Leaking PT 175 To Be Repaired

[Bill Balch]

The service manager at the Tracker dealership called me this afternoon and advised the broken weld in the keel area of my 2003 PT 175 would be repaired from inside the hull. The deck will be removed, flotation foam removed, cracked weld repaired, foam pumped back in, and deck replaced. Then the boat will be re-tested for leaks. Tracker Marine has approved the method of repair. The job has been sub-contracted to a local mechanic. Assuming the local contractor does a good job, this should provide a quicker turnaround than sending the boat back to the factory. The service manager said the job will take about 20 hours.

 

[Steve Rizza]

Glad to hear there's going to be a quick turnaround.Hope every thing turns out OK.



Steve

 

[J B]

Bill, best of luck to you. Has the boat always leaked, as in a "missed" weld? Or do you think it cracked later? I wonder how common this is. I would think the factory float tested the boat and would have caught this during manuafacturing. I know that I have heard of other welded boats (XPress) developing a cracked weld under severe conditions.



Good luck, and hopefully you won't be out too long.



--J.

 

[Bill Balch]

I think the boat has leaked from the start. I have always noticed a flow of water from the bilge when I pulled the plug after an outing. I thought maybe more water was getting splashed in than I realized. However, the accumulation of water seemed larger more recently. That was when I did the driveway test and confirmed the leak. My boat has not been put to any severe tests: no hard collisions, no crashing into waves over two feet at WOT.



Now here's something I don't understand: When I complained back in April about my boat having some flex in the rear deck, Tracker Marine insisted on returning the boat to the factory to put in more flotation foam. Now, with what appears to me to be a more serious structural problem, Tracker Marine says it's OK for a local subcontractor to do the repair. All I care about is getting my boat back professionally repaired within a reasonable time, but that decision making process does seem odd to me. Oh well, I'm not an expert in these areas!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Dang Bill...you'll have a NEW boat after their done! I'd have em' check everything now...unless you want to take it back again after you found they missed somethin' else. I still somebody didn't have their mind on welding on that boat.

TEE

 

[Bill Balch]

TEE, I agree that this boat didn't get the attention it needed at the factory, given the flexing deck and missed weld. I recall years ago my dad telling me not to ever buy a car that was built on Monday or Friday. Monday, everyone is hung over and worn out, and on Friday, everyone is distracted thinking about all the fun they're going to have on the weekend. But how would a buyer know???



Bill

 

[TOMMY RICH]

You wouldn't..it's really a gamble. But, to be honest...I could tell the first one they sold me had a lot of the same issues...I just wouldn't except it because BPS had not recieved the check from the credit union yet.

TEE

 

[gone bye bye]

Good for you Bill....now is the time to run the new trolling motor wires, or anytother wires or accessories you want to have. (second bilge, better recirc for the livewell) When the deck is off, you will have access to everything easily.



Mini