Wet balsa can remain sound, but moisture still creates other problems. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

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BoatTEST - On The Water Newsletter

Hello Boater

NEW Saxdor 460 GTS 

A More Open Flagship 

Saxdor 460 GTS

CANNES DEBUT Saxdor built its 460 GTC around an enclosed wheelhouse. The new 460 GTS strips that structure away for a fully open layout, built for owners who want more deck and less cabin. Optional sliding doors close things off when weather turns. She debuts at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2026.

PREVIEW THE 460 GTS
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Boston Whaler Dauntless

Built Around Active Boating

BW Dauntless family promo

FISH OR TOW Three Dauntless models share one idea: a center console that works as hard for anglers as it does for everyone else aboard. Pedestal fishing seats and an optional livewell handle fishing. The All-Activity Tower makes any of the three a watersports boat, powered by Mercury outboards under Whaler's unsinkable hull.

SEE THE LINEUP
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BoatTEST Featured Pre-Owned Vessels

Pre-Owned Yacht Spotlight: No Agenda

2016 Tiara Yachts 44 Coupe

Tiara 44 Coupe

$100K+ IN UPGRADES Located in Westbrook, CT, this 2016 Tiara 44 Coupe has received more than $100,000 in upgrades, including a teak hydraulic swim platform, retractable cockpit sunshade and 3000-watt inverter. Below are two cabins and two heads, while twin Volvo Penta IPS 600s provide joystick docking.

FULL LISTING & PRICE
Promote Your Used Vessel

NauticEd for Bigger Boats

Train for the Difference

NauticEd Skipper Large Powerboat course

STEP UP IN SIZE NauticEd's Skipper Large Powerboat course covers boats 27 feet and up, from docking and maneuvering to weather calls and emergency response. The 20-hour program works across drive types, and lifetime access means the material is there whenever a bigger trip comes up.

START THE COURSE
BoatTEST VIP Membership

Faster Sharrow Props

Ford Alliance Helps Scale Production

Sharrow Ford partnership

130 DAYS TO 3 Sharrow Marine's custom loop-blade propellers used to take 130 days to cast. A new partnership with Ford's Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center in Detroit changed that. Using industrial 3D sand-printing tech, Sharrow now produces a finished mold in a single 14-hour cycle, cutting total lead time to 3 days.

WATCH THE PROCESS
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When Balsa Gets Wet

Rot Requires More Than Water

Balsa wet core vs rotten core

WET ISN'T ROTTEN High moisture readings can make a boat buyer nervous, but they do not prove a balsa core has rotted. Moisture meters detect water, percussion sounding checks the bond, and a core sample provides the definitive answer. Wet core still needs attention, even when fungal decay has not occurred.

READ BEFORE ASSUMING ROT
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Questions? Drop us a line: editorial@boattest.com

 

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