TC wrote:

18' CC

I bought a new boat last year. I have not even had it a year. A couple
months into ownership, small cracks began to form where the deck meets
the sides. There were some other cracks throughout the hull, mostly on
curved egdes. Not really bad but cracks nonetheless on a new boat.

I took the boat back to the dealership (different from the
manufacture) and they spoke with the manufacture. The boat
manufacture said these were from the glass being too thick. They said
to grind it down and smooth it out. The dealership decided to fix it
by grinding down the cracks and reglassing. After grinding it down a
bit, the dealer found voids in the glass and they think this is the
problem.

Are the other cracks voids? Will more cracks form?

Anyway, they have had my boat for 3 weeks now (eating up my season for
Dolphin and Cobia) and when I went to pick it up today, I was PO'd.
There were still a few small cracks, the glass job on the seams was
not finished correctly (a lip around the edge from tape, I assume,
glass that was rough and not buffed; also glass that needed sanding);
the boat obviously was only washed but not buffed, etc. I ran my hand
on parts of the boat and picked glass dust. The glass was not smooth
and shiny in the work areas but coarse and rough - like it was sanded
and left that way.

I told the shop manager that I used to work for an autobody shop. When
we completed a vehicle, it was detailed. Any issues could be easily
found at this point and fixed. He was expecting me to accept this poor
workmanship by saying he has a new detail crew.

I also complained about a guage that retained moisture for a day or
two after getting wet - the only one out of 7 guages. They said
that's just the way it is, nothing they can do.

And to boot, I was told by another dealership location (same company)
that they were not going to carry my boat anymore. My salesman said he
was full of it. Guess what? The shop manager tells me not only are
they not going to carry my boat, but my motor won't be carried either.

At this point, what can I do? I would like to work this out so I can
go fishing. Should I contact an attorney? Would I be out of line to
ask for some compensation for my "pain and suffering" - only a
fisherman will understand LOL. I mean, it looks like I will be
without my boat for at least a month of excellent fishing. I bought a
new boat and I feel like I have a used one.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Update: The boat dealer called and tells me he has good news: "The boat
manufacture is going to come get the boat, take it back to North
Carolina and fix it." How is that good news? Who knows how long it will
be gone now. I contacted a surveyor and was told the boat issues are
not acceptable but could be repaired. However, voids could be hard to
find. I contacted an attorney (a friend of mine) who is going to send a
letter to either the dealership or manufacture. I'm going to draft a
letter for him to send. He says if we sue, that I probably won't come
out very well as the bigger company can drag it through the legal
system until it has cost me far more than the cost of the boat.

Sigh.