Noble Boat <2yo Cracked and Sinking

[fin101]

I feel very sorry for you, I would be angry as hell with Noble for putting your family at risk with an obviously shonky job. To be quiet honest it would be a good thing for people to avoid this brand entirely. The boating industry desperately needs a regulatory body to police the practices of builders and dealers, you can buy a car for $15000 and look at the technology in that compared to a boat, the industry as a whole needs a bloody good clean out. One of the boats I bought a while back had fuel leaking out the breathers because when they mounted the consol they drilled 6 holes in the floor that went through the breather hoses, I couldn't even fill the tank, it would have been sloshing around in the bilge and a fire hazard. I rang the dealer who signed off on the so called water test and gave him hell, he could not have possibly missed this, the boat reeked of fuel and fumes, I was not very happy, especially so as I was about to take my daughter fishing, cowboys galore in the boat industry unfortunately.

[TREVELLY]

If anyone is doubting the ability of the cracks to fill the boat let me just say that 0.25ml of water is a drip - 2 drips per second for six days is 260 litres - so yes these cracks can readily fill the boat.

Also previous outings have resulted in dry compartments when bungs removed.

[tunaticer]

If anyone is doubting the ability of the cracks to fill the boat let me just say that 0.25ml of water is a drip - 2 drips per second for six days is 260 litres - so yes these cracks can readily fill the boat.

Also previous outings have resulted in dry compartments when bungs removed.

I am not doubting your cracks do let the water enter your hull, just seems to be a LOT of water you emptied.
Your avatar shows the area of the cracks to be some 15cm above the waterline at rest which is when water will slop onto the area and enter the cracks. Whilst underway this area would not incur any bulk water as the water will be down at the bottom of the transom or near enough to it, leaving spray to give any added water. When you back off you could get a sizeable stern wave come over the area for a few seconds.

I still think that there is another source of the water to access the holds.

BTW 1ml = approximately 20 drops of water not 4.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/culin...l-to-drop.html

260 litres of water = 260 000 ml = 5 200 000 drips
your 6 days = 518 400 seconds = 10.03 drips per second every second of your 6 days i.e that duck board must be awash or submerged 24/7 to obtain the approx 260 litres.

I would be doing further investigation to the source of the water, those two cracks may not be the only problem area. Could the outboard bolts be admitting water through those holes as well being submerged at all times apart from being underway.

[IcyDuck]

Let me also extend my best wishes for your son and the family. The last thing you need is drama like this to sour the enjoyment you should be getting out of the boat.

Even the most expensive and prestige brands have issues from time to time, but it is the response and willingness of the dealer and manufacturer to the problem that matters most. It is a serious concern that no-one from Noble has even replied to you. Any decent business, in this age of technology, cannot be uncontactable for that amount of time.

I noticed that Noble had a full page add in the latest Trailer Boat magazine. Their tag line was "Great Boats. Great Ride. Great Service". I hope they honour that statement. There were a number of other claims in the advertising that have been thrown into serious doubt by what has occurred here.

Hope it all works out for you.

Regards,
Phil

[TREVELLY]

Tunaticer - you are right the duckboard is out of the water in the avatar - I do recall though each time I went to the boat in the canoe I would try and get into the boat on the duckboard keeping my feet dry and never succeeded as there was always water over it. Most likely as a consequence of the sub-floor filling up.

If the water was getting in through the motor bolts it would go into the middle compartment where the pump is rather than the outer sealed compartments where the cracks feed.

Back to it - got the carpet up and the fuel tank floor cover up now to drain the fuel - hmmmm.

Phil, what I am doing will most likely void the warranty - but I can't wait indefinitely.

This may be a one off and they may have a good reason - family emergency etc. It's hard to say but either way if they want to make good their name they have to make some improvements.

[fisho8]

Trev I am very sad to hear this mate. I was big fan of those boats I am sure you will get it sorted. make sure you keep the invoices and a record of the email's as you may be able to see recovery off them once they get back to you.

[DAZMC1]

Attachment 79629Attachment 79628Attachment 79627here,s some pics of the same boat but built in Aust.

[fin101]

Apart from the bad workmanship and loss of enjoyment from his hard earned , the worrying factor here is the time frame and a lack of ability to contact manufacturer. What the hell kind of business are they running???, if I was a dealer for Noble International I would be concerned greatly, for myself and my clients. BTW, the workmanship in the photos is poor at best, and totally unacceptable.

[2IC]

Back to it -got the carpet up and the fuel tank floor cover up now to drain the fuel - hmmmm.

Trev ,, Tim & I are off for a fish sunday arvo need 150ls to top off shall we call past??? mate just trying to helpwhat are you doing have a spot heading up to the hards Cheers Bill

[Stuart]

That’s not welds that’s chook sh!t at best. I know one other guy with similar problems in the much the same areas. I had a look at them last year at the tinny and tackle show, if a boat needs that much bog and not one weld could be seen then that worries me. The transom design is flawed, period. The naval architect that designed my hull included a full depth 8mm engine girder which also included as the full-length keel beam
The attached photos clearly show the inadequacies of the design and welds, don’t have to be an engineer or welder to see that. Piss poor effort.
It’s got me buggered how and why they would think box section has any sort of strength, particularly in the transom. I have always said that any clown can build and sell boats in Australia, why there is no certification required beggars belief. Yep, can buy a welder, tae out some flash ads, take photos of your boat speeding along in a river somewhere and then sell a boat. No previous experience, no certification, not even a ticket in welding but somehow you can build and sell boats. This ff course doesn’t help you, I cannot imagine your grief that you have worked your arse off or this boat and ultimately you have been let down. I would be seeking legal advice and see what recourse you may have. Warranty is only as good as the company morals. Both seem lacking in this situation. Even if the boat is out of warranty, there is also another warranty, which is called implied warranty. That means the product is still covered for a certain time outside the manufactures warranty because the boat should last longer than 2 or even 4 years.

[ozscott]

Thats doesnt look good mate - I am not a welder by trade, but have done TAFE courses, and weld my own stuff, and I would be horrified to have that bird poo look a like weld on my stuff. Even as tack welds (if thats what they were) they are bad. All the best with the remanufacture and with your little bloke.

At least with you doing it, you can control the repair work and made sure you are confident in putting your family in it again.

Cheers

PS. Very interested to know if Noble will comment on here publicly about their workmanship and build quality in their Chinese factory.

[TREVELLY]

Hi DAZ - sorry mate but I can't see the pics on my computer.

Bill thanks for both offers - very considerate - I did get 110litres out and not quite finished yet. The missus pounced onto 40l for her car and although I can store 100l in jerry cans I am sure daughter will take any left tomorrow - being a poor uni student she always has the car only 1/4 full. And using 98% fuel in her car will most likely make it break down.

Tomorrow I will finish emptying the fuel tank and take it out. I don't know that I will see much in that compartment.

The carpet was well glued down and the lid over tanks well sealed but easy enough to remove once the rivets drilled out.

Stuart it is not anywhere near as good as box section - it is channel section bending about it's weakest axis - any engineer will tell you that is a no no. If it were full length welded to the back plate it would be a box section.

Here are pics of transom motor upstand cracks exposed and the tank now near empty and ready to be removed.


bob12.JPGbob10.jpgbob11.jpg

[WalFish]

Trev, I remember seeing you with your new boat up at Lucinda in the Wanderers Caravan Park when you picked her up. Was some pretty average conditions but you still had a grin from ear to ear enjoying your new rig. I hope that your repairs all work out and that you get some assistance from Noble.

[TREVELLY]

Trev, I remember seeing you with your new boat up at Lucinda in the Wanderers Caravan Park when you picked her up. Was some pretty average conditions but you still had a grin from ear to ear enjoying your new rig. I hope that your repairs all work out and that you get some assistance from Noble.

Hey Wal,

Thanks mate and to others offering the same sentiment.

Yes it was pretty poor at Lucinda when there, but still enjoyed the adventure and it was great to say "hi" although you bumped into me when I had just found the front of the hull filled with water and aluminium filings and cuttings from the fit out.

Will get this tub back on the water even without Noble - but I would not say no to some assistance at fixing up the paint from repairs and their build paint job - but as I said to them in letter the failures in paint job happened in first year but were cosmetic so I did not chase a fix up - but now it's structural . . . . time will tell. They may say nick off you have done the repairs without our approval . . .so.

Disappointed with the discovery but at the same time amazed they held together for so long considering the amount of offshore driving I have done - just about all of the 240 hours I would say. Do wonder if it could have turned pear shaped real fast a long way out too.

[Stuart]

For safety sake, I would be stripping the boat back to bar hull, fix/re weld and fix strengthen any potential problem areas. The next big one and one I would certainly do is get the whole hull sandblasted. Then you will see even more issues, hopefully not but I suspect you will. Fix those and then prep and repaint. It sounds like a big job and it is. Its better if you fix the hull to level that you have confidents nothing more will happen.
It’s a big commitment and will cost a bit but what’s the alternative? I would also be pursing retribution.