2008 NITRO Z9 ISSUES

[Trent Whitehouse]

If you own a 2008 Nitro Z9 you might want to look real close at where it curves to go to the rear port and starboard side sponsons (lower left and lower right on transom) for cracks. Mine has already developed cracks on both sides and one holds water. There is another Z9 at Bass Pro in Broken Arrow (Edwin Evers used boat) on the lower right of the transom with a big crack in it. If it's still there give it a looksee. Just thought I would give a heads up.

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Thanks Trent.. Can you take any pictures of yours and post them here??



Uncle Billy

 

[Trent Whitehouse]

Yes, I will post them Monday.

 

[Trent Whitehouse]

 

[Trent Whitehouse]

The crack is between the two small yellow tapes mostly in the silver part shaped like a T

 

[Dan J.]

Can you drop a fingernail into the crack? (Into the gel-flake or just at the surface?) Opposite of the crack, is there any interior spidering or a runner? The pics make it hard to see if it's a clearcoat crack or a deeper, much more serious crack into the fiberglass. Let us know and we'll try to help!

 

[Trent Whitehouse]

Yes, you can run a fingernail into the crack. The boat can sit in my garage for a week or two after a fishing trip and you can get water on your finger from this crack.

 

[Dan J.]

Do not run it anymore until you can get a marine surveyor to look at it or take it to a trusted, reputable fiberglass repair shop, specializing in marine hulls!! If it is holding water that long then you are into the fibers from your description and it will only flex, cracking more and getting worse. In that location, I could see something go very bad, very fast. Not trying to freak you out, but you need to attend to this before you get it wet again. Just a recomendation. Good luck!

 

[Trent Whitehouse]

Thanks for the input Dan. I have taken it to a certified fiberglass repair shop and he thought it might be an air void and sent in pics to Nitro. They denied the claim on the basis that the damage wasn't visible in the pics. I then was told to take it to the Bass Pro Shop where two experts took pics and I showed them how it held water in the crack. They outlined the damage with a blue stick and took pics and sent them in to Nitro. It was denied again on the basis that it was a gel coat issue. This damage is on both sides of the transom. I can't justify spending $1K to fix this just to have it happen again. If I had to sell this boat I couldn't because of these cracks.

 

[Dan J.]

If the hull is draining water after that long, it must be soaking deep. You're saying the seperations are on both sides, in similar areas and of similar description? Similar stress cracks in that location could be attributed to interior problems with knee bracing. Do you see any cracking anywhere along the triangular supports in front of the motor, inside the rear hatch? If the knee braces aren't fully integrated into the transom your going to transfer a lot of torque and stress directly into those areas of the hull. Also, is it possible that your rig could have been tapped from behind by another vehicle? (Or tree, LOL!) Just have to ask because I've seen that crack transoms too. Hate to hear about the trouble. Let us know how it goes.