There is something weird going on with the floor of my boat right in front of the passenger seat, down in the very bottom. You can put your weight on it there and the floor will sink down some. Its like its loose or not attached right or something is going on it seems. Like nothing is under it to support it right. Anyone else experienced this or maybe its normal? If its not normal anyone got a guess what the problem could be?
It's not normal for a 201 floor to flex in that area. You've described an older wooden floor that has began to soften. I'm not sure what year Stratos went all composit? It could be a broken stringer as well? I'd get it to an authorized repair center for an evaluation.
The top cap includes the entire cockpit. There could be a void between the stringer and the bottom of the top cap (floor). Like John said, get it to a dealer for evaluation.
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There's definantly something going on with it. I really don't think the boat has been right since it was new. Its been sent back to Stratos twice now for fixing stress cracks and once beccause the holes the motor bolts through were crooked. The shop they told me to take it to to have it looked at before I took it in last year said they thought the entire transom was flexing too much and that it had some serious problems. Stratos just said that that was normal. They had the top cap off then doing repairs. Its got several stress cracks on the transom again that I consider way too big to be normal. They are deep enough you can stick a fingernail into them some.
But that floor section sags pretty bad when you step on it. My local Stratos dealer is not a dealer anymore so I'm not sure who the closest place is now. Taking it back to the factory is most likely the closest, or C&O, but I'd say Stratos will want someone to evaluate it again before it comes in. Last time they had to have an expert confirm the motor was crooked.and it was pretty obvious it was crooked and BAD. You could be towing it and look in the rear view mirror and the back pro pole was straight and the round sticker on the front of the motor was almost all sticking out to one side of the pole.
It makes me wonder though cause the guy that looked at the crooked motor said he though the boat had some serious structural problems and excess flexing and that makes since now that the floor is doing that and the even larger stress cracks in it now than was there before. Guess I'll find a place to take it or call Stratos and see what they want to do with it this time.
Oh ya, its definantly an all composite hull. Not suppose to be any wood in there at all the way I understand that.
Is it dangerous to be running it if it has a broken stringer? Any way for a person to tell if one is broken?
Sorry to hear about your frustrations, nothing like having time off and a boat you don't trust.
If it were mine with the problems you've described I'd be making the trip to C&O Marine ASAP. They will work with Stratos for you to get the boat the way it's supposed to be. I've seen boats go into their glass shop pretty busted up from wrecks etc.., watched the entire rebuild and would put them up against any new boat when it comes to looks or structural strength. They have been the top Stratos dealer in the nation 4 years running for a reason.
I'm almost sure thats what I'm going to do with it. Personally I've thought since last year when it was in the shop at the Stratos factory having excessive stress cracks fixed that it needed re-capped cause that one obviously has some problems some where that is causing it. I've owned several Stratos and Javelin boats and none of them have stress cracked anywhere close to this one. Some of these are deep too. Not just a little crack in the gell. Plus I'd like to know why the dealer that looked at it before Stratos got it said that it had serious transom problems and way too much flex in it. Stratos dismissed it and said they've never had a bad transom in an all composite boat and no way I could have one. I don't know how much one should have as far as flex goes but what they showed me seemed like a lot to be moving by putting weight on the motor to flex it. And maybe the cap problems are coming from a problem with the bottom, who knows.
I guess I'll get hold of C&O and Stratos and see what they say. I don't think the boat was ever right since it was new or it wouldn't be having all these problems repeating. I'm curious to see what Todd thinks about it and what he thinks should be done. He's probably my closest dealer now anyhow since the one here closed. Maybe Todd will see this tomorrow and chime in with his thoughts about it. I just noticed the sagging floor here recently. It wasn't that way when it first come back from the factory last year.
It's more than likely a bonding issue in the floor where it meets the cap. Once it mashes down does it feel solid underneath to the added weight?
There's not really anything structural in that area.......but we'd be happy to look at it. As mentioned, it can't be rot since the floor and all sub structure is composit. Should be an easy fix.
Chad how's that for Customer Service....Todd
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As long as its nothing serious I'd like to finish the season out with it and get it in the shop over the winter.
Todd, the floor never does feel solid when you step on it there. It just dips down to a certain point depending on the amount of weight thats on it. Its like a floor where the support beams are to far apart for the thickness of the flooring and it lets it sag there. I'd like to get it in this fall and have that fixed and also get a few scratches and gouges that I did to it fixed as well. The local marina here likes to leave sharp metal edges on their docks in places that are perfect to gouge a bass boat.
I've already learned how good C&O's service is. I dropped a lower unit last year and they were out of them in stock and they pulled one off a new engine for me. Not to mention done it the same day that I got hold of them and had me in and out of there in just a couple hours. The mechanic was waiting on me when I got there. I got on the phone and called 20 other places that were closer to me and none of them could help me, or would help me. A bunch of them could have done the same thing that C&O did and take a new lower unit off another engine but none of them did. They saved me from missing 2 tournaments that weekend.
I knew then where my next boat would be coming from. You don't find service like that in very many places. I live in So. IL and I've been all over IL, KY, and every other state that touches IL fishing and I only know of 1 other place that will try to help you on the spur of the moment like that. I was in Shelbyville IL for a tournament and my trim pump went out and I called every dealer around as far as St. Louis trying to find someone to put it on for me and not a single one would. I already had the part overnighted to me so it wasn't that they didn't have the part. They just wouldn't do it. I had to drive all the way home and it took my local mechanic less than an hour to put it on. So a warning to anglers, don't break down in central IL and expect anyone in that area to care about it. Which goes back to good service like C&O provides is hard to find. I've sent several friends there to buy boats since I was there with my lower unit out. 2 that bought new Stratos's there just a few months ago. But from now on they have all my business when I'm shopping for boats.
chad i met you at the focus tournament last year down at galconda i had the other 201 but i had the yamaha on it i talked a little at the end comparing the 2 motors if it makes you feel any better ive had the same problems been to stratos twice for major stress cracks and scheduled to do it again once season is over and i also had to have my motor straightened but i payed out of pocket for it because that was cheaper to do than drive back to the factory to have them fix it. all it all ive had mine since feb 07 and time lost and money back and forth i think im going to get rid of mine
My '04 is having this issue right behind the cooler...Not as bad as you are stating, but it is a little soft..I have been thinking about replacing the carpet over the winter, so I will look at it when I pull the carpet and see if they need to fix something...
Thanks for the kind words Chad.....just bring it at your convenience and we can take care of it.
Gotmy5.......I have Nitro, Champion, Pro Craft, Allison, Xpress, Tracker and a lot of clean newer trades.....bring your old beat up Stratos to me and we'll put you in something else.
No problem Todd, those are well deserved words on you and your crew down there. I've been in and out of a lot of dealerships over the years when I've been gone at tournaments and theres just not many that will help you like you guys do there. That says everything to me there and no doubt to everyone else. Guys don't drive half way across the country to buy there boat there for nothing. Every dealer around my area could use a good business model lesson from you guys. Theres several around here that will give you a good deal on a new boat but if it tears up you better not need it any time soon cause thats not going to happen.
I'll get my rig down there to you though Todd. I've been going back to college and I'm fixing to switch schools to finish out my Accounting degree. It starts next week so I'm going to see how much of my time thats going to leave me to fish and get a feel for it. Thats whats going to determine if I buy a new rig yet or not. I don't want to buy one if I don't have time to use it like I want. Mine is paid for and it doesn't hurt much if its just sitting and not getting used.
It may work out where I have to do business in Paducah and we could meet up there and save you some time. I'll let you know in advance if I have a driver headed that way to make it easier on you.
That would be great Todd.
I'm only about 40 minutes from Paducah.
I think I'm going to fish the BFL super tournament here in 2 or 3 weeks, if I can with school and all, and after that I'd say I won't have much time for it the rest of the year. At least I'm not going to count on having time for it and plan for anything fishing wise. This will be my first semester at a different college and its a longer drive than the last one so I'm going to assume that it will consume most my time and plan on ending my fishing year a lot earlier than usual.
I've only been 3 times this year......I'm such an old fart I have no life other than running this conglomerate!
Plus waking up at 3 am is for the youngsters!
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