Map Your Marina
Using our Boat Meter Kit you can effectively map your marina for any problem areas and take appropriate action.
Detect Problem Vessels
Find and root out suspected problem vessels fitted with faulty kit to protect yourself and other marina users.
Detect Stray DC
Help to find any stray DC that may be caused by shore power or other power source, before it becomes a greater problem.
Avert legal issues
Produce data to help prove that a problem or issue was not caused by negligence of the marina owner or other.
Marina Galvanic Corrosion and Marina owners
The most likely location for Boat or Hull corrosion to occur is in the Marina. Proving that the cause is not negligence by the Marina owner is therefore desirable.
There are lots of factors at play in Boat Hull corrosion. Each boat has a different Hull potential and varying degrees of cathodic and corrosion protection. Boats with new Magnesium anodes for example will be protecting not only themselves but lesser protected neighbouring boats.
Boats will be connected to shore power for some of the time. Any faulty appliances such as battery chargers can cause accelerated corrosion due to stray DC. It is also possible that the earthing of the Marinas supply can have weak links at certain part of some pontoons thereby having the same effect.
The last thing that any owner wants is for Boats to become visibly corroded whilst in the Marina. The finger will always be pointed at the Marina owner and proving that this is not the case has been historically difficult.
Some will blame other Boat owners thereby disrupting the harmony of the boating community which can also be destructive.
There is an easy way to settle such disputes and identify the causes of these Marina Galvanic Corrosion Problems
Measuring the Water REDOX potential.
Water has a positive reduction-Oxidation (REDOX) potential. That means it constantly takes electrons from boats causing corrosion.
Using a Water REDOX kit will allow the Marina to map the entire Marina and provide details of the corrosive potential on every pontoon and even individual moorings.
River Water for example has a potential of typically +150 to +300 mV. If the potential is at the low end of this range it is benign and Oxidation is mild. This will typically be in areas of stagnant water nearest the shore. When there is water movement more Oxygen is introduced which increases the potential. Near marina entrances or the flowing water will typically increase readings.
It is typical to see a range of 50-80mV between the Maximum values in a Marina. Just to give you a guide every 60 mV increase means ten times the capacity of the water to remove electrons.
It stands to reason that a boat moored for months in less oxidising water will not corrode as significantly than one in water that has a higher reading.
Electrical problems
Marina Galvanic Corrosion and stray DC. The manifestation of an electrical problem is usually called stray DC. The cause can be many fold but the effect is the same. A current flow will mean that electrons are moving faster and there is an active anode and cathode which is relentless until the source is removed.
Measuring the water (REDOX) potential is not the same as measuring current but will tell you the availability of electrons or the capacity to accept electrons. It will be obvious that where there is stray DC the Water REDOX value will increase dramatically. It will also be larger the closer it is to the source of the DC.
As a result it is possible to not only detect Stray DC but locate the source and eliminate it before it causes catastrophic damage.
When identified the source and extent of the stray DC can be determined by removing a bucket of water from the affected area and re-testing in isolation. The difference in the readings will prove the extent and location of the source beyond dispute.
Store your findings
The Boat Meter allows the dated readings to be stored and subsequently downloaded into excel thereby enabling the Marina owner to keep records of the readings taken to illustrate the safety of the moorings.
