Gelcoat stress fractures

avguy

avguy

New Member
Dec 19, 2006
715
East TN
Boat Info
'05 240 Sundeck
Engines
350 Mag
Was going to post this under fiberglass/gelcoat repair but have decided to post here as it was not so much about the actual repairs but rather the customer service we've received from Sea Ray with regards to the repeated gel coat cracks on our boat.
For those who do not know, we've experienced repeated cracks in the gel coat on the deck of the boat since it was purchased new in '05. It's been repaired at the dealership several times only to have the cracks re-appear. Because the cracks were considered to be cosmetic, the dealership repaired them under warranty for only the first year.
Last spring we contacted Sea Ray to see what options we would have. Because of the repeated nature of the cracks, Sea Ray classified them as structural rather than cosmetic so there wouldn't be a warranty issue.
We received a call from Sea Ray today letting us know they will pick up the boat in the next week to take it back to the plant to have the entire deck replaced with a new one. Should be in the shop for about 2 weeks. Thought that was pretty good.....Scott
 
Nice - Can't wait to hear how nice of job they do. That's what you get with a company that relies on image.
 
Scott,

It sounds like you went about it the right way to get SR to step up and take care of your issues. Good luck with the repair, although I know it sucks that you had to deal with the trouble in the first place, it has been proven again and again if you go about it the right way you get results from Sea Ray. :thumbsup:

Let us know your final results.

Wesley
 
A friend of mine had the same issues with some other brand of boat a few years back, and he had to sue the manufacturer to get it resolved!

I am happy I own a SEA RAY :thumbsup:

Good luck with the repairs!
 
I assume the deck on the 05 was still under warranty.... since the cracks had been fixed several times and still they reappeared, would this be considered a "lemon" in auto terms?

boatrboy - maybe your friends boat was no longer covered by warranty? :huh:
 
Searay called last Monday to say our boat was done :smt038 So we drove down to the Tellico plant on Tuesday morning for a tour of the plant and to pick up the boat.
Touring the plant was pretty impressive. Got to see the entire boat building process from start to finish. Tried to snap some pics for you guys here, but as I suspected it was a no no. Everyone at the plant bent over backwards to make us feel welcome. Even invited us to an afternoon BBQ they were having. It was a nice feeling.
Now for the good part! After the tour they took us to our boat. All I could do was stand there and smile. They had put on a complete new deck & everything from the hull up was brand spankin new.
Their original plan was to put 4 or five guys on the repair, ie remove all the existing hardware, replace the deck then reinstall the hardware again. When they added up the man hours for the repair going that route, they felt it was in their best interest to just send the boat thru the production line again. And man am I glad they did. Brand new ('07) style seats, carpet, cushions, head, speakers, you name it. They even put the '07 graphics on the hull & deck. The only thing that gives any indication the boat is an '05 would be the hull#.
We hooked up the trailer and were about to take her home when our plant guide says to pull it down to the ramp, they're going to fill it up with gas before we leave.
You know, it's been over a two year process for us trying to get a remedy to the cracks we had on a brand new boat. And had it not been for Frank C & Rob300 at the SRO forum when this all started, I wouldn't have had any idea how to at least talk semi-intelligently with the Searay folks about this. So THANKYOU BOTH! You're input was invaluable. Scott
 
That's great news! It's a good feeling to know a company will do whatever necessary to make their product right. :thumbsup:
 
glad it worked out for you, they figured better to give you a new deck- your original one probably had too much gelcoat on it as it was, repairing it would only be a bandaid until more cracks came around.

Now go out and enjoy it
 
I swear I'm not trying to bump this thread again but.....I found a small bow in the rub rail where it was not cut short enough & caused the plastic under the aluminum rub rail to flex out. Searay is sending a guy out to our home tomorrow to make it right. Unbelievable. If you ever hear anyone trash Searay's service...point 'em to this thread. Scott
 
The major thing that I have learned from this board is they usually go above and beyond when you handle things the right way...which it sounds like you have done. Sorry to hear about your trouble in the first place but it is nice to hear they are taking care of you. :thumbsup:

Wesley
 
Glad all turned out for you... They did pretty much the same for me with my 01 225 weekender. It had a persistant cabin leak that the dealer couldn't find, for a year they tried. I contacted Sea Ray along with the dealer and they said to enjoy the boat for the rest of the season, and during the winter they would take care of it. The dealer contacted me in early Dec. to bring the boat to them, they sent a tractor trailer to the dealership loaded it up trailer and all. Got it back in early march completely re-done and no more leak. They also replaced 1/2 of the interior that had water stains. The only thing that was wrong when I got it back was they shot a screw through the stereo's dash remote wire so the stereo wouldn't shut off unless you disconnected the batteries. Took it back the following Saturday and the dealer actually fixed it while I waited. (replacing the cordset and remote head) I was so impressed by this, well... You see what I'm driving now. :thumbsup:
 
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