AB Tender - Quality and Warranty Issue

[Alex F]

Last year I finally pooled the trigger and purchased the dinghy we always wanted. The list of primary candidates was Zodiac, Caribe, Amanzi and AB. I happened to find a great deal on AB DLX 11 with 40HP Yamaha motor and for number of reasons we made the decision that this is the one for us.

So, the season of 2013 starts and starting to enjoy new toy. Everything goes great until few months in the season I’ve started noticing discoloration of SS parts. I figured that I’ll just keep an eye on it and will maintain my regular routine. The dinghy is used for the weekend and gets rinsed with fresh water and is covered 90% of the time as soon as it gets back on the lift or when we’re back at the dock when I wash it along with the big boat.

Another month or so goes by and the issue is only progressing where I see that SS parts are now shifting from discoloration to rusting stage. I don’t wait much longer and contact AB official rep for the Northeast region. It takes me a while for him to start responding as AB has no interest in assisting me with this.

As more time goes by I’m finding out that my boat is not the only one with this issue. So, I take detailed pictures and try to build my case for another attempt for AB to take the responsibility. I try to explain that there’s always a chance for a defective (or poor quality) SS batch of parts being installed and as long as AB can send me the replacement I’ll handle the installation.

To make long story short, the extended emails and phone calls lead me to the final word I’ve received from AB. They refused to acknowledge this as their responsibility and insist that this is nothing more than a maintenance item.

Here are few pix (please excuse as these were taken real quick after the trip before the boat was washed):









These hinges are inside the seat, but the hardware is still getting rusty.







As you can see from the pix, it's not just nuts and bolts, it's all SS hardware that's developing rust, even the steering wheel.

Obviously I’m very disappointed with the way AB handled this issue. My conclusion as follows:

• AB is using poor quality SS parts and it turns in to maintenance nightmare when the boat is only few months old.
• AB warranty is worthless since they refuse to handle an obvious issue on a practically brand new boat.

The purpose of the thread is to warn my fellow boaters who’s looking to spend their money on this tender is to be aware of the SS parts rusting issue and if you decide investing in AB, be prepared to deal with this on your own.

If we have some members that are willing to step in and share the same problem, we probably have much better chance getting AB to take any kind of responsibility if we work as a team having much bigger voice vs. doing it individually.

Those that wish to keep this “quite” we can still do it as a group while communicating via PMs or emails.

 

[HUMPH]

Alex, I have 2 friends that bought brand new AB's 2 years ago and I am pretty sure I noticed some rust even though we are mainly in fresh water. I'll look at them and report back to you...

 

[Alex F]

Thanks Ken. Looking forward to the info you'll get.

 

[Ididntdoit]

I'm shocked to hear this - I had an ab rib at one point and it was top quality - I have a couple of friends with them too and no problems.....what about your dealer? Won't they go to bat for you? I know maritime experts in Portsmouth ri has gone to the ends of the earth for warranty issues with their customers - defender is the same way. If your dealer refuses to help out (after less than a year) please out them here so we know to avoid them. Good luck - Mike

 

[Boat Guy]

You might want to post this on cruisersforum.com. There are a lot of cruisers on that forum.

From AB's website.....

"The Nautilus (DLX) Series, beautifully crafted with elegant lines and a painstaking attention to detail, is our premier line of luxury tenders. The Nautilus line was created with the discerning yachtsman in mind. Its superior design is a reflection of the exceptional performance, comfort, and style sought by our most demading customers. Each Nautilus model is meticulously hand crafted using only the finest materials, and richly appointed with an impressive array of amenities."

Did you ask them what type of SS they were using?

I could understand them not wanting to take responsibility if it's an isolated incident. If I was you, I would try and find others with a similar issue.

Another way to address this is with consumer affairs in your state. Normally I would suggest you just deal with this yourself. But, I'm scratching my head on all this rust and their position not to help you.

Did you sink this boat?

 

[Henry Boyd]

Sorry guys. The rust is a result of crevice corrosion. In simple terms moisture gets trapped between the SS and the fiberglass. This creates a constant moist environment that in turn leads to corrosion of the SS. Possible solutions include removing the parts, cleaning them, applying wax/polish and reinstalling with a good bedding of caulk. Could they have used SS with a higher degree of passivation? Yes, but the fact that the exterior of the parts is not rusting suggests that the SS used is acceptable.

Henry

 

[CAMELLA]

Alex,
As you know I have a 2005 AB Nautilus with no rust issues. What I find odd is, all the SS on your tender is most likely made from different manufactures yet it all shows signs of rust.

 

[Ididntdoit]

Sorry guys. The rust is a result of crevice corrosion. In simple terms moisture gets trapped between the SS and the fiberglass. This creates a constant moist environment that in turn leads to corrosion of the SS. Possible solutions include removing the parts, cleaning them, applying wax/polish and reinstalling with a good bedding of caulk. Could they have used SS with a higher degree of passivation? Yes, but the fact that the exterior of the parts is not rusting suggests that the SS used is acceptable.

Henry

The stainless fittings (even the non-bedded ones) on my 2005 sea ray aren't doing this - neither are the ones on my 2008 Avon - not disputing its "crevice corrosion" but, based upon the "finest materials" language noted above I'd be a little pissed that AB did not use stainless with a "higher degree of passivation"

 

[Carver370]

I have a good friend who purchased an AB 12 DLX out of Miami when it was 4 years old and none of the parts are showing any signs of ever rusting.

I just bought a 12 Novurania from Miami as well and there is only one spot on the transom (only one side) where the tow hooks are like yours.

Most of the hardware on the two boats is almost identical, for instance your wheel is from a completely different manufacturer than your cleats and so on. That is very strange.

 

[Alex F]

Alex,
As you know I have a 2005 AB Nautilus with no rust issues. What I find odd is, all the SS on your tender is most likely made from different manufactures yet it all shows signs of rust.

That is exactly what I'm suspecting, Jon. But, according to the AB rep, there's no history of "cheap" or "defective" parts.

........Did you sink this boat?

:smt043Yeah, she's still on the bottom. Beats winterizing. That's what Indians did with canoes for the winter, why can't I do the same? :smt043

... Possible solutions include removing the parts, cleaning them, applying wax/polish and reinstalling with a good bedding of caulk.....

We're looking at a good day or two worth of work, which I'm not excited about. The biggest issue is that the polish and wax will only last few months and if I install the same cheap POS SS AB have used on my boat I'll end up with the same result in few months. So, if I'm redoing everything, I want to make sure I install good quality parts.

The stainless fittings (even the non-bedded ones) on my 2005 sea ray aren't doing this - neither are the ones on my 2008 Avon - not disputing its "crevice corrosion" but, based upon the "finest materials" language noted above I'd be a little pissed that AB did not use stainless with a "higher degree of passivation"

Mike, this was exactly my point using my SR boats as an example. My 2005 cleats and other SS hardware look as new or just in very good condition. I have never heard any SR owner complaining that 5 months since the delivery the hardware had rusted.

 

[Henry Boyd]

The stainless fittings (even the non-bedded ones) on my 2005 sea ray aren't doing this - neither are the ones on my 2008 Avon - not disputing its "crevice corrosion" but, based upon the "finest materials" language noted above I'd be a little pissed that AB did not use stainless with a "higher degree of passivation"

I don't ever recall seeing any entries in Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers for "finest materials". Is there a quantifiable definition for the term? The point is, there is none. The term is entirely qualitative and appears on a sales document. What they should have said is, "the best materials we can find to put this boat together at the price point you are wiling to pay that gives us enough profit to make our shareholders happy". But that doesn't really do a good job of selling the product does it?

AB is a good brand of tender, its not the best in Alex's list, and not the worst. I view this kind of condition as an example of how one boat can be 5% less expensive than another brand with the same set of features.

Henry

 

[rondds]

 

[mistercomputerman]

Are you telling him to get off the Internet and spend more time waxing and cleaning?

 

[rondds]

No. This stuff works great on rust stains. Brush on, wait a few minutes and rinse away. They disappear like magic.

 

[endless seas]

We have a 10/6 ab and is out in the elements uncovered for 8 months a year in salt water and it looks perfect 4 years old. Now we also purchased a davit system from St Croix Davits and thats all it does is rust. I've had it replaced several times and still rusts, seems like they are using less then marine grade stainless or two dissimilar metals. Great people to work with but I have a 1700.00 davit thats a pain in my ass to try to keep the rust off of!

 

[Converse48]

I have a seven year old AB dinghy AND St. Croix davits and not a speck of rust to be found.

Just lucky I guess.

And yes, Endless Seas, the St. Croix dude (I think it's a one man show) stands behind his product. I would call him.

 

[Rocket]

St Croix was sold to another company that does pipe welding for towers. The original owner Bill was awesome and really set me up correctly for my davits. I have no rust on the davits nor my AB. Alex, I agree with others about rebedding the hardware.

 

[Alex F]

View attachment 34501

Thanks Ron. I'll give it a shot.

St Croix was sold to another company that does pipe welding for towers. The original owner Bill was awesome and really set me up correctly for my davits. I have no rust on the davits nor my AB. Alex, I agree with others about rebedding the hardware.

Mike, I'm still under the impression that AB changed the supplier that produced lower grade SS parts. There's a reason why we see some SS parts with zero rust and others fully covered with rust. So, if rebedding is required, shouldn't AB take care of this? I'd think without out a doubt they should take the responsibility for the boat that's less than a year old.

 

[Turtlesboat]

I read somewhere that if you pee on the SS it won't rust.

 

[tdschafer]

Alex,
Is it possible that the outer surfaces are electropolished and the mating surfaces aren't? I'm not sure of how the process works but I believe Joe has talked to Dale about doing this on our new dingy davits he is creating for us. I believe it is supposed to remove some of the rusting ores from the metal to deter this from happening. On the other hand, I really don't know much about the process and may be talking out of my a$$. I'd ask Dale his opinion.

I read somewhere that if you pee on the SS it won't rust.

Mike,
That awesome! I say that you provide us all with beer and have us protect your SS next time that we are all together! You can count on me brother! Always glad to help!

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Todd