Gelcoat Cracks - Supra's unique signature

[ski.nerd]

I am trying to understand how big of an issue this is across the Supra line. My 05 Launch has been a disaster in my mind - but to quote supra and my dealer "it is only cosmetic". I guess you don't buy a boat for cosmetics. Reply to this post and let me know if I am the ony dissatisfied Supra Owner. Malibu or Tige will be my next ride - it is only a matter of time now.

[mrmal56]

I've owned a lot of boats and they all had gel coat cracks. If you run on super calm water and don't subject the boat to any flex or stress, you might not get cracks. I've seen new Donzi's with cracks and lots of others. Boats so something will give. I had a white FG boat a few years back, can't remember the name of it but it looked like a hard boiled egg with a broken shell. Boat was solid but the gel was cracked all over.
Some dealers have told me that its gel coat shrinkage that causes the cracking. Don't really know for sure, but most all boats seem to get some gel coat cracking.

[Ed Obermeier]

How many and how bad are the cracks? Where are they located? You're ready to bail on your boat just because of a few cracks around tower or platform mounts i.e.? Good luck finding ANY brand without that issue.

My 2000 Legacy (no tower) has over 400 hours on it and no cracks to speak of, just a few very short very minor ones around the platform mounts where it gets a lot of use and stress. Took several years for even those to develop. Frankly I don't see that as being an issue. I have friends with Malibu's and Tige's and see the same things so you won't gain anything going there.

Berfore you trash the entire brand with your first ever post on this forum, at least quantify what it is you're bitching about so we can tell if you have a beef or not.

Ed

[ski.nerd]

If my cracks were around the tower I could understand. They have been around seat supports, around the d-rings at the rear of the boat, on the bottom of the boat, many on the swim platform. I am not trying to "trash the brand, I just want to know how big it is. If I was alone I would expest the company to do more to retain a customer. If it is huge Supra does not want ot open pandoras box and set a precident. I can still seeall the repairs, but as I am told that is what you get with gelcoat. Several years to develop, I dont think so, my first trip to gelcoat repair was a couple of months after taking delivery. And if I wanted to trash the brand I could go on and on on all the other issues the boat has had. It is my first simply because I have been trying to hash this out with Supra for close to 2 years. I could have started posting years ago, but i chose not to. Any manufacturer has the obligation to its customers to deliver a quality product to the market. 6 to 12 weeks a year in the shop is not quality by any stretch of the imagination.

[Ed Obermeier]

That's why I asked. In your first post you are obviously pissed about problems with your new boat, that is completely understandable. I thought it would only be fair to ask that you quantify why you're pissed so those of us reading this could understand and judge if you were just stiring crap or if you did in fact have a complaint.

IMO you obviously do have a complaint. If cracks showed up within a couple of months of taking delivery in random areas of the boat (the bottom for instance) that should have been covered under warranty. If they've continued to develop in the same manner that should also be covered IMO, whether the 1 year warranty period has expired or not as that seems to be a manufacturing defect. And I agree, if Skiers Choice (or any other manufacturer) wants to retain customers, build return customers, and grow their brands to attract new customers one would think they'd work harder to take care of a new, existing customer. A happy customer will tell 2 - 4 people about the product they're happy with. An unhappy customer will tell 10 - 15 people. Doesn't take much figuring to see how that goes off.

I learned a bit about SC's gel coat myself with my boat. Late in the 2nd season of ownership I started getting spots where the gel was vanishing, under the front of the boat around the water line area. Just small spots and initally I thought they were rock chips or similar, nothing too large. But they got bigger (never larger than a half-dollar coin though, generally longer but narrow). When I took the boat for repair at another shop (dealer was no longer in place locally at the time plus the gel warranty had expired) I learned that the spots were voids where the gel didn't adhere to the layer below; also while buffing out the original repairs several other larger voids appeared that had to be repaired. The repair shop told me my boat had some of the thinnest gel coat they'd ever seen on a production boat (this is a 2000 model). I wonder if this may be part of the problem with gel coat cracking on your boat, that it may be thin and prone to cracking due to its thinness?

However since repair I've not had another issue with the gel coat, and actually I've only had one significant issue with this boat (bad instrument control module). SC replaced it the first time under warranty, the 2nd time it went less than a year later they replaced it again even though it was not under warranty at the time. So in fairness I've not had the negative issues with SC and my Supra that you've obviously had with yours. Mine has been a very trouble free, aparently well built boat. I know they are capable of building good boats and I'm sorry you've had the problems with yours. That's why I asked, thanks for the reply.

Ed

[ski.nerd]

Ed Thank You,

In all fairness to SC they have repaired the boat each time under warranty. However I cannot continue to put the boat in the shop - 16 weeks last year to include Memorial Day. I want a good reliable product that I can go enjoy - Isn't that why I purchased a boat in the first place.

[Ed Obermeier]

Agreed, that's way too much shop time. Sounds to me though like SC has made a very good faith effort to cover the problems so they deserve props for that. That should be good news to those considering buying one, to know that the builder does stand behind their product. Still sucks that you've had so much trouble though.

Ed

[freeman]

i have a 2007 22 Launch. it has 15 hours on it and 20 or so hair line cracks all over the boat. my dealer in Calgary has told me he has 8 or so other Supra owners with the same problem. APPARENTLY we are supposed to send the Supra back to the manufacturer and they will place all existing components into a new hull.

I have tried contacting Skiers Choice several times on this issue and have not had any response.

[DKJBama92Mariah]

i have a 2007 22 Launch. it has 15 hours on it and 20 or so hair line cracks all over the boat. my dealer in Calgary has told me he has 8 or so other Supra owners with the same problem. APPARENTLY we are supposed to send the Supra back to the manufacturer and they will place all existing components into a new hull.

I have tried contacting Skiers Choice several times on this issue and have not had any response.

Welcome to the forum. This is definitely something SC should address quickly. I would hate to think that SC would just ignore a customer like that. Maybe your complaint just hasn't met the right ears. Posting here is a good start. Have you tried by phone or email, or just through the dealer?

[FoiltechLaunch21V]

My boat is two years old this month. I have trailered it probably 20,000 miles and have over 600 hours on it with no cracks in my gel coat. We have ridden in some really rough water and traveled some really rough roads. Normally have 6-10 people with 4-7 hydrofoils everytime we go out. This boat will be shipped to Australia in the next two months and I WILL have another Supra.
Just my two cents.

[rarasaurus]

I am also from calgary and have had the same issues on a 2007 21v. The boat now has 60 hours but the cracks showed up after the first use at 5 hours. We have sent pictures to the dealer and they are trying to deal with it. I think it sucks spending so much money on a boat and having these issues. We had a sea ray with a tower on it and had no gel coat issues for 8 years and 250 hours. What is worse i have read that even when fixed they will most likely come back. I think it would be good if we did indeed get a new hull as stated above.

I will wait and see what we hear from SC.