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Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-10-2006, 12:17 PM Reply   
Unfortunately, I’m back again with the same story that just got longer...

Most of you know me already, and know that I own the Mastercraft X-Star with the custom barbwire paint job that my parents got for me. About 3 months after I purchased the boat I started having some spider cracks appear in the bow of the boat. I immediately contacted both Mastercraft and my dealer and notified them about the problem. These spider cracks in my opinion were pretty bad, and were located in odd places on the boat. I was clueless to what was causing the cracks on my new boat. The cracks were right in the bow, right where the corner of the cushions start turning. My dealer said the cracks should not be happening, and obviously addressed the problem. After the cracks were fixed the boat was brought down to Florida. About 4 months after the cracks were fixed; I was cleaning my boat and realized that the cracks had re-appeared in the exact spot they first appeared, but there were more located in the bow near the ladder. After seeing these cracks again I was pretty upset and called Mastercraft again, as well as the dealer I purchased the boat from who fixed my cracks the first time, and another local dealer around my area. Everyone agreed that these cracks should NOT be accruing in the places they are, let alone anywhere on the boat. So, I brought the boat to my local dealer in Florida to have them fix my spider cracks for the second time. They ended up working on my boat for 3 long months (which didn’t bother me because I knew they were doing what they needed to do to fix the cracks correctly). I was told that the areas were the spider crafts were, were stronger then the factory fiberglass and gel coat that was on there to begin with. I was so excited to have my boat back, and be back on the water. Well, after using my boat for three day, my friend comes up to me and says “come look at the bow of your boat.” I did so, realizing the ALLLL the spider cracks are back!!!! I also have small spider cracks throughout the inside of my boat, as well as around the area where my tower is mounted. I am currently in contact with Mastercraft trying to work out the next step…


What do you guys think about this situation?
Old     (ord27)      Join Date: Oct 2005       08-10-2006, 12:20 PM Reply   
demand another boat
Old     (hyperlite7572)      Join Date: May 2005       08-10-2006, 12:30 PM Reply   
can't really demand another boat, its only 1 of 4 in the world..
Old    bigrich            08-10-2006, 12:32 PM Reply   
Wow thats amazing. Are you beating the crap out of that boat or what? I have owned several older boats that have had some slight gelcoat cracking but not nearly as severe as what you are talking about especially on a quality boat like that. Definetely get the factory involved and if you get no results threaten with an attorney. I would also maybe (at your dime of course) have the boat surveyed for possible internal or more extensive damage that maybe hasn't been uncovered yet. Good luck because that sucks.
Old    walt            08-10-2006, 12:32 PM Reply   
That sounds like a odd place to have spider cracks. I've seen them around the tower mounts before on a MC though.

I think you should give them the opportunity to make it right before posting on here though.
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-10-2006, 12:45 PM Reply   
Mastercraft has been great and is working with me on the situation. They have told me that they are not out ruling the possibility of me getting a new boat. I am not posting here to bad mouth mastercraft at all. I am posting to see what people opinions are on my situation, and see how they would handle it…

(Message edited by X_Star05 on August 10, 2006)
Old     (acurtis_ttu)      Join Date: May 2004       08-10-2006, 1:06 PM Reply   
Noone's perfect maybe you got a boat sprayed on friday? The tower spider cracks are probably from your tower setup....don't you have 4 addictions? add a few boards everytime you go out, and you've got some serious weight on your tower.
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-10-2006, 1:14 PM Reply   
ya... the tower spider cracks aren't nearly as bad as the ones in the bow. The ones in the bow are what really bothers me, because there isn't anything to my knowledge causing the cracks. Also, I have no idea what is under my paint job…
Old     (foxrepdc)      Join Date: Oct 2005       08-10-2006, 1:35 PM Reply   
Sounds like you're handling it pretty good dude....at least it's not something that keeps it in a shop constantly, like engine issues. If you're being pretty civil with MC, and they are working with you, it will get resolved. You may even end up with a custom 1 of 1 boat since that one can't be easily replaced.
Sounds like just a bad batch of gel coat, so MC will more than likely be covered by their suppliers.
Old     (deuce)      Join Date: Mar 2002       08-10-2006, 1:38 PM Reply   
can't really demand another boat, its only 1 of 4 in the world..

They only made four 2005 X-Stars?
Old     (breadbutta)      Join Date: Dec 2003       08-10-2006, 1:54 PM Reply   
Here we go again....
Old     (yooper)      Join Date: Jun 2002       08-10-2006, 1:58 PM Reply   
Post some pictures of these horrible cracks.... Let's see exactly what we are talking about here.
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-10-2006, 2:06 PM Reply   
when i get a chance to take some pictures ill do so, and upload them up here. its won't be for a few days though.
Old     (shawman)      Join Date: Jun 2004       08-10-2006, 2:39 PM Reply   
The spider cracks are in the fiberglass laminate under the gelcoat surface. If only the gelcoat is being repaired and not the fiberglass then every time the gelcoat is resurfaced the cracks will continue to reappear. The only way to try to fix the situation is to grind into the laminate and get under the cracked fiberglass.
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-10-2006, 2:45 PM Reply   
if im not mistaken, the last time the spider cracks were repaired the dealer did grind into the laminate and got under the cracked fiberglass.. the dealer had my boat for 3 months just trying to fix my spider crack...
Old     (auto)      Join Date: Aug 2002       08-10-2006, 3:19 PM Reply   
"By E.J. (deuce) on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 1:38 pm:
can't really demand another boat, its only 1 of 4 in the world..

They only made four 2005 X-Stars? "


Truly classic. I would not consider 4 months w/o a boat doing a great job, call me crazy, but that service sucks. Truly the definition of irony
Old     (duffy)      Join Date: Feb 2006       08-10-2006, 3:24 PM Reply   
Ryan call MC and talk to the highest person you can and explain your situation. You should not have to be with out your boat for 3 months again.Where in Florida are you? Im in Tampa Ill give you a pull behind my Malibu They should definately get you another boat.While your boat is in the shop tell them you been riding behind a Malibu and your starting to like it. Then they will give you what ever you want...

(Message edited by duffy on August 10, 2006)
Old     (pdxviperguy)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-10-2006, 4:52 PM Reply   
yea, I agree. Even if the boat was a gift it still is worth x number of dollars a day in the actual cost that has been incured to own your boat. Having it in the shop for that much time is worth a great deal of $$$. You figure that let's say you have a 75K boat. Well take that and run the numbers with 6.99% or so interest over your 120 months or 180 months and it is a huge chunk of daily, weekly, monthly change.
Old     (kraig)      Join Date: Dec 2002       08-10-2006, 5:14 PM Reply   
We need pics!
Old     (dr_inc)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-10-2006, 5:21 PM Reply   
well wait until 2014 and see whats up.. i think MC has 10 year hull warrenty.. if the bow breaks off then you get a new one!

i dont know if that would work but how much lead is in the nose?
Old    nautique226            08-10-2006, 5:52 PM Reply   
post some pictures.
Old     (hamkj)      Join Date: Apr 2002       08-10-2006, 6:02 PM Reply   
Wow... you are far more patient than I. If I paid $90k for a boat. I would have driven back to the dealer and asked for a full refund. Whether they offer to fix it or not... that shouldnt be happening when you pay that much... also... when they take the boat for 3 months to fix.... they should provide you another boat to use.

When I invest money into something... I better get something in return... if I don't have use of the boat.. then I better get my money back so I can do something more useful with it!

Ask them for a new boat!

Or you may find other boat manufacturers which will provide you a brand new boat in exchange for your story and problems of your famous, expensive, and problematic X-Star!
Old     (talltigeguy)      Join Date: Sep 2003       08-10-2006, 6:06 PM Reply   
I wouldn't talk bad about MC all over the internet until they are done with the job.

Or else they might take 3 months to repair your boat because they are upset about the bad pub.
Old     (auto)      Join Date: Aug 2002       08-10-2006, 8:05 PM Reply   
hell they already taken 4 months, how much worse coudl it get
Old    will            08-10-2006, 8:17 PM Reply   
Man, I would have them fix it and then sell it....then go by a Malibu!

Ha!!
Old     (luchog)      Join Date: Jun 2002       08-10-2006, 9:51 PM Reply   
I'd say too much gelcoat
Old     (dedicatedwse)      Join Date: Apr 2006       08-10-2006, 9:57 PM Reply   
3 months to repair???

Or 2 months and 3 weeks to sit in line and then get repaired.

Get a new boat
Old     (mitchm)      Join Date: Sep 2002       08-11-2006, 5:09 AM Reply   
Walt, It sounds like he has given them a
chance(s) to fix it, no?? Frieking 3 mos., I'd be outta my mind! Certainly not a bashing post at all IMO.... Good luck Ryan, that bites man!
Old     (wesgardner)      Join Date: Oct 2003       08-11-2006, 9:08 AM Reply   
I think you're doing the right thing by continuing to work with MC...boarditup, hit the nail on the head as far as causes for spider/stress cracks...

You may have to get wit ha fiberglass repair outfit who specializes in well, repairs, not neceesarily an MC dealer, howeve, be careful and get in writing before any work is started that MC will cover the work under your warrenty...

Seems stress cracks due to movement will need to be repaired from the underside with additional layers of cloth/roving...surface stuff may have to be locked out with AwlGrip primer/top coat...once again, a specialty 'glass shop should have a look...maybe call Bert Jabin's yard here in Annapolis for a reference?

Saw your boat at Anna last year, very cool graphics...

Gotta be frustrating tho...
Old     (bog)      Join Date: Sep 2002       08-11-2006, 9:13 AM Reply   
are you trailering with additional weight like full fat sacks in the bow of the boat? I would think that could contribute.
Old     (clubmyke)      Join Date: Aug 2004       08-11-2006, 10:36 AM Reply   
ryan,

sorry to hear about the situation...here is a suggestion if push comes to shove...

check with your state regarding the "lemon law" (3 time occurance=new vehicle)
Old     (sdub)      Join Date: Jan 2003       08-11-2006, 10:52 AM Reply   
if they said they are not ruling out replacing the boat then thats def. a positive step. But take it from someone who has been in your shoes and without a boat of 3 months in the summer 2 yrs ago, and continue to work with MC. Its sucks not having a boat but be patient. Give them a chance to do whats right.

And most importantly document, document, document, every conversation you have with anybody at MC. Keep as detailed notes as you can as dates times and discussions.

MC is one of the top 2 inboard boat builders in the world...I am sure they will take care of it.

But something to keep in mind as stated to me by an exec with my brand of boat when I had my problems, and I quote " we are in business to make and sell boats, not fix them".
Old     (hal2814)      Join Date: Feb 2006       08-11-2006, 12:38 PM Reply   
You'll want to talk to a lawyer since I'm not one but as far as I know the lemon laws that apply to cars do not typically apply to boats. Some states have similar laws for boats. Some do not. The lemon law is not some catch all for motorized vehicles. In some states, even if you buy an automobile through a Sam's Club or Costco-type auto purchasing deal, you are not covered under lemon law because that is considered a fleet sale. And I've heard absolute nightmares from folks who have bought $200K+ RVs that are not covered the lemon laws in most states. If there's not a lemon law for you, never underestimate the threat of going to the Better Business Bureau.
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-11-2006, 1:52 PM Reply   
thanks everyone for your opinions!

I talked to mastercraft today about all the issues with my boat. Everyone at mastercraft is well aware of the problems I’m having, and realizes that this is an ongoing problem that apparently can’t be fixed. The man who I have been in contact with is now escalating this to situation to the mastercraft warranty department. The warranty department is going to do some homework on my boat, and talk to the dealers who have done some of the fiberglass work. I should be hearing from mastercraft sometime this upcoming week…

ill keep everyone updated on my situation
Old     (acurtis_ttu)      Join Date: May 2004       08-11-2006, 2:19 PM Reply   
After thinking about this, your dealer is aware of your issues, and it's taken months with no resolution. Do they work on the boat every day? If not why not grab the boat for the weekends? I'm assuming even with the cracks, it still floats? At least you'll get free storage
Old     (taylormade)      Join Date: Jun 2001       08-11-2006, 3:03 PM Reply   
Are spider cracks the only problem with the boat? You brought it down from Maryland, right? I'd be very interested in seeing what Mastercraft does in this situation.

We're only hearing one side of the story here....
Old    bobthomas            08-11-2006, 4:00 PM Reply   
Have you told them that you're a Level Ten gymnast?
Old     (hyperlite7572)      Join Date: May 2005       08-22-2006, 8:51 AM Reply   
any up-dates?
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-22-2006, 10:21 PM Reply   
not yet.. but can anyone shrink the pictures so i can post them?
Old     (dr_inc)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-23-2006, 1:40 AM Reply   
save them as a JPEG file.. and use paint to shrink... just got to "IMAGE" then "STRECH/SKEW"
Old     (dudeman)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-23-2006, 3:07 AM Reply   
Ryan, keep this updated on how they fix it. I don't have an X-Star but a brand new Supra with the same cracks at the corners of the bow by the cushions. Also cracks on the starboard side if front of the windshield on the outside of the hull. As soon as it's too cold for my wife to go out, the boat goes in to have those fixed. I was told 1 month. It's not good to hear that they need to go down to the fiberglass laminate. Without watching the repair to the cracks, I wouldn't believe it unless I saw it.
Old    why_i_work            08-23-2006, 6:00 AM Reply   
Ryan, I had a good friend of mine who was a salesmen for a MC dealer sell a older X star (02 or 03) and it sounds like the same thing happened to that customers boat. MC had him trade the boat in for a brand new one, they pretty much took care of all $ involved. They were really good about it. One other thing if you are having a problem with MC, just ask who ever is giving you that problem to connect you with John Dorton CEO. They will most likely change their attitude quickly MC does not want a bad boat and bad customer service on something that you had no control over. If they do connect you to him tell him your problem, I have spoken to him in the past and was really great about handling things for me when I owned a MC.

Good luck
Old    abadsvt            08-23-2006, 8:15 AM Reply   
ryan if you email me the pics i can easily shrink them down and i will post them for you. Good luck with your boat. abadsvt@yahoo.com
Old     (bob)      Join Date: Feb 2001       08-24-2006, 1:16 AM Reply   
From the way you explain it sounds as if the bow is spreading apart as you hit waves and double-ups causing it to spider in that location?? That is the pickle fork bow isnt it? Seems alot more stress would be put in this area due to the change in shape...wait you dont have real fat people riding up front for ballast do you....
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-24-2006, 6:58 AM Reply   
I just sent Josh the pictures.. so I guess they should be up soon. The spider cracks have actually got worse since I have taken those pictures. Ill try and get some more updated pictures when I get a chance.

I will also keep everyone updated on how mastercraft handles the situation.

On a side note, I brought my boat to a dealer to get some other warranty work done. After picking the boat up and putting it in the water, my boat wasn’t planning out because the dealer for some reason had changed my prop. I was really upset and called mastercraft about this issue. Mastercraft was awesome and overnight a new prop to my closest dealer and paid the labor cost to put on the new prop. Also, they didn’t just give me the prop that I had before, but gave me this new prop that just came out that runs even more affiant on my boat.
Old     (knwebs)      Join Date: Sep 2005       08-24-2006, 7:29 AM Reply   
Just read over the posts and don't have anything to add to the cracks, sorry dude. However there's something I would like to as pertaining to our initial post you state in your first sentence:

"Most of you know me already, and know that I own the Mastercraft X-Star with the custom barbwire paint job that my parents got for me"

Ummm, are your parents looking to adopt???? If so I'd be happy to send them my resume! j/k
Old    abadsvt            08-24-2006, 8:14 AM Reply   
Here is the pictures of the spidercracks. I resized them for ryan. He wanted you all to know that the cracks have gotten worse since these pics.
Upload

Good luck ryan with your boat and if you need anymore help just send me an email.
Old    abadsvt            08-24-2006, 9:49 AM Reply   
I figured out what you should do. Trade me your boat for my x1. Then you get ride of the spider cracks and the situation is all good.
Old     (dfwharvey)      Join Date: Mar 2006       08-24-2006, 5:13 PM Reply   
Ryan, here are two questions that have been bugging me since this all started:

1) How much ballast do you run in your boat?

2) How many people do you take out with you when you go?
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-25-2006, 8:22 AM Reply   
1. stock ballast(which has not even been working for awhile) plus a few extra led weigh

2. depends, most of the time we go out with about 5-7 people
Old    ilovetrains            08-25-2006, 8:34 AM Reply   
What are the circular discolorations on the deck adjacent to the cracks. I cannot tell if they are imprints on dust or something else. You don't have something that actually rides on that area of the boat do you?
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-25-2006, 9:21 AM Reply   
no, nothing sits on top of that area at any time...
Old     (hamkj)      Join Date: Apr 2002       08-25-2006, 9:24 AM Reply   
My guess is those circular discolorations are from the time they tried to fix it. All they do is wet sand... spray gel... wet sand... spray.. wet sand.. etc.... You will always get the spider cracks!

Personally... i have owned a lot of boats... which were much older.. took more abuse... and were 1/10th the cost.. and never had a spider crack...

So i would be mad...

But since it isnt my boat... it doesnt reallt bother me...

Good luck Ryan
Old     (pdxviperguy)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-25-2006, 9:58 AM Reply   
Ryan-

Your parents spent a s&*t ton of money on that boat. This discussion is nuts. Look at all the down time, travel time, annoyance, and everything else you and of course I am sure your family has been involved as well on this has suffered. It's time for mastercraft to just take it back, give you a new one, and get on with it. you would not tolerate this from a car manufacturer why are you from a boat company? time is much more valuable than anything else and not only is this issue wasting yours but you aer not able to enjoy your boat. Lay down the law. This is business. If they don't want to just do what is right instead of obviously trying to just patch what is a major problem you don't want a mastercraft anyway. I am sure you know this but on high end items like this companies should be very interested in bending over backwards to make their customers happy otherwise when purchase time rolls around again most people would not consider a problem product or item manufactured by a company that will take care of people.
Old     (hamkj)      Join Date: Apr 2002       08-25-2006, 10:09 AM Reply   
One thing I never thought of... There was a lot of HYPE surrounding the purchase of this boat...

Maybe it isn't that important for Ryan or the rest of his family to be using the boat.

Afterall... that is a lot of money to spend on a teenager.

So maybe it was puchase for other reasons... other than wakeboarding...

I bet it looks good behind the family truck.... or parked in front of the family house.... hey... you never know... it probably looks good parked behind the Mastercraft dealership they bought it from...

You are very lucky to have a one of a kind X-Star... No matter what you do with it... everyone knows its yours...

When you have that much money... I guess you don't really care what the quality of workmanship is...

Afterall... if you can't use it.... you can always look at it... or talk about it on these discussion boards....

I hope the boat I purchase this winter will have lots of problems... then I can come on here and talk about it too...

Good luck! Park it infront of the Mastercraft Factory... and walk around with a sandwich board...

This boat bites a$$!!!
Old     (hamkj)      Join Date: Apr 2002       08-25-2006, 10:11 AM Reply   
Just thought about it... Maybe Mastercraft should go to more custom paint jobs and Vinyl Wraps... they could just cover up any imperfections... and everyone would have a one of a kind boat...

At the next Mastercraft reunion...

All the owners can unveil their spider cracks by peeling off the graphics to see who has the most unique Mastercraft!
Old     (pdxviperguy)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-25-2006, 10:19 AM Reply   
Well said, who cares about the paint job, who cares about any of this crap. It's a boat! It's not your identity and if it is that is sad. It takes time and age I think to realize that but its' true. Are you a sick wakeboarder? Are you a hell of a good person? Are you this are you that? Remember the boat is not you. Dump it and move on.
Old     (jon4pres)      Join Date: May 2004       08-25-2006, 10:25 AM Reply   
What are those last two posts about? You think rich people dont care about quality. That seems odd to me because typical "rich people" items are mostly based on quality.
Old     (pdxviperguy)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-25-2006, 10:32 AM Reply   
Jon-

I don't know what you consider "rich people" to be but I am a business owner as a matter a fact an owner of 5 sucessful business, realestate investments, as well as other joint ventures. Do I qualify to have an opinion based on the knowledge of quality? the boat is defective! Is it not? Dump that pile and get another one and if MC has a problem with taking care of business I personally would sue them, get my money back, and get another brand. I am sure it would never get to that, but it's business and this particular MC is garbage regardless of what graphics it has on it. Ryan }I own a company that prints vehicle graphics, plotter cut vinyl, as well as any other graphics applications someone might want. If you want the same boat and they won't take care of you call me and I will hook you up at cost.}
Old     (pierce_bronkite)      Join Date: Jul 2003       08-25-2006, 10:40 AM Reply   
Lol...at Kyle, I want whatever your smoking dude.

Your just trying to kick up the horse that was beat months ago huh?

(Message edited by Pierce Bronkite on August 25, 2006)
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-25-2006, 11:06 AM Reply   
i talked to someone at mastercraft today and they are reviewing the pictures i have sent them. I should be hearing from someone in about 2 days...
Old     (ripr)      Join Date: Mar 2002       08-25-2006, 11:22 AM Reply   
Alright, I've seen gelcoat/stress cracks on just about every boat out there. But, IMO, those are some larger cracks than what is normally seen. And they aren't even in a location susceptible to this (tower mount, windshield mount, grab rail mount, swim platform mount, etc..)
Old     (jon4pres)      Join Date: May 2004       08-25-2006, 11:48 AM Reply   
Ryan good luck I hope everything works out for you.

Bryan

Congrats on being rich. I am very happy for you and all 5 of your businesses.
I am a little confused. In one post you say "Dump it and move on" and in the next you say "I personally would sue them, get my money back, and get another brand."
Old     (pdxviperguy)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-25-2006, 11:54 AM Reply   
Jon-

Let me unconfuse you. I never said I was rich! Iasked if being a sucessful entrpreneur qualified me to know what quality was? It cracks me up that you have so much attitude considering that we both ride nautique if your profile is up to date! What I meant by my comments is I would tell mastercraft to keep it and refund my money and get something else that would not give me problems. If they didn't want to accomodate me after all I had been through I would then sugget legal action. Spending 80-90 grand on a boat which is a depreciating asset and blatant indulgence no matter how you chalk it up one should not have to tolerate any downtime or extensive annoyance like ryan has suffered.
Old     (hamkj)      Join Date: Apr 2002       08-25-2006, 11:55 AM Reply   
Cant anyone take a joke...

BOTTOM LINE IS...

Spider cracks happen "sometimes" not "all the time".

But I bet if you ask Mastercraft... or any other boat manufacturer... They don't want to see spider cracks on their boats.

If I had a brand new $1 boat or a $1,000,000 boat. I don't want to see spider cracks. I would drop that thing off in front of the dealership and ask for my money back.

If they claim spider cracks are not a big deal... You tell them "great, than I wouldn't think you will have any problem selling this boat for cost."

They should take the boat back and give your money back or give you a new boat.

Simple as that!
Old     (jon4pres)      Join Date: May 2004       08-25-2006, 12:21 PM Reply   
Bryan
Sorry if you are not rich. My mistake. I agree with you, Mastercraft should take care of him or he should go find someone that will.

What does this comment mean?

It cracks me up that you have so much attitude considering that we both ride nautique if your profile is up to date!

My prfile is up to date.
Old     (pdxviperguy)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-25-2006, 12:31 PM Reply   
This comment means that I now have a 2006 SANTE and love it. I notice that you have a CC product as well. I love it and bought it off a buddy basically becuase the mastercraft dealer here in town is a pain to deal with and has not taken care of things. I just can't stomach having something that is a blatant waste of money and then not being taken care of.
Old     (taylormade)      Join Date: Jun 2001       08-25-2006, 1:50 PM Reply   
just a quick question and I don't know that it's the EXACT case here, but I am familiar with this boat. Let's take the car analogy here. Lets say you just went out and bought an 80K Mercedes, brand new. Then, over the course of the year, you beat the ever loving crap out of it. Drove it off road, didn't take care of it, never changed the oil, etc. BUT, it's still under warranty. Does Mercedes owe you a new vehicle? Again, I don't know that it's the exact case here, but I've heard from a few different people that the boat in question was absolutely abused. Did it cause the spider cracks? Probably not. But should Mastercraft replace the boat? Probably not. I'll say it again: we're only hearing one side of the story here.

(Message edited by taylormade on August 25, 2006)
Old    ilovetrains            08-25-2006, 1:59 PM Reply   
I have no idea if what Scott just said is true:

But - those are not "spider cracks." It is hard to tell from a picture but those cracks have to be 2-4 inches in length, and supposedly have gotten worse. I believ that is the area directly in front of the windshield.

Honestly, it looks like the bow has seen sufficient force to cause it to want to seperate from the midships.

That could either by an amazingly poor job on the fiberglass contruction so that any weight in the front causes the problem, or the result of abuse. I have heard that the x-star has a problem with dipping the bow into a roller when weighted. You could theoretically put thousands of pounds of force on the bow in that situation. Or just whole lot of weight in the bow.

Either way, if MC put out a truly poor production model, or it was abused, those are not simple cracks cause the vibration of parts. They are stress fractures and I would consider them to deck failures.
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-25-2006, 4:36 PM Reply   
Scott, i take it that your familiar with my boat because i brought it to the Tampa dealer to get fixed, and see that you live in tampa area. You must have gotten a chance to see my boat. Anyway, the dealer had my boat for 3 months fixing multiple things. I am just curious, what do you know that I don't about my boat being abused? There is nothing that I’m aware of, of me abusing my boat. Also there is absolutely nothing I’m doing to cause stress in the bow on my boat. After my boat was in Tampa getting the "spider cracks" fixed they reappeared 3 days after I picked the boat up...
Old     (hal2814)      Join Date: Feb 2006       08-25-2006, 9:10 PM Reply   
Scott, I think problems dealing with abuse depend largely on the type of abuse. If I bought that $80k Mercedes you're talking about (pictured below) and did some serious off road driving and because of that abuse, the car developed problems, then I would fully expect Mercedes to either fully repair the issue or replace it. This is because despite the typical use of the vehicle, this particular Mercedes is supposed to be one of the most capable off-roaders ever made (especially for its size) and I expect it to withstand a certain amount of abuse in that department.

Upload

Please note that I am not accusing Ryan of any sort of abuse as I do not know both sides of the story myself. I'm just pointing out that even if the boat were abused, if it was abused by doing things expected of a wakeboat, I still think Ryan is in the right here.

(Message edited by hal2814 on August 25, 2006)
Old     (auto)      Join Date: Aug 2002       08-25-2006, 9:18 PM Reply   
I still love this story I mean, the irony can be stirred with a spoon. Sometimes you reap what you sow.
Old     (malibuboarder75)      Join Date: Jan 2004       08-25-2006, 9:19 PM Reply   
So you haven't hit the boat in any way? I guess the spidercracks would be showing up on the outside if you ran into a dock or something. Sometimes boats dont cure right. Boat companies boast about their handlaid fiberglass when in reality handlaid is pretty inefficient and not the same for each boat. This means more room for error than if a machine did it. Ryan, i would ask for a new boat. You have barely owned the boat and barely had time to use it. There is no way that you could have caused those cracks without causing some other type of dent or chipping. Even if you did use a lot of ballast and had a huge tower system, it isn't your fault that mastercraft didn't design these boats for that type of use. Your dad paid good money for that boat, a boat designed for wakeboarding, so you should be able to load it down with a lot of weight without expecting to see spidercracks for a few years. Mastercraft towers are sturdy, I dont think 120lbs of speakers and 60lbs of boards should cause cracks. The resin that day could have been expired, you never know. Tell the dealer to sack up and take responsibility for their product.
Old     (x_star05)      Join Date: Mar 2005       08-29-2006, 6:52 AM Reply   
Ok, so I just got off the phone with one of the people who I have been working with at mastercraft. I was just informed that mastercraft has agreed to replace my deck. In my opinion a new deck is no different then fixing the “spider cracks?” The cracks have been fixed twice and occurred 3 major times. I feel that that these cracks are going to reoccur again even with a new deck, because there is either a defect in my hull, or my boat is flexing causing these cracks. If that is the case, they will fix my cracks for now, but the true problem isn’t the deck… it would be the hull, right? Should mastercraft be giving me a new boat?

What do u guys think?
Old     (ripr)      Join Date: Mar 2002       08-29-2006, 7:00 AM Reply   
Take them up on the new deck then sell/trade in the boat if you're concerned about the longevity of the fix.

No, they should not be 'giving' you a new boat.

A friend of mine's older style X-star actually cracked all the way down the sides of the boat, just above the rubrail. Mastercraft replaced the deck and he got rid of it. As far as I know, the new owners aren't having any problems with the fix.

BTW, doesn't Mastercraft have a lifetime structural warranty like their competition?

(Message edited by ripr on August 29, 2006)
Old     (hal2814)      Join Date: Feb 2006       08-29-2006, 7:06 AM Reply   
Well what did they tell you when you mentioned these concerns to them. You did mention these concerns to them, didn't you?

The true problem may or may not be the hull. Your deck is just as likely a culprit. My primary concern would be the time the boat is out of action. I'd see if they can fix the deck in the offseason and then look at selling the boat come spring before the cracks even have a chance to rear their ugly head again.

For what it's worth, this sort of thing used to happen to tri-hulls from time to time. Given the pickle fork's similarity to the tri, I wonder if the additional stress of a non-V on the front of the boat just emphasizes imperfections in the deck and/or hull.

(Message edited by hal2814 on August 29, 2006)
Old     (summerobsession)      Join Date: Jun 2005       08-31-2006, 10:38 AM Reply   
I am just thinking that if Ryan was one of the "in crowd" on this website and everyone perceived him as a "normal working Joe", the troops would be rallying in his support.
Personally, I could care less how he got his boat. The fact remains that if it were mine, I would be absolutely ALL OVER Mastercraft, or any other manufacturer, to fix the boat.
Could the boat have been abused? Sure.
How many people have their boats loaded up with people, ballast, stereo gear, coolers, fat sacs, extra lead, etc. etc. etc. and do NOT have cracks in their boat?
I see wake boats all the time that look like they can barely float with all the weight in them, and have not seen ONE with cracks like that.
People abuse these boats all the time, in VERY rough water. That's what they buy them for.

Ryan: It doesn't matter HOW you got your boat, you deserve to actually ENJOY your boat. You paid for a NEW boat, rightfully assuming it would be relatively trouble free, and therefore thats what you should have. Period.

Regarding a new deck, I would NEVER accept a NEW boat that has been seperated at the hull/deck joint and put back together again. That is rediculous.
Old     (pdxviperguy)      Join Date: Jul 2006       08-31-2006, 10:40 AM Reply   
John is 110% right. It does not matter how you got it, it's a matter of it's your and someone paid good money for it. Put your foot down and stop the BS now.
Old    ilovetrains            08-31-2006, 10:47 AM Reply   
I recall that when looking at the MC X-30, the salesman told me the one piece deck (made a great big deal out of that) was chemically bonded to the hull so it could never seperate and would make the boat much stronger overall.

So how exactly are they going to replace the deck?

I would want the details to their plan up front. Are they planning on simply cutting the hull and deck and the fusion and then trying to fit a new deck on? That sounds like an incredibly bad idea.
Old     (sdub)      Join Date: Jan 2003       08-31-2006, 6:17 PM Reply   
I really hope you are documenting every little thing. Every conversation every time it happens. Names, dates, topics discussed etc. This looks like push could come to shove really easy.

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