I noticed a bunch of rust spots on my steering wheel yesterday. The spots are on smooth surfaces of the wheel rather than at welds or joints. Do you find this unacceptable on a 2 month old boat or am I asking too much? Others have told me that "bleed through" on stainless is not unusual but this seems to have bled through pretty quickly given that I am in fresh water. Now I don't want to rant here and I haven't said this anywhere publicly but Hunter just can't seem to make any progress on their quality control problems. Gaps between bulkheads, poorly finished gelcoat, fittings that fall off and a number of nagging little problems have plagued my boat. I'd like to think these are unusual and apply only to my boat but all the same issues arose three years ago when I bought a 280. Now I suppose I deserve some of what I get because my dealer has been as unresponsive this time as he was last time and I still let him get away with it. car manufacturers and dealers would never get away with this level of quality. BTW, I still love how the Hunters perform.
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Bryan C.
Its normal
I don't have a new boat, but those little rust colored blotches show up on stainless over time on every boat I've every spent any time around, no matter how older or new. I find they come off easily with a little softscrub. They start coming back over 2-3 months. If I put a metal wax on the SS it would probably go longer without the blotches coming back, but its not that big of a deal if you don't let it go too long. As far as the new boat imperfections, I'd also like to think they are unusual as well, because then I'd buy a Catalina or Beneteau and get a perfect boat. But from everything I've read, this kinds of things are typical on all new boats.
I don't have a new boat, but those little rust colored blotches show up on stainless over time on every boat I've every spent any time around, no matter how older or new. I find they come off easily with a little softscrub. They start coming back over 2-3 months. If I put a metal wax on the SS it would probably go longer without the blotches coming back, but its not that big of a deal if you don't let it go too long. As far as the new boat imperfections, I'd also like to think they are unusual as well, because then I'd buy a Catalina or Beneteau and get a perfect boat. But from everything I've read, this kinds of things are typical on all new boats.
Some QC problems
Tom: I would not think too much about the S.S. rust either. Based on your location (Chicago) I would assume that there is a lot of particulate matter in the air. We have used several different S.S. cleaners over the last 15 years on our S.S. Very easy to clean. The loose fittings on your boat are the dealers problems. This boat travel over the road for several hundred miles. I would expect this type of vibration on a truck. It is just that your dealer should be looking after all this. The seperations and gel coat problems should be taken up as warranty issues. I really would think that the factory would look at this type of stuff before it get out into the field but maybe they figure that it is cheaper to let the dealers resolve this stuff, or hope that most buyers will not notice <bet me>. As someone said, "these are all hand built", so you have got to expect some variances. And yes, you should have found another dealer. This type of dealer needs to be put out of business. They made plenty of money on your deal and there is no reason not to take care of you like you are their only customer. That is the difference between a good dealer and one that really does not care. I would complain to Hunter about the dealers lack of responce.
Tom: I would not think too much about the S.S. rust either. Based on your location (Chicago) I would assume that there is a lot of particulate matter in the air. We have used several different S.S. cleaners over the last 15 years on our S.S. Very easy to clean. The loose fittings on your boat are the dealers problems. This boat travel over the road for several hundred miles. I would expect this type of vibration on a truck. It is just that your dealer should be looking after all this. The seperations and gel coat problems should be taken up as warranty issues. I really would think that the factory would look at this type of stuff before it get out into the field but maybe they figure that it is cheaper to let the dealers resolve this stuff, or hope that most buyers will not notice <bet me>. As someone said, "these are all hand built", so you have got to expect some variances. And yes, you should have found another dealer. This type of dealer needs to be put out of business. They made plenty of money on your deal and there is no reason not to take care of you like you are their only customer. That is the difference between a good dealer and one that really does not care. I would complain to Hunter about the dealers lack of responce.
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Greg Stebbins
SOS (Same Ol Stuff) I guess.
There is no such thing as stainless steel. There are "highly stain resistant steels but all require fairly frequent cleaning and care. Interesting point on road vibration Steve. You'd think Hunter would supply a detailed check list for the dealers -no? Greg
There is no such thing as stainless steel. There are "highly stain resistant steels but all require fairly frequent cleaning and care. Interesting point on road vibration Steve. You'd think Hunter would supply a detailed check list for the dealers -no? Greg
But can they read?
There may be many things that Hunter recommends to the dealer but do they bother to read it. Our Hunter 31 was suppose to have the deck sealed before the mast was stepped. If they had been done this I would not have needed to spend $3500 to have the compression post replaced either. Sounds like Tom's dealer doesn't read either! Everyone purchasing a new boat should ask the dealer for a copy of the "check list" from the factory. Then you can just check up on the stuff they "said" they did <enlightening>.
There may be many things that Hunter recommends to the dealer but do they bother to read it. Our Hunter 31 was suppose to have the deck sealed before the mast was stepped. If they had been done this I would not have needed to spend $3500 to have the compression post replaced either. Sounds like Tom's dealer doesn't read either! Everyone purchasing a new boat should ask the dealer for a copy of the "check list" from the factory. Then you can just check up on the stuff they "said" they did <enlightening>.
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Jack Laird
Nothing new here
My h27 is 21 years old, I've had it for 17 years. Guess what no inslutation on the ice box, none. Never had never will. Makes great dry storage. Love my Hunter.
My h27 is 21 years old, I've had it for 17 years. Guess what no inslutation on the ice box, none. Never had never will. Makes great dry storage. Love my Hunter.
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Jim McCue
new model birth defects
When the 28.5s came out, I bought one of the first off the assembly line. As with all "Version 1" software, new boats have similar design birth defects. In my case it was the tv dinner pie plate "molded-in" design of a side-by-side bubble box and fuel tank. As it turned out my recurring fuel contamination was cause by a bad lid seal atop the two adjacent compartments which cause bubble box water to leak into the fuel compartment. After a year of trying to nudge my dealer about this chronic problem, I finally had my corporate finance attorney send a "stiff" letter to the dealer and Hunter. While the dealer balked that Hunter didn't pay them enough labor compensation to fix these Hunter birth problems, I finally got some a remedy!- A new drop-in poly fuel tank and bubble box. Sometimes you just gotta push all parties into the same room and tell 'em ----or you are gonna be the monkey in the middle indefinitely. I think Hunter was reasonable once I my problem was separated from their dealer relationship issues. A little later, I had a Rudder that split vertically - Hunter air-freighted me a new one within the week and installed by the dealer about as quickly! Thanks to Hunter and dealer for talking/thinking about customer satisfaction ahead of their internal issues!! Without customer satisfaction, both parties are not going to make it in the long term.
When the 28.5s came out, I bought one of the first off the assembly line. As with all "Version 1" software, new boats have similar design birth defects. In my case it was the tv dinner pie plate "molded-in" design of a side-by-side bubble box and fuel tank. As it turned out my recurring fuel contamination was cause by a bad lid seal atop the two adjacent compartments which cause bubble box water to leak into the fuel compartment. After a year of trying to nudge my dealer about this chronic problem, I finally had my corporate finance attorney send a "stiff" letter to the dealer and Hunter. While the dealer balked that Hunter didn't pay them enough labor compensation to fix these Hunter birth problems, I finally got some a remedy!- A new drop-in poly fuel tank and bubble box. Sometimes you just gotta push all parties into the same room and tell 'em ----or you are gonna be the monkey in the middle indefinitely. I think Hunter was reasonable once I my problem was separated from their dealer relationship issues. A little later, I had a Rudder that split vertically - Hunter air-freighted me a new one within the week and installed by the dealer about as quickly! Thanks to Hunter and dealer for talking/thinking about customer satisfaction ahead of their internal issues!! Without customer satisfaction, both parties are not going to make it in the long term.
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Alex
Some SS are better than others..
..as I learned on my 95'-then new- 29.5.. Has same problems as yours , on all SS deck work , and being in salt waters , it agravated.. Reading some more on this matter , it looks there are various grades of SS , depending on additives components ( and there are quite few) to the basic 'steel' .There are some better ones , and there are less so.. From prevoius -and older-owned boats ,The differences in quality are noticeable quickly..One just has to work less often to keep them clean and shining.. I just have to work much harder to keep them clean ,than on my former 82' boat.. ( of some other big GRP production boat manufacturer).
..as I learned on my 95'-then new- 29.5.. Has same problems as yours , on all SS deck work , and being in salt waters , it agravated.. Reading some more on this matter , it looks there are various grades of SS , depending on additives components ( and there are quite few) to the basic 'steel' .There are some better ones , and there are less so.. From prevoius -and older-owned boats ,The differences in quality are noticeable quickly..One just has to work less often to keep them clean and shining.. I just have to work much harder to keep them clean ,than on my former 82' boat.. ( of some other big GRP production boat manufacturer).
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