Tracker boats!BEWARE!!!!

[Fisherman]

Semantics!!

I said that they didn't HAVE to be airtight, not that there were no air tight aeroplanes. Any way, you are right this argument will live on forever, and I am already sorry I was a part of it. It reminds me of how I had to have the baseball vs. Rounders argument in every pub I went to in England. The minute someone heard me order a beer it would be "America eh? 'Ow bout that baseball then, girls play it over 'ere it's called rounders. And you have gloves right? In cricket it's bare 'anded........bla, bla, bla. I digress.

All of your points are of course valid Wayne. But I still think that comparing an aircraft to a fishing boat, based only on the fact that both are riveted, is for the most part, bogus.

I know first hand that welding aluminium is a bugger, where as you could train a chimp to pound a good rivet (no offence ) but I assume that some boat companies have it right and some do not. I guess as the owner of a fine welded boat, I get weird when generalizations start to rule the day (or the thread).

Jim

 

Somebodies been training a chimp to pound on the keyboard again

[blarg]

Crestliner uses a tongue and groove system to make the welds stronger(i hope).

 

http://www.crestliner.com/why_a_crestliner/

Edited May 8, 2010 by blarg

[spincast]

The issue is Wayne has got screwed, not what kind of boat is better. Every company makes a bad product once in a while - it's life. the difference between a good company and a bad company is the one that stands behind their product.

 

The problem these days is companies don't focus on the right things - they focus on today's bottom line not product quality. They forget that quality will produce a strong bottom line. Today they are here - tomorrow, although it may be along time coming, those companies that fail to recognise the power of customer satisfaction will not be here. Don't stop till you get what you deserve Wayne. I had a similar fight with my new home builder. I peed off a lot of people getting what the Tarion program said I was entitled to - but now I have what I paid for and my neighbours who were too shy to stand up for their rights - well they don't - and never will.

[Whitespinnerbait]

 

The problem these days is companies don't focus on the right things - they focus on today's bottom line not product quality.

 

 

 

Well Said....

[Radnine]

Somebodies been training a chimp to pound on the keyboard again

 

That brought a smile to my face. Thanks!

Jim

[HTHM]

That brought a smile to my face. Thanks!

Jim

And then you threw poop at the monitor....

[cisco]

Such large are4as to repair would be crazy re rivet patching. Epoxy resin properly mixed for over three minutes with a kevlar composite fabric top and bottom will stop leaks forever. I did it on an 18ft crestliner that had cracks due to flex from age. Boat doesn't flex at all when hitting the small waves nor does the area leak at all. Been 4 years and zero signs of problems. Fix it and keep or sell it. But selling a Tracker/Cracker is easier when you show the kevlar you used to make the hull bulletproof. Selling a Tracker with a whole buncha rivet patches or selling it as a leaker isn't a very good move financially IMO. Cost is maybe $400. for the kevlar and epoxy resin. But then you have a strong boat again. Come check mine out if you want. The hull is way stronger than any new boat. In fact, maufacturers should offer an epoxy/kevlar option to add as an extra thing for $$$ and I bet many smart folks would go for it for their new tinny.

[F7Firecat]

cisco

 

agreed

 

prep that hull properly (sandblast it), apply the right primer (flexible primer), fiberglass it and it will be bullet proof

 

really sux you have to do it, id be parked outside wherever I bought it the boat, a few nice signs every weekend and evening until the manufacturer made it right

[walleyemen]

cisco

 

 

 

really sux you have to do it, id be parked outside wherever I bought it the boat, a few nice signs every weekend and evening until the manufacturer made it right

It would be a option if i lived closer, If they do not repair the said damage ,I will be going to the canadian coast guard safety standards to have the boat accessed, and if need be right it off threw insurance, if they refuse to replace or repair it, who knows still playing the waiting game!

[bigbuck]

Go to the Coast Guard. Don't listen to the dealer that they will 'get to the bottom of this'. They don't want the headache of dealing with the coast guard. Go after them and go hard. The economy in the U.S. is for the dumps. If this is how American built products are put together, I'll take my chances with a cheap Chinese built boat, that way, I know what I am getting, junk (pardon the pun). They should fess up and fix or replace the boat. Keep after them and contact a lawyer and let them know that.

[wkrp]

Sorry gents but i can no longer stay out of this debate. I have been working in the aviation industry with a major canadian airline for 30 years in the structures end of it and I have to agree with Wayne. If welding aluminium was better and more structurally sound the aviation industry certainly would have gone that direction. There is no way that an aircraft can hurl through the air at 500 miles plus an hour with a welded hull and structure.Welded aluminium boat hulls are no where near as strong as riveted . And by the way I am one of those trained Monkeys that can rivet and wouldn`t have it any other way.

[irishfield]

I was gonna do the stress calculations of a welded fillet vs a riveted attachment for them wkrp.. . but decided it was pointless!

 

Cisco's glass solution has merit.. for his situation... ie it worked for Chris and he's happy with it. All that matters.

 

In Wayne's Cracker case... his boat reinforcements are cracked off INSIDE the hull... causing the hull to crack beside said welds. Adding kevlar/glass overtop will not return the structual integrity to his boat. The inside bulkheads need to be repaired and tied back into the hull skin properly.. (with aluminum as required.. and RIVETS!)

[nofish4me]

I was gonna do the stress calculations of a welded fillet vs a riveted attachment for them wkrp.. . but decided it was pointless!

 

Cisco's glass solution has merit.. for his situation... ie it worked for Chris and he's happy with it. All that matters.

 

In Wayne's Cracker case... his boat reinforcements are cracked off INSIDE the hull... causing the hull to crack beside said welds. Adding kevlar/glass overtop will not return the structual integrity to his boat. The inside bulkheads need to be repaired and tied back into the hull skin properly.. (with aluminum as required.. and RIVETS!)

 

Isn't all this, just simple metallurgy. Steel bends, aluminium breaks. Heating a metal causes it to get brittle. No?

Edited May 11, 2010 by nofish4me

[cisco]

Wayne, my hull has a very long portion without stringers which was why over the years the flexing caused cracks where the console attached to the hull. At that place which acted as a stringer the crack occurred. Now with virtually no flexing in the hull it seems the issue of not enough stringers is compensated for by the aramid laid down.

 

Fibreglass boats do not have stringers in many parts of their hull no doubt due to the strength and flexibility features of the aramid stuff. Sure they have stuff like wood layed over in places like for the motor mounts, but for sure the Tracker/Cracker in question isn't that huge a boat so using epoxy and kevlar has merits.

 

IMO this boat has way too many cracks and broken stringers going on. I'm saying that the cost-effective/financially feasible solution to get this angler back on the water is what I suggest. Properly applying the kevlar to both top and bottom would compensate for the broken stringers, but for sure also use it on the stringers to repair/reattach them. Maybe I wasn't specific enough.

 

By the way, my old boat wasn't sandblasted. Cleaned, sanded a bit, deoiled/wiped with the epoxy reducer. Composites are a different kinda thing than aluminum which is why jet fighters are made of it instead of aluminum. For many small areas it would be faster and wayyy less expensive than using aluminum patches. Wayne you perhaps misunderstand what I advised. I said top and bottom application. And most certainly use the material to repair the stringers also.

 

I expect that boat owner Wayne has the resources to chase Tracker around to get justice and I hope you're successful. All I'm suggesting is a way for a guy to fix his own boat properly if he has to do it himself. Oh, and I forgot to mention that with my boat I applied carbon fibre, then kevlar on top of that. The carbon doesn't like to flex but the thicker kevlar does. Zero signs of delamination or failure of any kind so far. The properties of epoxy resin may be unfamiliar to many here, but I invite anyone to join me for a ride to see how the boat handles the small waves that are like driving over rocks.

 

Maybe give a cost estimate on an aluminum patch repair to so mush damage Wayne (plane Wayne) (sorry, have to differentiate between Wayne/boat owner and Wayne the plane expert).

My guess is several thousand dollars and then other similar areas which haven't been similarly treated will likely erupt. Sure sounds like Tracker if anything will toss the hull. That's why best repair is to lay strips down between each keel underneath, then after removing the wood floor lay repairs on the stringers then tie this together with strips laid between the stringers on the floor. Do the whole belly this way then paint.

 

My advice is simply to get a financially strapped angler back onto the water in a safe boat at a cost far less than an aluminum patch procedure. Sure, if you want also include some aluminum patches via rivet. Have to see the hull to determine how the repair would be done. But to assume aluminum patches or epoxy/aramid wouldn't work is kinda foolish with all the boats and airplanes around made of both.

[Radnine]

Wayne, my hull has a very long portion without stringers which was why over the years the flexing caused cracks where the console attached to the hull. At that place which acted as a stringer the crack occurred. Now with virtually no flexing in the hull it seems the issue of not enough stringers is compensated for by the aramid laid down.

 

Fibreglass boats do not have stringers in many parts of their hull no doubt due to the strength and flexibility features of the aramid stuff. Sure they have stuff like wood layed over in places like for the motor mounts, but for sure the Tracker/Cracker in question isn't that huge a boat so using epoxy and kevlar has merits.

 

IMO this boat has way too many cracks and broken stringers going on. I'm saying that the cost-effective/financially feasible solution to get this angler back on the water is what I suggest. Properly applying the kevlar to both top and bottom would compensate for the broken stringers, but for sure also use it on the stringers to repair/reattach them. Maybe I wasn't specific enough.

 

By the way, my old boat wasn't sandblasted. Cleaned, sanded a bit, deoiled/wiped with the epoxy reducer. Composites are a different kinda thing than aluminum which is why jet fighters are made of it instead of aluminum. For many small areas it would be faster and wayyy less expensive than using aluminum patches. Wayne you perhaps misunderstand what I advised. I said top and bottom application. And most certainly use the material to repair the stringers also.

 

I expect that boat owner Wayne has the resources to chase Tracker around to get justice and I hope you're successful. All I'm suggesting is a way for a guy to fix his own boat properly if he has to do it himself. Oh, and I forgot to mention that with my boat I applied carbon fibre, then kevlar on top of that. The carbon doesn't like to flex but the thicker kevlar does. Zero signs of delamination or failure of any kind so far. The properties of epoxy resin may be unfamiliar to many here, but I invite anyone to join me for a ride to see how the boat handles the small waves that are like driving over rocks.

 

Maybe give a cost estimate on an aluminum patch repair to so mush damage Wayne (plane Wayne) (sorry, have to differentiate between Wayne/boat owner and Wayne the plane expert).

My guess is several thousand dollars and then other similar areas which haven't been similarly treated will likely erupt. Sure sounds like Tracker if anything will toss the hull. That's why best repair is to lay strips down between each keel underneath, then after removing the wood floor lay repairs on the stringers then tie this together with strips laid between the stringers on the floor. Do the whole belly this way then paint.

 

My advice is simply to get a financially strapped angler back onto the water in a safe boat at a cost far less than an aluminum patch procedure. Sure, if you want also include some aluminum patches via rivet. Have to see the hull to determine how the repair would be done. But to assume aluminum patches or epoxy/aramid wouldn't work is kinda foolish with all the boats and airplanes around made of both.

 

Cisco, you've missed the point entirely. It is about it being his own fault for not buying a riveted boat. Sheesh!

Jim

[GBW]

And by the way I am one of those trained Monkeys that can rivet and wouldn`t have it any other way.

"Give it to me straight Dr I can take it!"

[walleyemen]

Well it's been how many weeks!Called tracker marine at bass pro were the boat is, they are still denying the warranty, manufacture is saying no, boat has been repaired before, dealer says no it hasn't, i'm really about ready to go postal on these folks!Bassically they have all washed there hands of this boat, leaving me holding the pot!\anybody on here know anyone in the coast guard who could help me out with the safety issue end of this, ,mentally i'm whipped with this whole deal and can't think right, anybody with any ideas of how to deal with this or avenues to take ,please contact me! not a really great time to be laid off, i have no money to persue a lawyer,Guyz for the sake of sanity don't purchase a tracker boat, they don't stand behind there products!

[irishfield]

Not gonna be the ones you want Wayne... but try starting here and they might point you at the right department. I can't find small craft safety contact..

 

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/oep-inspection-contact-menu-919.htm

[marrex_mike]

Sorry to here about your trouble but I own a tracker n it's a 2003 and I love it it has never given me a problem yet everything works great! Hope u get all the problems worked out.

[walleyemen]

Not gonna be the ones you want Wayne... but try starting here and they might point you at the right department. I can't find small craft safety contact..

 

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/oep-inspection-contact-menu-919.htm

Thanks Wayne! Going for a walk to clear my head!I`m completely sick to my stomach of this whole deal!

[ehg]

Cisco's glass solution has merit.. for his situation... ie it worked for Chris and he's happy with it. All that matters.

My advice is simply to get a financially strapped angler back onto the water in a safe boat at a cost far less than an aluminum patch

 

Sorry to hear about this run around, seems Cisco's and Irishfields comments might put you on the water faster than paying for lawyers to squabble to a finicial solution.

[Billy Bob]

Isn't there a TV station or newspaper that likes these headlines in your area.....if so I would WRITE them a letter followed up by a phone call.

 

Good Luck,

Bob

[walleyemen]

Looking into it as we speak,I just have to be careful how i express my thoughts and feelings about this all!

[irishfield]

Wayne... do you have it in writing from the dealer that the boat has never been repaired??? IF so.. it should be an easy lawsuit! Either they.. or Tracker corp is paying...

 

We have two lawyers, minimum, on this message board... can none of you help this guy?

[walleyemen]

The boat was in fact damaged when i went to pick it up, it was a demo model from ontario place, when i had purchased it site unseen from the salesman, he stated it was in mint condition, just a demo but i would have to install a new motor, when i went to go see the boat it was scratched all to pieces, decals and paint missing, i told them no way did i want this boat, managaer comes back and puts in writing, they will repaint and decal the boat(at the time there was no dadmage to the hull),return the boat in the fall, they repaint and decal the boat,this is the only time it has been worked on and i have the before and after pitcures,managaer at bass pro tracker marine is saying it maybe had got damaged at the boat show at ontario place and maybe they tried to cover it up(passing the buck) i told the manager regardless of anything i had not bought the boat from ontario place,i had purchased it from tracker marine, he then prceeds to tell me that the manufacture(tracker marine is denying the claim and i'm basically screwed, said he feels my pain but can't help me. i've asked him to send me a writen work order stating the findings and decsion of the warranty department, and this is where i stand right now!Any previous damage was just flaking paint, scratches and decal damage.

Edited June 7, 2010 by waynechute