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Author Topic:   2004 MONTAUK: Deck Has Small Circular Crack

howlingdogsteve posted 07-09-2010 12:54 PM ET (US)
After a through cleaning, I noticed a small circular crack in the non-skid deck of our 2004 Montauk. The crack is the size of a thumb print. The piece still seems attached, but, when pressed upon, there is a milimeter or so of give. I'm concerned about water gettting in the foam. Cosmetics are less important to me than sealing the crack up. Any advice on how to fix this?
Tohsgib posted 07-09-2010 01:42 PM ET (US)
Gelcoat
howlingdogsteve posted 07-09-2010 04:00 PM ET (US)
It feels like it's soft underneath when I push it with my thumb.
Could this mean the fiberglass is also cracked?
If I just use gelcoat, should i remove the chip?
dscew posted 07-09-2010 05:01 PM ET (US)
Before attempting a repair, I'd have a Boston Whaler boat dealer look at it. I think Whaler still has that 10 year hull warranty; it may at least be worth a try to get them to fix it at their cost. It sounds to me like you may have some rot going on from a breach in the deck that let some water in, or its an area that the compressed foam didn't reach when the boat was built. If the latter, it may be a simple fix to inject some epoxy through a hole and then a little gelcoat paste from Spectrum. I'd want to be sure the area is dry, though.
contender posted 07-09-2010 11:28 PM ET (US)
Dscew is correct, have whaler look at it, If you can push it in any I would say the glass may be cracked, either way the chip needs to be removed and cleaned to be redone...
froberts posted 07-13-2010 02:33 PM ET (US)
[M]y 2003 [M]ontauk had the same problem: two thumb-size cracks in the [deck] in front of the cooler. [I] took [the boat] to the dealer; he sent me to a local fiberglass repair shop. They [the ambiguity of who is being referred to, someone at the dealer or someone at the repair shop, was later resolved to be soneone at the repair shop] said that [the appearance of cracks in the deck of a Boston Whaler MONTAUK] is common because the deck did not bond to the wood below the deck. [I] [popped] out the two areas with my finger nail, and [observed that] the wood below the deck is sealed with fiberglass. The repair shop charged me $350 to repair.
elaelap posted 07-13-2010 02:50 PM ET (US)
A lot of sea-going boats in northern California have round nickel- to quarter-sized dents in their decks. My current Montauk doesn't...yet. They're caused by dropping 40 oz. balls or heavier downrigger weights on the deck.
Tony
contender posted 07-13-2010 09:38 PM ET (US)
Froberts: 2003 Whaler, no ten-year hull warranty? The dealer even told you the fiberglass did not bond with the wood (not your fault) Just something to think about. I also would find another fiberglass repair (2 thumb size cracks) $350 to repair, ouch!
Elaelap: In Construction down here in the south holes like that in wood (done by the carpenter not hitting the nail/miss with his hammer) are called elephant feet... PS thanks for the fix on the other thread...
howlingdogsteve posted 07-15-2010 09:06 AM ET (US)
Froberts, did the dealer refuse to pay for the fix?
Did you call BW asking for reimbursement?
I wonder how many boats are affected with the same problem.
froberts posted 07-17-2010 05:13 PM ET (US)
They [possibly referring to the Boston Whaler dealer that was contacted to seek a warranty repair under the ten-year hull defect warranty] said [the damage for which a warranty repair was being sought] was cosmetic damage. [I] also had some gel coat repairs to the hull from the first owner, probably from bumping into his dock. The deck repair in the diamond grid cost at least $200 because of labor to match the color and diamond pattern. [Someone, perhaps the person performing the repair] told me up front if [I] wasn't picky he could do it for about $60, but [I] told him [I] am picky. The first owner had a spot cheaply repaired in front of the [helm seat] and [the repair] looks [bad]. My friend runs the service department at the local [Boston Whaler boat] dealership, and he said [this damage] was not covered. He sent me to this fiberglass shop.
froberts posted 07-17-2010 06:27 PM ET (US)
I want to [correct] my last post since it has been two years since [I] had the work done. The [Boston Whaler boat] dealer said [the two small dents in the deck of the 2003 MONTAUK] looked like someone [dropped] an anchor on the deck, and, since [I] was the second owner, [I] could not state that the first owner had not twice [dropped] an anchor on the deck. In the year that [I] had owned [the boat], at that time [I] knew that [I] had not [dropped] an anchor on the deck. The [Boston Whaler boat] dealer did [not] [make a representation to me about (supposed) chronic problems with] the [interior hull laminate]; [the representation that Boston Whaler boats have chronic problems with air voids between the laminate of the deck and the underlying wood reinforcement layer] was stated [by someone at] the fiberglass repair shop that [the Boston Whaler boat dealer] [recommended]. The repair shop stated that [repair of damage to the deck due to poor manufacturing which left air voids in the hull structure between the laminate layer of the deck and the underlying wood reinforcement] was his number one repair on new [Boston Whaler boats]. [The repair shop also said] in [its] [opinion], the decks [of new Boston Whaler boats] have air pockets between the wood and the deck, and over time the decks would crack. [I] did not contact [the] corporate [offices of Boston Whaler] [to seek a remedy under the warranty] because [I] figured my friend at [the Boston Whaler boat dealer] was [correct] with his comment about an anchor hitting the deck [being the cause of the two small cosmetic defects or dents in the deck on the 2003 Boston Whaler MONTAUK].
jimh posted 07-18-2010 05:16 PM ET (US)
Small cosmetic problems which appear in the hull of a Boston Whaler boat are probably not going to be remedied for free under the terms of the warranty that provides for coverage of repairs from defects in manufacture of the Unibond hull to the original buyer for ten years. Whether or not a dealer will make a repair to a small cosmetic defect at no charge to a boat owner will very likely depend on the relationship between the dealer and the boat owner, more than any obligation of the dealer under the terms of the warranty.
I am not particularly surprised that a second owner of a Boston Whaler boat whose hull was less than 10-years-old would not get a free repair to a cosmetic problem like a dent in the deck which could have very easily been caused by dropping something heavy onto the deck.
If you buy a Boston Whaler boat that is less than 10-years-old, if you want to continue the original hull warranty you should investigate with Boston Whaler to see if there is any paperwork that needs to be completed. I don't think the warranty is automatically transferred from the original buyer to any subsequent owner unless some notification is given to Boston Whaler.
jimh posted 07-18-2010 10:51 PM ET (US)
FRoberts--If I correctly understand your narrative, when you purchased the 2003 MONTAUK as a used boat the dents in the deck were already there. Is that right?
froberts posted 07-19-2010 03:23 PM ET (US)
They could have been there. I never cleaned the boat that closely the first year that [I] owned it. I only noticed [the dents in the deck] when [I] tried to clean the deck with a small stiff hand brush. One [small] section of the diamond pattern fell out and [I] could see the wood below. At that point [I] checked other areas of the deck for cracks and found another about a foot away from the first hole. The hull was only three years old at the time and [I] had already transferred the warranty. The local whaler service manager and [I] have attended the same Sunday School class for around 10 years. When he said [repair of the two dents] was not covered, [I] believed him. I have owned an EDGEWATER boat, two PROLINE boats, and a SCOUT boat, and by far this [Boston Whaler boat is] the best all-around boat [I] have ever owned.
[I] have a 2004 170 MONTAUK not a 2003. My age is making me forgetful.
howlingdogsteve posted 07-20-2010 09:03 AM ET (US)
Froberts, your report back to us is leaving me less than impressed with the 10-year warranty. I, too, am the second owner of a 2004 Montauk. I did not notice any cracks in my non-skid deck until recently. I am certain that it was not there a few weeks ago. The last thing I want to do is get into a debate with the local Boston Whaler boat dealer about the origin of the crack. Is it possible to simply lift out the piece of cracked gel coat and use something like 3M5200 or Marine Tex to bond the gel coat piece back in place?
Marsh posted 07-20-2010 07:54 PM ET (US)
I was of the impression that our 10-year hull warranties were NOT transferrable to owners subsequent to the initial purchaser. Am I mistaken?
Marsh
jimh posted 07-20-2010 08:20 PM ET (US)
Here is the actual 2010 warranty from Whaler. It says,
"Boston Whaler provides the following Limited Warranty to the original retail owner of its 2010 model year boats....The ten-year, three-year, and one-year limited warranties are transferable to a subsequent owner...."
http://media.channelblade.com/EProWebsiteMedia/2904/ 2010Limited_warranty.pdf
I don't know for certain if in prior years the warranty was transferrable. I am not much of an authority on new Boston Whaler boat warranty because all of the Boston Whaler boats I have purchased were over ten years old when I bought them.
froberts posted 07-20-2010 09:03 PM ET (US)
the second owner has to register the boat under the whaler site and pay 50 dollars to transfer the remaining warranty.After reading the hull warranty from the last post my damage in no way, made my boat unsafe or unusable. It just looked ugly. If you want ugly fixed you have to pay.
howlingdogsteve posted 07-21-2010 10:06 AM ET (US)
The key word in the warranty is "limited".
I think the exclusions section strongly devalues the worth of said waranty:
(3) Damage or deterioration of cosmetic surface finishes, including discoloration, chalking, cracking, crazing, fading or
oxidation of gel coat, stress lines, plated or painted metal and stainless steel finishes, plastics or acrylic materials, or
anti-fouling bottom paint.
So...any comments on my simple fix approach (as detailed in a prior post)?
froberts posted 07-21-2010 06:14 PM ET (US)
the fiberglass person i used told me if i tried to bond the piece back down with 5200 that it would eventially pop back out.
howlingdogsteve posted 07-22-2010 09:06 PM ET (US)
Aside from gel coat, is there something better than 3M 5200 for a quick fix?

ToxicAvenger posted 07-26-2010 10:41 AM ET (US)
IMO The Boston Whaler Warranty is a gimmick! The seat in our 13 Sport cracked within 3 years. These are molded fiberglass seats that are attached and an integral part of the construction of the boat. Whalers defense was it is cosmetic crack. I guess anything you don't want to repair could be claimed as cosmetic, and Boston Whaler appears to be notorious for doing this.
I reviewed a court case for a consumer that was suing Boston Whaler for issues related to his new Whaler. It was a Breach of Warranty Claim. Boston Whaler appeared to get off on a technicality. Boston Whaler claimed that the boat has to registered to a physical person in order to have a valid warranty enforced. Since the gentleman appeared to have purchased the boat in his businesses name it voided the warranty.....
In the end Boston Whaler has very nice boats, but very poor customer service. So when we go to buy another boat we will look elsewhere.
Eric
Jeff posted 07-26-2010 10:58 AM ET (US)
I had 2 areas like this on my 1985 22 Outrage. Neither were in the none skid though. After digging the area out I found this were caused by an air bubble in the top layer of the resin and matte just under the gelcoat layer. This created an unsupported area under the gelcoat thus creating the small circular cracks.
howlingdogsteve posted 07-29-2010 10:00 AM ET (US)
Jeff, I've got a feeling that's what happened to our Montauk.
How did you repair it?

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Author	Topic: 2004 MONTAUK: Deck Has Small Circular Crack
howlingdogsteve	posted 07-09-2010 12:54 PM ET (US) After a through cleaning, I noticed a small circular crack in the non-skid deck of our 2004 Montauk. The crack is the size of a thumb print. The piece still seems attached, but, when pressed upon, there is a milimeter or so of give. I'm concerned about water gettting in the foam. Cosmetics are less important to me than sealing the crack up. Any advice on how to fix this?
Tohsgib	posted 07-09-2010 01:42 PM ET (US) Gelcoat
howlingdogsteve	posted 07-09-2010 04:00 PM ET (US) It feels like it's soft underneath when I push it with my thumb. Could this mean the fiberglass is also cracked? If I just use gelcoat, should i remove the chip?
dscew	posted 07-09-2010 05:01 PM ET (US) Before attempting a repair, I'd have a Boston Whaler boat dealer look at it. I think Whaler still has that 10 year hull warranty; it may at least be worth a try to get them to fix it at their cost. It sounds to me like you may have some rot going on from a breach in the deck that let some water in, or its an area that the compressed foam didn't reach when the boat was built. If the latter, it may be a simple fix to inject some epoxy through a hole and then a little gelcoat paste from Spectrum. I'd want to be sure the area is dry, though.
contender	posted 07-09-2010 11:28 PM ET (US) Dscew is correct, have whaler look at it, If you can push it in any I would say the glass may be cracked, either way the chip needs to be removed and cleaned to be redone...
froberts	posted 07-13-2010 02:33 PM ET (US) [M]y 2003 [M]ontauk had the same problem: two thumb-size cracks in the [deck] in front of the cooler. [I] took [the boat] to the dealer; he sent me to a local fiberglass repair shop. They [the ambiguity of who is being referred to, someone at the dealer or someone at the repair shop, was later resolved to be soneone at the repair shop] said that [the appearance of cracks in the deck of a Boston Whaler MONTAUK] is common because the deck did not bond to the wood below the deck. [I] [popped] out the two areas with my finger nail, and [observed that] the wood below the deck is sealed with fiberglass. The repair shop charged me $350 to repair.
elaelap	posted 07-13-2010 02:50 PM ET (US) A lot of sea-going boats in northern California have round nickel- to quarter-sized dents in their decks. My current Montauk doesn't...yet. They're caused by dropping 40 oz. balls or heavier downrigger weights on the deck. Tony
contender	posted 07-13-2010 09:38 PM ET (US) Froberts: 2003 Whaler, no ten-year hull warranty? The dealer even told you the fiberglass did not bond with the wood (not your fault) Just something to think about. I also would find another fiberglass repair (2 thumb size cracks) $350 to repair, ouch! Elaelap: In Construction down here in the south holes like that in wood (done by the carpenter not hitting the nail/miss with his hammer) are called elephant feet... PS thanks for the fix on the other thread...
howlingdogsteve	posted 07-15-2010 09:06 AM ET (US) Froberts, did the dealer refuse to pay for the fix? Did you call BW asking for reimbursement? I wonder how many boats are affected with the same problem.
froberts	posted 07-17-2010 05:13 PM ET (US) They [possibly referring to the Boston Whaler dealer that was contacted to seek a warranty repair under the ten-year hull defect warranty] said [the damage for which a warranty repair was being sought] was cosmetic damage. [I] also had some gel coat repairs to the hull from the first owner, probably from bumping into his dock. The deck repair in the diamond grid cost at least $200 because of labor to match the color and diamond pattern. [Someone, perhaps the person performing the repair] told me up front if [I] wasn't picky he could do it for about $60, but [I] told him [I] am picky. The first owner had a spot cheaply repaired in front of the [helm seat] and [the repair] looks [bad]. My friend runs the service department at the local [Boston Whaler boat] dealership, and he said [this damage] was not covered. He sent me to this fiberglass shop.
froberts	posted 07-17-2010 06:27 PM ET (US) I want to [correct] my last post since it has been two years since [I] had the work done. The [Boston Whaler boat] dealer said [the two small dents in the deck of the 2003 MONTAUK] looked like someone [dropped] an anchor on the deck, and, since [I] was the second owner, [I] could not state that the first owner had not twice [dropped] an anchor on the deck. In the year that [I] had owned [the boat], at that time [I] knew that [I] had not [dropped] an anchor on the deck. The [Boston Whaler boat] dealer did [not] [make a representation to me about (supposed) chronic problems with] the [interior hull laminate]; [the representation that Boston Whaler boats have chronic problems with air voids between the laminate of the deck and the underlying wood reinforcement layer] was stated [by someone at] the fiberglass repair shop that [the Boston Whaler boat dealer] [recommended]. The repair shop stated that [repair of damage to the deck due to poor manufacturing which left air voids in the hull structure between the laminate layer of the deck and the underlying wood reinforcement] was his number one repair on new [Boston Whaler boats]. [The repair shop also said] in [its] [opinion], the decks [of new Boston Whaler boats] have air pockets between the wood and the deck, and over time the decks would crack. [I] did not contact [the] corporate [offices of Boston Whaler] [to seek a remedy under the warranty] because [I] figured my friend at [the Boston Whaler boat dealer] was [correct] with his comment about an anchor hitting the deck [being the cause of the two small cosmetic defects or dents in the deck on the 2003 Boston Whaler MONTAUK].
jimh	posted 07-18-2010 05:16 PM ET (US) Small cosmetic problems which appear in the hull of a Boston Whaler boat are probably not going to be remedied for free under the terms of the warranty that provides for coverage of repairs from defects in manufacture of the Unibond hull to the original buyer for ten years. Whether or not a dealer will make a repair to a small cosmetic defect at no charge to a boat owner will very likely depend on the relationship between the dealer and the boat owner, more than any obligation of the dealer under the terms of the warranty. I am not particularly surprised that a second owner of a Boston Whaler boat whose hull was less than 10-years-old would not get a free repair to a cosmetic problem like a dent in the deck which could have very easily been caused by dropping something heavy onto the deck. If you buy a Boston Whaler boat that is less than 10-years-old, if you want to continue the original hull warranty you should investigate with Boston Whaler to see if there is any paperwork that needs to be completed. I don't think the warranty is automatically transferred from the original buyer to any subsequent owner unless some notification is given to Boston Whaler.
jimh	posted 07-18-2010 10:51 PM ET (US) FRoberts--If I correctly understand your narrative, when you purchased the 2003 MONTAUK as a used boat the dents in the deck were already there. Is that right?
froberts	posted 07-19-2010 03:23 PM ET (US) They could have been there. I never cleaned the boat that closely the first year that [I] owned it. I only noticed [the dents in the deck] when [I] tried to clean the deck with a small stiff hand brush. One [small] section of the diamond pattern fell out and [I] could see the wood below. At that point [I] checked other areas of the deck for cracks and found another about a foot away from the first hole. The hull was only three years old at the time and [I] had already transferred the warranty. The local whaler service manager and [I] have attended the same Sunday School class for around 10 years. When he said [repair of the two dents] was not covered, [I] believed him. I have owned an EDGEWATER boat, two PROLINE boats, and a SCOUT boat, and by far this [Boston Whaler boat is] the best all-around boat [I] have ever owned. [I] have a 2004 170 MONTAUK not a 2003. My age is making me forgetful.
howlingdogsteve	posted 07-20-2010 09:03 AM ET (US) Froberts, your report back to us is leaving me less than impressed with the 10-year warranty. I, too, am the second owner of a 2004 Montauk. I did not notice any cracks in my non-skid deck until recently. I am certain that it was not there a few weeks ago. The last thing I want to do is get into a debate with the local Boston Whaler boat dealer about the origin of the crack. Is it possible to simply lift out the piece of cracked gel coat and use something like 3M5200 or Marine Tex to bond the gel coat piece back in place?
Marsh	posted 07-20-2010 07:54 PM ET (US) I was of the impression that our 10-year hull warranties were NOT transferrable to owners subsequent to the initial purchaser. Am I mistaken? Marsh
jimh	posted 07-20-2010 08:20 PM ET (US) Here is the actual 2010 warranty from Whaler. It says, "Boston Whaler provides the following Limited Warranty to the original retail owner of its 2010 model year boats....The ten-year, three-year, and one-year limited warranties are transferable to a subsequent owner...." http://media.channelblade.com/EProWebsiteMedia/2904/ 2010Limited_warranty.pdf I don't know for certain if in prior years the warranty was transferrable. I am not much of an authority on new Boston Whaler boat warranty because all of the Boston Whaler boats I have purchased were over ten years old when I bought them.
froberts	posted 07-20-2010 09:03 PM ET (US) the second owner has to register the boat under the whaler site and pay 50 dollars to transfer the remaining warranty.After reading the hull warranty from the last post my damage in no way, made my boat unsafe or unusable. It just looked ugly. If you want ugly fixed you have to pay.
howlingdogsteve	posted 07-21-2010 10:06 AM ET (US) The key word in the warranty is "limited". I think the exclusions section strongly devalues the worth of said waranty: (3) Damage or deterioration of cosmetic surface finishes, including discoloration, chalking, cracking, crazing, fading or oxidation of gel coat, stress lines, plated or painted metal and stainless steel finishes, plastics or acrylic materials, or anti-fouling bottom paint. So...any comments on my simple fix approach (as detailed in a prior post)?
froberts	posted 07-21-2010 06:14 PM ET (US) the fiberglass person i used told me if i tried to bond the piece back down with 5200 that it would eventially pop back out.
howlingdogsteve	posted 07-22-2010 09:06 PM ET (US) Aside from gel coat, is there something better than 3M 5200 for a quick fix?
ToxicAvenger	posted 07-26-2010 10:41 AM ET (US) IMO The Boston Whaler Warranty is a gimmick! The seat in our 13 Sport cracked within 3 years. These are molded fiberglass seats that are attached and an integral part of the construction of the boat. Whalers defense was it is cosmetic crack. I guess anything you don't want to repair could be claimed as cosmetic, and Boston Whaler appears to be notorious for doing this. I reviewed a court case for a consumer that was suing Boston Whaler for issues related to his new Whaler. It was a Breach of Warranty Claim. Boston Whaler appeared to get off on a technicality. Boston Whaler claimed that the boat has to registered to a physical person in order to have a valid warranty enforced. Since the gentleman appeared to have purchased the boat in his businesses name it voided the warranty..... In the end Boston Whaler has very nice boats, but very poor customer service. So when we go to buy another boat we will look elsewhere. Eric
Jeff	posted 07-26-2010 10:58 AM ET (US) I had 2 areas like this on my 1985 22 Outrage. Neither were in the none skid though. After digging the area out I found this were caused by an air bubble in the top layer of the resin and matte just under the gelcoat layer. This created an unsupported area under the gelcoat thus creating the small circular cracks.
howlingdogsteve	posted 07-29-2010 10:00 AM ET (US) Jeff, I've got a feeling that's what happened to our Montauk. How did you repair it?