: Anyone know how to identify water absorption in a fiberglass kayak?
: (Standard fiberglass/polyester resin boat). My boat was exposed
: to the elements while in storage for about a year more than I
: expected - believe it accumulated water in the cockpit/hatches
: for some months. In the two years since I've noticed the weight
: of the boat is quite heavy so suspected water absorption (?) -
: some rippling in the interior hull fabric but I believe the boat
: shipped new to me that way. Other than that I see nothing
: "obvious" that would tell me the boat has absorbed
: water. Is there any way verify if the fiberglass has absorbed
: water and thus weight over time? Perhaps that whole concept is
: overblown. Thanks JIM

Btw, while we're talking about this, good chance to mention a common fable about gelcoat. A chip or crack in the gelcoat will NOT let water soak into the fiberglass laminate. The reasons for the gelcoat in the first place are to make it easier to remove the hull from the mold, give a nice pretty smooth coat on the outside of the hull and to resist the UV from the sun. It is not there to keep water out. Gelcoat is actually quite porous and water moves rather freely thru it (on a microscopic level), which is why gelcoat blisters form in the first place.

Bill H.