intelligent moisture meter.
“State of the art” non-destructive moisture meter for measurement
and data logging of moisture in building materials.
MOISTURE ENCOUNTER PLUS
General purpose non-destructive moisture meter employing
advanced analog and digital technology.
CONCRETE ENCOUNTER CME 4
Non-destructive moisture meter for concrete floors.
CRH FLOORING
Non-destructive testing and data logging of moisture content and
relative humidity measurements in concrete (to ASTM F 2170-02,
ASTM F 2420-05 and BS 5325:2001 & 8203:2001), gypsum
screeds and sub-floors.
FLOOR INSPECTION KIT
Complete kit for moisture testing concrete, hardwood flooring,
sub-flooring and environmental monitoring.
MRH
Digital Moisture and Humidity Meter with 4 scales for wood,
roofing, masonry and drywall. Humidity probe also available.
Suitable for humidity testing of flooring by either the in situ probe
method (to ASTM F 2170-02 and BS 5325:2001 & 8203:2001) or
the RH hood method (ASTM F 2420-05).
PROFESSIONAL MOISTURE METER
Digital resistance meter with probes, tests deep into wood.
COMPACT MOISTURE METER
Economical pin-type resistance meter for wood.
DEC SCANNER
Mobile non-destructive surveying of flat roofs.
WET WALL DETECTOR
Non-destructive moisture evaluation and tracing in EIFS.
RWS ROOF AND WALL SCANNER.
For moisture scanning and leak tracing on roofing, EIFS and the
building envelope.
MOISTURE & HUMIDITY INSPECTION KITS ARE
AVAILABLE FOR THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRIES:
Floor inspection / EIFS wall inspection / Roof inspection /
Indoor Air Quality / Water damage restoration.

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Introduction
The Skipper Plus is a moisture detection instrument
that uses the latest in electronic technology to take
non-destructive moisture readings in GRP (Glass
Reinforced Plastic) and wooden boats. It enables you
to quickly check hulls and decks both inside and out-
side for trapped moisture.
Your Skipper Plus meter features three Ranges
enabling you to select the correct range for the mate-
rial and environment in which you are working. Use
Range 1 to give you the percentage moisture content
in Wood. Use Range 2 to indicate
on the comparative scale, moisture in GRP and use
Range 3 to indicate Surface Moisture on the com-
parative scale.
The instrument operates on the principle that the
electrical impedance of a material varies with its
moisture content. To measure / detect moisture, the
two co-planar conductive rubber electrodes mounted
on the base of the instrument case are pressed onto
the wood or GRP sample. The instrument measures
the electrical impedance of the material being tested
by creating a low frequency alternating electric field
between the electrodes.
This field penetrates the material under test up to a
depth of approximately 30 mm (1.25 inches),
depending on material being tested and range used.
The very small current flowing through the field is
inversely proportional to the impedance of the mate-
rial. The instrument detects this current, determines
its amplitude and, after processing, drives the point-
er of the moving coil meter to the computed mois-
ture value.

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Fig. 1 Skipper Plus Non-Destructive Testing
As there is a wide variation in the nominal electrical
impedance of different material types, the instrument
is provided with three selectable ranges which are
optimized for testing (1) Hardwood, (2) GRP and (3)
Surface Moisture.
Instrument Features
Your Skipper Plus employs advanced analog and
digital technology to enable the incorporation of
many useful features, which greatly extend the capa-
bility of the instrument.
• Three simple pushbutton controls, ON, RANGE
and HOLD.
• Non-destructive moisture readings taken in Wood
from 5% to 30% are displayed on a clear, easy to
read moving coil meter with a linear scale.
Comparative readings between 0 and 100 can be
taken in GRP.
• Audio signal sounds when meter indicates high
reading and can be disabled if required.
Transmit
Electrode
SKIPPER PLUS
Alternating
Electric Field
Material sample
under test
Receive
Electrode

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• The HOLD button freezes moving coil meter,
which facilitates readings taken out-of-sight.
• If HOLD was selected prior to supply timeout, the
held reading is restored next time the meter is
powered on.
• Automatic supply timeout (2 minutes) conserves
battery life.
• Supply timeout is automatically extended if a
change in the meter reading is detected or if any
button is pressed.
• Bleep warning on instrument sounder 10 seconds
prior to end of supply timeout period.
• Last used RANGE is memorized at supply time-
out and automatically selected next time ON but-
ton is pressed.
• Three LEDs indicate selected range, indicate if
HOLD selected and provide warning of battery
nearing end of useful life.
Diagnosis
Your Skipper Plus can be used to diagnose trapped
moisture which can contribute to osmosis in GRP
boats and rot and decay in wooden boats and wood-
en components. The Skipper Plus is also essential in
monitoring drying out of hulls and other boat com-
ponents prior to remedial treatment.

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Osmosis in GRP
Use Range 2 when checking GRP boats. Osmosis is
a general term used to categorise a condition where
GRP degrades under water. This degradation is
caused by water penetrating the gel coat and reacting
chemically with uncured resins, binders and other
elements in the GRP lay-up. Once reaction takes
place, pressure builds up and eventually blisters
form.
Osmosis is most often found on the underwater area
of the hull or immediately above the waterline. If the
Skipper Plus gives a high reading, it may indicate
osmosis. It is recommended that the immediate area
is thoroughly examined for blistering or other evi-
dence of osmosis.
(Note that some anti-foulings may give elevated
readings due to the presence of conductive material
in its composition. In these circumstances, it is sug-
gested that the anti-fouling be removed and further
testing carried out on the area.) The Skipper Plus
can be used to monitor the drying out prior to the
remedial treatment. Tramex Ltd. cannot accept any
responsibility for incidental or consequential dam-
age or cost caused as a result of using this instru-
ment.
Wooden Boats
Use Range 1 for Wooden boats. Moisture readings
for wood should be read from the top scale of the
meter marked %H2O Wood, which gives percentage
of moisture by weight from 5% to 30%.
In wooden boats, excess moisture trapped in the
wood itself or beneath layers of paint or within joints
HOLD

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in keel, bow etc. can lead in time to rot, decay and
structural damage.
As with a GRP boat, your Skipper Plus is a useful
preventative maintainance tool which can be used
for the annual examination of the hull above and
below the waterline, decks, cabin and inside and out-
side the boat.
The Skipper Plus can also be used to ensure the
wood is sufficiently dry to accept paint or other
coatings.
Important
Always drain water from the bilges before inspect-
ing a boat as water from within the boat could be
detected through the hull by your Skipper Plus . You
may get a slightly different reading from some
species of wood which may be of higher or lower
density than 0.6 S.G. (Hardwood), at which your
Skipper Plus is calibrated. See notes on Specific
Gravity and reading adjustment in Fig. 5 on page 11.
Operating Instructions
The instrument face with brief notes on the push but-
ton controls and LED indicators is shown below.

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Fig 2. Skipper Plus Features
1. Press the ON button to power up. The LED for the
last used scale will light. [Note – If the battery
voltage is getting low, the three LEDs will flash
sequentially for a short period. The instrument
will continue to operate for some time but it is rec-
ommended that the PP3 (9 volt) battery be
changed as soon as convenient.]
2. To change range, press/release the RANGE but-
ton until the LED opposite the required range
lights.
3. Press and hold your Skipper Plus directly on the
material being tested, ensuring both conductive
rubber electrodes are fully in contact with the sur-
- Surface Moisture
-Hardwood (0.6 S.G.)
Power On button.
Automatic switch off after
2 minutes if : -
1. No button pressed.
2. No change in meter
reading.
Range Select button
LED indicators show: -
1. Selected Scale/Power on.
2. Hold –
flashing LED .
3. Low battery
- LEDs
flash sequentially.
Moving coil meter
Hold button
ON RANGE
Range 1. (%H2
O
Range 2. (Comparative
)
Range 3. (Comparative
)
5
30
10
15
20
25
0
20
40 60
80
100
%H?O
Wood
Com parative
- G.R.P.

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face. (Partial contact will give reduced readings).
4. Select RANGE 1 when measuring moisture con-
tent in Wood and read the upper line (% H2O
Wood) of the meter dial which is marked from 5%
to 30%. The audio signal will sound when meter
indicates a reading above mid scale.
5. Select RANGE 2 when surveying or inspecting a
GRP hull or fitting and read the bottom compara-
tive scale, which is marked from 0 to 100.
6. Select RANGE 3 when testing for elevated near
surface moisture in GRP and Wood materials and
read the bottom comparative scale, which is
marked from 0 to 100.
7. To turn audio signal on or off, press ON button
twice in quick succession.
8. The instrument will automatically power-off after
two minutes if no button is pressed or if no change
in meter reading is detected. If a button is pressed
or the meter reading changes, the power-off will
be extended for a further two minutes.
9. To hold readings press the HOLD button once.
While on Hold, the LED for the selected range
will flash. This facility is extremely useful if read-
ings are being taken in areas where it is difficult
to see the instrument dial. To release HOLD, press
the HOLD button again.

Working With Your Skipper Plus
RANGE 1
Testing Hardwood
a) When testing Wood, power-on, select Range 1
and press the rubber electrodes directly to the sur-
face. Read the moisture content percentage from
the top line of the analog dial which is marked
from 5% to 30%. The Skipper Plus has been cal-
ibrated for a hardwood specific gravity of 0.6 S.G.
b) If switched on, the audio signal will sound when
readings are above mid-scale.
c) For better accuracy, always take readings with the
length of the instrument parallel to the direction of
the wood grain.
d) Acceptable levels of moisture content depend on
climatic conditions and we advise you to check
the levels acceptable in your area. Figure 3 on
page 10 shows the approximate relationship
between the ambient relative humidity and equi-
librium moisture content in woods.
e) As a rule of thumb and depending on climatic
conditions, exterior wood is generally considered
safe for painting when the moisture content is
14% or below. Wood below 10% is generally con-
sidered suitable for interior painting. (Always
check coating manufacturers recommendations).
f) The following moisture content levels are given
as a guide.
• Indoors wood: 6% in low humidity areas. Up to
12% in higher humidity locations.
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• Exterior wood: 10% to 15% depending on local
humidity levels.
• Generally, wood moisture content in excess of
23% - 27% is susceptible to rot.
• Wood moisture content in excess of 18% - 20%
may support mold and biological growth.
• Wood above 28% moisture content is considered
to have reached fibre saturation point.
When taking readings in chemically treated wood,
it is advisable to allow for possible effects that the
treatment may have on readings. The presence of
different treatments, adhesives, etc. on or within
products could affect measurements.
Wood Decking
Excess moisture in wood decking or wooden ribbing
or framework can cause major problems, as will
moisture trapped in balsa cored construction.
Depth Of Field Penetration
Depending on the density of the material being test-
ed, the instrument field can penetrate up to approxi-
mately 30mm (1.25 inches) below the surface.
Your Skipper Plus can be used to measure the ele-
vated moisture of all the wooden parts in your boat,
even those encased in GRP. Likewise it can be used
to check elevated moisture in other electrically non-
conductive materials.
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Relationship Between Relative Humidity and
Moisture Content
The table below shows the approximate relationship
between the relative humidity and the equilibrium
moisture content of some woods. (These figures are
approximate values at a temperature of 70ºF (21°C)
and may vary for different species.).
Fig. 3 Relative Humidity / Wood Moisture
Content Relationship
Notes on Specific Gravity (S.G.)
The S.G. of Hardwood used in boat building varies
between species and this has an effect on moisture
meter readings.
The Skipper Plus calibration is based on Wood hav-
ing an SG of 0.60.
Relative Humidity
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Wood MC%
3 to 5
5 to 6
6 to 8
8 to 9
9 to 11
11 to 13
13 to 15
16 to 19
20 to 22
25 +

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Wood is normally categorised as follows: -
Fig 4. Wood Density Categorisation.
How to use the Wood SG Tables
When testing wood, which does not have an SG of
0.60, the meter reading can be adjusted by referring
to the tables shown below. For example, if the wood
being tested has an SG of 0.80 and the meter reading
is 16% (top row of table) then the adjusted moisture
content reading can be found where the 0.8 0 SG row
intersects with 16% meter reading column. For this
example the adjusted moisture content would be
13%.
Fig. 5. Wood Specific Gravity Adjustment Table
Density
Exceptionally Light
Light
Medium
Heavy
Exceptionally Heavy
SG @ 12% MC
0.30 or less
0.30 to 0.45
0.45 to 0.65
0.65 to 0.90
0.90 or more
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
10 13 16 18 21 23 26 30 32 35 39 41 44
8
7 9 12 14 16 18 21 24 26 29 31 34 36
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
5 7 9 11 13 14 17 18 20 22 23 25 26
4 6 8 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 24
4579111214151618202223
10 14 16 18 20 24 26 29 32 34 37 40
S.G.
WOOD SPECIFIC GRAVITY ADJUSTMENT TABLE
Meter Reading On Wood Scale (%H2O)
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

RANGE 2.
Testing Glass Reinforced Plastic (G.R.P.)
a) The presence of moisture trapped between the
lay-up and the gel coat can cause blistering in
the coating of the hull. Your Skipper Plus can be
used to locate unwanted moisture.
b) When moisture has penetrated the gel coating,
severe blistering will result. Testing the hull sur-
face below the waterline and comparing the
readings with the dry areas above the waterline
can assist in identifying areas of osmosis.
Because of its deep signal penetration (up to 30mm
or 1.25”), your Skipper Plus can identify areas where
osmosis, or the potential for osmosis development, is
present when used on RANGE 2. Readings should
be taken from the comparative scale (0 to 100) on the
meter dial.
RANGE 3.
Testing for Elevated Surface Moisture
The Skipper Plus can be used in RANGE 3 to detect
moisture on or just below the surface. This can be of
great benefit in verifying if high moisture readings
on Range 1 or 2 are as a result of deep set moisture,
surface moisture or conductive coatings.
Range 3 is also very useful when checking if the sur-
face is dry prior to painting or coating.
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Tests should be carried out on a comparative basis
selecting the most appropriate Range , and readings
should be taken from the 0 to 100 comparative scale
on the meter dial.
Notes
a) Your Skipper Plus is calibrated to give %H2O
moisture readings when set on Range 1 in
Hardwood of 0.6 S.G. This reading is displayed
on the upper scale of the meter and is marked
%H2O Wood. When taking readings on other boat
construction materials such as GRP or composite,
the readings are qualitative or comparative and
should be taken from the lower 0 to 100 scale on
meter.
b) It should also be noted that when taking readings
on materials of a thickness of less than 25mm., the
substrate of these materials may have affect on the
readings.
c) The moisture profile of a hull can be determined
by sliding your Skipper Plus across the surface
where it will read through most thinly applied
paints and coatings.
d) The rubber electrodes of the Skipper Plus do not
scratch the protective coverings of the hull.
e) The Skipper Plus will help identify the different
levels of moisture even if not apparent on the sur-
face.
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f) Always consult coating or treatment manufactur-
ers recommendations for acceptably dry levels.
g) The Skipper Plus will not detect or measure mois-
ture through any electrically conductive materials
or coatings including fuel tanks or through bulk
heads or wet surfaces.
Warranty
Tramex warrants that this instrument will be free
from defects and faults for a period of one year from
date of first purchase. If a fault develops during the
warranty period, Tramex, at its option, will either
repair the defective product without charge for the
parts and labour, or will provide a replacement in
exchange for the defective product returned to
Tramex Ltd.
This warranty shall not apply to any defect, failure or
damage caused by improper use or improper or inad-
equate maintenance and care. In no event shall
Tramex, its agents or distributors be liable to the cus-
tomer for any special, indirect, or consequential loss
or damage of any type whatsoever (including, with-
out limitation, loss of business, revenue, profits,
data, savings or goodwill), whether occasioned by
the act, breach, omission, default, or negligence of
Tramex Ltd., whether or not foreseeable, arising
howsoever out of or in connection with the sale of
this product including arising out of breach of con-
tract, tort, misrepresentation or arising from statute
or indemnity.
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Without prejudice to the above, all other warranties,
representations and conditions whether made orally
or implied by circumstances, custom, contract, equi-
ty, statute or common law are hereby excluded,
including all terms implied by Section 13, 14 and 15
of the Sale of Goods Act 1893.
Warranty Claims
A defective product should be returned shipping pre-
paid, with full description of the defect to your sup-
plier or Tramex at address shown on the back page.
Product Development
It is the policy of Tramex to continually improve and
update all its products. We therefore reserve the right
to alter the specification or design of this instrument
without prior notice.
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