Boat dilemma!

[mattfish11]

Ok - so my '03 Tracker PT175 cracked it's hull in some rough water recently. Filed an insurance claim and they approved it for a small amount - less than I would have liked. There is a place around me that would consider taking a look at the job to give me an estimate, but they don't have any idea of the price until it's in front of them and mostly broken down (decks off, foam chipped out, etc). Then they will have a better handle on what needs to be done to fix - new welding, new bracing, reinforced, etc. And even then they won't commit to any kind of warranty. So if this cracks again in the future, i'm out...

Just trying to weigh my options. It's not easy to find just hull these days...

UGHHH....

[gatorglenn]

This sounds like a cost plus dude, all the way. There has to be someone in your area that will give you a straight bid after looking at it with no work involved in the looking.

[Panama]

Where is the crack? There are some areas that even a manufacturer won't fix. It won't stay fixed. They scrap the hull and replace it. You could be throwing good money after bad - especially on a 2003. You have carpet, seats, and maybe deck replacement coming that you should consider.

[mrc.in.wi]

How bad of a crack?

If it were me and it's a large crack, I'd use the money as a down payment on a new hull. It may be repaired, but no guarantee it won't crack in the same place again.

[JohnnyO]

Need to know a little more info. Did the insurance company settle with you for a repair of the crack or did they "total loss" the boat and settle the claim as a total loss. If they settled the claim as a repair then it is your choice to get the boat repaired where you want and the insurance company has to be ready for a supplement of damages.

[Jeff Hahn]

Ok - so my '03 Tracker PT175 cracked it's hull in some rough water recently. Filed an insurance claim and they approved it for a small amount - less than I would have liked. There is a place around me that would consider taking a look at the job to give me an estimate, but they don't have any idea of the price until it's in front of them and mostly broken down (decks off, foam chipped out, etc). Then they will have a better handle on what needs to be done to fix - new welding, new bracing, reinforced, etc. And even then they won't commit to any kind of warranty. So if this cracks again in the future, i'm out...

Just trying to weigh my options. It's not easy to find just hull these days...

UGHHH....

It sounds to me like they are giving you an honest answer. They can't commit to a price until they see how bad the crack is, how bad it is, and even if it is repairable. Aluminum welding is not a big deal. However, it is prone to cracking again, right next to the weld. So, I can understand why they would not be willing to provide a warranty, even if they do an expert job.

I had a 1985 Fisher Marsh Hawk that was prone to cracking along the gunnel. It was a bad design that allowed the sides to flex. There was a welder in town who was retired and he did repairs on the side. He spent his career welding reactors for nuclear power plants...so he knew his $hit! He repaired the same cracking problem several times on the boat in the 5 years I owned it. And, he always told me that the weld was stronger than the surrounding aluminum, so when the sides flexed a new crack would inevitably form.

[johnsobo]

Check out century ironworks in hillside. When I had my tin rig he told me if I had any hull problems he could fix it. Also from what I have seen this dude can weld.