Interior Hull problems

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TRCM

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OK guys, here’s the deal……

My Z-7 is 5 yrs old. I’ve taken pretty good care of it, and while it has been stored outside, it has always been covered. I even have people asking me if it is new it looks so good. I always pull the drain plug as soon as the boat is on the trailer so the bilge can drain, even thought the design of it never really drains completely.

Well, I went to check all the pumps this year before I went out, and the livewell recirc pump didn’t work, so I decided to delve into the problem, while I was at it, I’d put in a 2nd bilge pump just in case. Ok, I got all the parts, the bilge is cleaned out, I have had a fan running in the bilge area all night to dry everything out, and I am ready to go….or so I think.

I remember 2 weeks after I got the boat in Mar 2008, I had to get them to fix the auto bilge pump, because it would not turn off. The problem was they mounted the sensor lower than the pump at the factory, so it would turn it on, but the pump would not turn off when the water got below its level because the sensor still had water where it was.

Then, 3 years ago, the temperature reading on the original lowrance unit in the dash stopped working, and they replaced the transducer in the boat since the temp & transducer wiring was the same. I mention this due to the fact that they had to remove the old transducer.

Ok, fast forward to yesterday, and I notice that the screw holes from where they removed and relocated the sensor were raw wood, no sealant of any kind. I also notice that it appears they used a grinder of some kind to clean the area where they epoxied the new transducer in, because the corner of the wood pad that is glassed in for bilge pump mounting has been worn away just like a grinder or power tool would do.

Now, here is issue #1…..in the middle of the ‘worn away part of the wood pad’ is a crack & void in the resin, which is filled with water from the bilge. I mean if you put pressure on the wood pad, water comes out of the crack. If you move/shake the boat, water comes out of the crack/void. This has me worried, as I know that wood pad is soaked inside the fiberglass.

Issue #2….the drain hole was mounted using screws from the outside, and it does not appear that any sealant was used on them either

Issue #3….the rear walls of the livewell box where they meet the floor are cracking/delaminating very bad since there is no way for water to drain from that area due to the crappy design. There is a low spot right where the wood of the livewell box meets the fiberglass flooring, and there is no way to drain water out short of a towel.

And the kicker, issue #4…..I get to looking around, and notice the rear most screw hole for the screws that hold in the aluminum battery support plate looks wet & black. I take my trusty shop vac and vacuum the water out of the screw hole, or at least I try to. Hmmm…..I also notice that if you shake the boat, the water seems to move in the screw hole, and if you put pressure on the floor of that area, the water level in the screw hole rises. If you smack that area, water shoots out. OK…this has me really concerned now.

I switch the shop vac to blow (small vac, not much pressure) and blow air into the screw hole, thinking it may show me where the water is getting in from, and I almost get blasted in the face with a very strong stream of water coming from the stbd side transom sponson flotation box from a void in the glass around it. This hole is 3” above the floor level. I now wonder just how much water is in the hull on that side, as I have noticed the boat has gotten slower the past 2 yrs, and seemed to be more portly when she moves. I blew out almost a gal of water in no time, and I have no way of knowing how much more is there, or what kind of damage has been done.

The only holes involved are the factory ones, and the ones from the void. No other damage is visible anywhere, and the additional screw holes I have put in the floor are NOT leaking or wet at all.

How bad is this ??? am I screwed, or will Tracker/Nitro fix this ??? I’m thinking, gut feeling, the only way to fix this is to take the topcap off and completely disassemble the boat.
 
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if you are the original owner you are supposed to have a lifetime hull warranty I believe. and I also think the second owner gets 10 years maybe????? I would say you should be covered. I would be having that in to the dealer in no time.
 
Call the dealer asap. Then get it to the dealer asap and then hold on. Customer service is susposed to be better in the past few years but get ready for a long period without a boat. Mine sat at the Tracker dealership for six weeks before they sent it back to Tracker in Missouri where it sat for another six weeks before they sent it back without the issue being solved. Effectively removing my summer fishing season. I pray you have better luck. When I ran a Nitro(13 years) I can't remember ever seeing bare wood anyplace. I was told that all wood was completely encapsulated in glass and resin. It was one tight little boat. There are people here that have been very satisfied with Tracker CS. I'm just not one of them. A sincere best of luck.

fatrap
 
I found this tonight, and left a message at the dealer since they were closed. They know me there,and no I don't BS.



My fear is that the runners and all on that side of the hull are soaked. No damage outside the hull or inside that I can see that would have let this happen short of not being properly sealed/made.



We'll see what they say tomorrow.



I dread if it goes back to tracker, cuz it'd take me a solid week to remove all the custom stuff.
 
I would start removing your stuff, I wouldn't be taking that boat on the lake. It sounds like your hull is water logged and will need to be replaced. I hope the factory takes care of you without a run around.



The sloppy workmanship and lack of sealant that is evident on your boat are reasons I don't take my boat to a shop for minor stuff. I'm to anal to trust other peoples work. I use 3M 4200 and 5200 to seal holes from transducers, drain plug mounting...etc.
 
You have valid questions. You have a hull warranty correct? Time to get Tracker and wherever you bought the boat from (BPS?) involved and get some answers.
 
That's "Limited Lifetime Warranty"!



Cross your fingers and hope they'll help...pray would be more appropriate:unsure:
 
Well, it's at the dealer/BPS where I bought it new.



They freaked out when I showed them where the water was coming from.



And it's not as much a matter of sealant, as it is 'holes' in the resin coverage of the fiberglass when it was made.
 
Trying to set up an appointment with the manager and the fiberglass repair guy who claims nothing is wrong.



Anyway, they are trying to say the issues I am having are normal, and the water is getting in thru a screw hole for the battery plate. I am saying BS, as that screw hole normally has a screw in it with marine silicone on it, and even if it didn't it is way above any waterline inside the hull. I always remove the plug, and my auto bilge pump kicks on when 6 gals of water is in the bilge. I also always have the cover on it, and that prevents 90% of the rainwater from getting inside the boat



I also noticed today while I was looking it over and talking to the manager at tracker service, that even though there was less than 2" of water in the bilge from all the rain we've had the last 2 days (plug in), the void is full of water again as evidenced by water in the screw hole that moves when you move the boat. The ONLY reason the bilge plug was in was I put it in so the water in the bilge would not drain out while I was driving to BPS so I could show them the mounting pad for the bilge pumps that they failed to seal properly. I took it out today while I was there.



I can prove to them there is no way the water got in from that screw hole, as well as prove there is a lot more water in the void than they are admitting to.



I think this is gonna be a long fight.......as the repair guy here is telling them there is nothing abnormal or bad, and I am not agreeing.

 
Thought about finding your own repair shop and having them look at it. A shop not affiliated with BPS? Kind of a second opinion?
 
Yes, but I am trying to go step by step. See what the dealer will or won't do for me, then go from there.
 
Well, got the call today to be there in 20 min to meet with the service manager and the fiberglass guy they had look at the hull. Nice forewarning eh ??





Anyway, the service manager said it is up to me to contact tracker now, as they told her it is not structural, and they aren't fixing it.



We also found out that the space between the subfloor & the actual hull is filled with water on BOTH sides, not just the stbd side like I thought. And the fiberglass guy conveniently enlarged the hole for me by sticking his key into it so it is now 4 times as big as it was.



The plan now is to get a different fiberglass shop to look at it, and to also look into a marine appraiser for determining what kind of damage this has caused.
 
And get it in writing what the cause is. Manufacturing defect? Send it to Tracker with a detailed repair estimate. Give them a chance to step up.
 
I am. Just trying to get my ducks in a row so to speak.



Plan on getting a couple of other estimates/causes then I will approach tracker directly and see what they do.



So far I am being told the water is getting in thru the screw holes. Well, they made them when they mounted the battery support plate, not me. I am concerned that the same screw hole they claim is letting the water in appears to be in the top of the stringer too.



I am finding it hard to believe that water will drain into a screw hole that is never submerged, and is on such an angle/orientation that water can only pool there if I was to intentionally flood the boat to ~16" in the floor by the seats.



And if there is a screw in that hole, like there is 99.9% of the time, I am sure no water is gonna seep in. There was also sealant (marine type) used on the screw the one and only time I took it out prior to this time.



My hull is the 1st year for the Z-7, and there are some areas in the bilge/subfloor that are lacking in the design department. There are 6 places that water allow water to pool up, and the only way to remove it is a vacuum or a rag to soak it up. The design just won't let it drain off, even with the bow so high the motor skeg is in the dirt.



I had to move the charger since the area they mounted it from the factory would have had it sitting in standing water all the time.



I will try and keep yall up to date.
 
Another... hope this works out for you.... Patience and document evrything...everything.... confirm meetings and opinions given in writing in your own notes and keep them in a "bound" form like a journal or diary... photos..lots and lots of photos and document that key in the hole business
 
Not much of an update, but I have been talking to tracker customer assistance about getting something that shows what is under the false floor & how the space is constructed to try & figure out how the water is getting in there, and where all it is.



They seem to be trying to help, but time will tell.
 
Well, spoke to Customer Service today on a conference call with one of their engineers at the plant, and they gave me a few things to check on while trying to determine how the water is getting in.



They/I still have no clue how the water is getting in there, but we have a plan of sorts to eliminate as many sources as possible.



They are also still working on finding a drawing of some kind that shows what is between the hull & the false floor in that area.



Will try to keep this post updated for those who are interested. So far, they seem to be genuinely interested in helping get this taken care of.
 

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