Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

rnorman3

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Oct 2, 2012
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I drilled a small 5/16" hole for the transducer mounting screw to go in, got in about 1/4" (just through the fiberglass) and felt a void, maybe 1/8". Then the water started pouring out of the hole, maybe a 1/2 cup in total. Then I continued to drill and see wet wood bits coming out on the drill bit.

The boat was out of the water all winter, and if I look in the engine compartment where the bilge pump is she's dry. I'm worried this water was somehow trapped and is rotting the wood under the glass.

I've attached a picture. What do you think, is this a problem?

DSC03444.JPGDSC03445.jpgDSC03449.jpgDSC03450.jpg

Thanks!
Richard
 

jestor68

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Jun 12, 2012
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2,308
Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Your 2012 Bayliner has a hull structural warranty.

No water should be in the hull. You need to take this up with your selling dealer/Bayliner as a warranty issue.
 

crabby captain john

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Most surprising is Bayliner is still using wood in the construction of their boats in 2012! Wood or foam, no water should have been found in that hole.
 

smokeonthewater

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Yep this is a warranty issue... make SURE you save these pics and print em out for the dealer... you don't want them trying to blame this on your 'ducer install.
 

spoilsofwar

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Scary thought is that if you hadn't drilled for that transducer, you may never have known until the whole transom was mush years down the road. After the warranty had expired, of course.
 

agallant80

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

This does not give me the warm and fuzzy about my 2013 bayliner. When I drilled the hole for the Transducer I knew it was coming but was not happy to see wood chips, mine where dry though. I keep on telling myself there was a reason the 26 Searay was 30K more than the 25 Bayliner.....
 

crabby captain john

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

By 2000 many builders were stating "no wood" or "all composite" construction. Bayliner / Brunswick still using wood does surprise me in 2012/2013. Sea Ray is up there but a few others are even higher in cost. They are not giving Bayliners away either. Bayliner has a lifetime warranty to the original owner. In 5 or 10 years how would OP prove a mfg problem? I think he would have a problem then and a 2nd owner would be out of luck completely.

This does not give me the warm and fuzzy about my 2013 bayliner. When I drilled the hole for the Transducer I knew it was coming but was not happy to see wood chips, mine where dry though. I keep on telling myself there was a reason the 26 Searay was 30K more than the 25 Bayliner.....
 

tpenfield

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Yup, still plenty of wood going into fiberglass boats . . . the bigger issue here is why it has happened to a boat that is only 1-2 years old :noidea: has to be related to a defect in the layup of the hull and supporting structure.

Let the warranty claim games begin . . . .
 

littlerayray

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

this thread is going to be interesting:popcorn:

the only issue i have is that the op drilled the holes himself
that may be an issue which is why i had a certified tahoe mechanic/tech install my transducer
and it only cost me 140 bucks
 

rnorman3

Seaman
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Oct 2, 2012
Messages
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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Thanks everyone, another issue could be...I'm not the original owner. The original owner burned about 3 tanks of gas and sold it for whatever reason, i'm sure not related to any issues with the boat as he would have used the warranty. Can I still use the warranty?
 

NYBo

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Thanks everyone, another issue could be...I'm not the original owner. The original owner burned about 3 tanks of gas and sold it for whatever reason, i'm sure not related to any issues with the boat as he would have used the warranty. Can I still use the warranty?
:facepalm:

Checking with Bayliner is the only way to find out for sure.

Are you getting any water in the bilge? How are the bellows?
 

crabby captain john

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

That is where the "limited transfer" comes in. The one builder (not a Brunswick boat) I'm familiar with offer lifetime warranty to the original owner and the 2nd if sold within 3 years of purchase. Find the dealer soon.


Thanks everyone, another issue could be...I'm not the original owner. The original owner burned about 3 tanks of gas and sold it for whatever reason, i'm sure not related to any issues with the boat as he would have used the warranty. Can I still use the warranty?
 

rnorman3

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Oct 2, 2012
Messages
52
Leaking Boat?? Verdict is in and it's ugly...

Leaking Boat?? Verdict is in and it's ugly...

After taking the boat to the dealer over a month ago, they could not find the leak, and as a precaution re-sealed the drain hole flange?!?! Bayliner then assured me the problem was possibly fixed, and that my "boat is fabricated with marine grade materials designed to withstand water leaks without compromise to the structural integrity of your boat." So i.e. the soaked plywood in the transom is still ok.

Well, I finally got the time to look at it myself. I found many places in the transom area wet, where there should have been no water...high up places. Then I dried it all up with paper towel. I then flowed water from a hose over the swim deck down over the gunwale flange...guess what, water pretty much poured into the boat. You can see these pictures:DSC04427.jpgDSC04431.jpg

So as the water pours in, it fills the plywood ledge, plywood, and any voids that are in the transom. I drilled a hole for the sounder into such a void and water poured out (which is what first alerted me to an issue). Here's a picture of the ledge and plywood. You can even see a plywood join, jeeze, you'd think they could at least used one piece of plywood instead of a bunch joined together!
DSC04415.jpgDSC03541_WOOD.jpg

I showed bayliner the pics, they say bring it back to the dealer to get the flange fixed (I guess), said it's a warranty job...no kidding.

That was Friday, the forcast called for heavy rain this weekend so I put some RTV around the flange Friday, and found today it still leaked, so I would appear the entire gunwale flange it leaking and water is filling the flange and flowing all the way around (boat is nose up). I could see this before when I poured water over the starboard flange area and it came out the port side flange! WTF.

Anyway, so far this 2012 boat is just not what I expected it to be. Disappointed in Bayliner too, they seemed happy to leave it with re-sealing the flange and wash their hands of it, even though there was no evidence of a leak there...if I hadn't investigated it myself the boat would continue to leak forever or until it sank in the harbor maybe. I'm over half afraid to bring it in there for them to experiment on trying to fix the flange...I'm sure they don't know where the gunwale is.
 

crabby captain john

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

WoW!!!! I remember when Bayliner earned a terrible reputation during the '80s and '90s. Looks like they missed being known for shoddy workmanship. No reason for a boat to leave the factory like that, no reason for a dealer representative to miss it, and no reason for Bayliner to sluff the (major) problem.
 

dan02gt

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Aug 30, 2012
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463
Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

Man that sucks. I don't see how they're going to fix it without replacing the transom. In fact I would insist on it. The water that is all ready in it is probably never going to dry out, and your going to end up with a rotten transom in a few years.
 

rogerwa

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

This is lemon law type stuff.
 

airdvr1227

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

No lemon law for marine equipment.
 

crabby captain john

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Re: Leaking Boat?? Drilled Hole For Transducer 2012 bayliner 185

With all the technology available today this type of error should never leave the factory. With all the products available why does even an entry level boat have a wood transom? With the buying power of Brunswick there is no excuse no matter how cheap they want the sales price. OPs boat needs a new transom and only a year old. We don't know if there is a warranty or if one was transferred. Just to do what is right Bayliner should take the boat back to the factory to replace the transom. They should separate the hull to see what else was put together incorrectly.

Man that sucks. I don't see how they're going to fix it without replacing the transom. In fact I would insist on it. The water that is all ready in it is probably never going to dry out, and your going to end up with a rotten transom in a few years.
 
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