A Grady-White lemon?

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mronzo

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After reading a thread on THT about a "lemon Contender" I was wondering if anyone here has ever had a major manufacturer defect in a newly purchased Grady White?
I checked out the THT Contender thread and couldn't believe the pictures!
major cracks wide and deep! hollows behind the gelcoat! ugh!
So if anyone has had an issue like that with a GW,
A) I'd like to know about it and
B) Did GW make it right easily or did you get a run around?

I've never heard anything like that about Grady-White- EVER!
 
I have always read on various boards that the Grady White Factory customer service is second to none. If I had $$$ for a new boat I would not think twice, Grady is the way to go. There are always minor issues with any new boat to work out. I have nothing but confidence in the Grady name. I have read plenty of bad reviews from other companies but NOT Grady.
 
We have been somewhat observant of the Grady products and have not come across the Contender disaster you read about on THT. We have been following that thread as well.
FYI, one of the deck panels in our 12 year old Grady White was soft. Grady White replaced both panels on warranty. On a 12 year old boat! Personally, I don't think you have to worry about Grady support in case of a problem. What you do need to be conscious of is the dealership you buy the boat from. Dealerships can very so be vigilant before you buy.
 
lemon contender

My wife and I just bought a 2007 GW 330 and when we surveyed it the hull, above the water line, showed several (5-10) voids behind the gel coat. some were big (6 inches across). The boat was still on warranty so GW forked over about $2k to make the repairs. The only problem was the shoddy work performed by Quality Boats in Clearwater who contracted with the fiberglass repair person. We were taking the boat to the other side of the state so I guess they thought they could do a fast and dirty job, charge GW a premium price and they would never have to deal with us again. We questioned the poor workmanship when we took delivery but were assured that the color would "even out once it is in the sun for awhile." When we got the boat home to port canaveral and were taking our time to wax the hull we found about 5 more voids (1-2 inches diameter). Once again GW stepped up and paid to have these repaired but this time we selected a local who was known for good work and he knew we lived in the area. He did a fabulous job but commented on the shoddy work done in Clearwater. When we called Quality Boats they were not receptive to our complaints but finally offered to take a look at the poor work if we would bring the boat back to them ($1200 gas one way). Needless to say we are very pleased with GW but less than pleased with Quality Boats. As an aside, GW extended our hull warranty for an additional three years (8 years total). You can't ask for more than that from the company.

Ken
 
I have heard locally that the Contender "lemon" is much ado about a guide boat and SKA hard charger that beat his boat up and gave it dramatic abuse. Blatantly looking for a freebie replacement. Not confirmed, but local lore. Contender prevailed mightily in court. That's of record,
 
lemon contender

My wife and I just bought a 2007 GW 330 and when we surveyed it the hull, above the water line, showed several (5-10) voids behind the gel coat. some were big (6 inches across). The boat was still on warranty so GW forked over about $2k to make the repairs. The only problem was the shoddy work performed by Quality Boats in Clearwater who contracted with the fiberglass repair person. We were taking the boat to the other side of the state so I guess they thought they could do a fast and dirty job, charge GW a premium price and they would never have to deal with us again. We questioned the poor workmanship when we took delivery but were assured that the color would "even out once it is in the sun for awhile." When we got the boat home to port canaveral and were taking our time to wax the hull we found about 5 more voids (1-2 inches diameter). Once again GW stepped up and paid to have these repaired but this time we selected a local who was known for good work and he knew we lived in the area. He did a fabulous job but commented on the shoddy work done in Clearwater. When we called Quality Boats they were not receptive to our complaints but finally offered to take a look at the poor work if we would bring the boat back to them ($1200 gas one way). Needless to say we are very pleased with GW but less than pleased with Quality Boats. As an aside, GW extended our hull warranty for an additional three years (8 years total). You can't ask for more than that from the company.

Ken
 
We were plagued by a leaky cabin for the first two years after buying our 2005 Gulfstream. It turned out that the rub rail or the joint underneath it was not properly sealed during manufacturing.

Our Grady dealer, Port Harbor Marine in Portland Maine, never gave up on the problem, and never rested until we were happy. Port Harbor fixed the problem and now our cabin stays dry in all conditions.

Go see Ron Dearborn at Port Harbor if you're in the market for a GW in Northern New England. He's the best in our book.
 
ahill said:
I have heard locally that the Contender "lemon" is much ado about a guide boat and SKA hard charger that beat his boat up and gave it dramatic abuse. Blatantly looking for a freebie replacement. Not confirmed, but local lore. Contender prevailed mightily in court. That's of record,
Click to expand...

Contender lost in court, about $60k I think. They are appealing the loss.
Not sure the real story, but if you look at that thread and the pictures, not sure what should cause a boat to come apart like that structurally. Especially a boat that bills itself as a premier tournament rig.
 
Defective materials used in construction can cause this and more.

This is in addition to workmanship and design issues.
 
Thanks for the replies folks! Keep them coming
 
I can think of two defects: 1) when the 33 express first came out the hull had some flex in it and 2) the newer hard shell roof liners in the cabins have a tendency to crack in the northeast. In both cases Grady stood behind their product and fixed the problems... no questions asked. As a matter of fact they came right to my dock and fixed my roof liner and they kept "thanking me" for letting them interrupt my boating to do the fix. INCREDABLE!!!
 
When I purchased my Sailfish in 2000, the boat bilge area was not sealed properly and there was wood exposed. The delivery guy noticed this also and arranged to have a fiberglass person fix the problem. As far as I know, it was fixed properly although it isn't as smooth as you will find in today's grady's.
 
ahill said:
Re Contender, my source must be questionable.
Thanks for the update.
Click to expand...

Understandably, Contender owners want this issue to go away.
 
HDGWJOE said:
I can think of two defects: 1) when the 33 express first came out the hull had some flex in it and 2) the newer hard shell roof liners in the cabins have a tendency to crack in the northeast. In both cases Grady stood behind their product and fixed the problems... no questions asked. As a matter of fact they came right to my dock and fixed my roof liner and they kept "thanking me" for letting them interrupt my boating to do the fix. INCREDABLE!!!
Click to expand...

I just had my cabin headliner repaired. GW stepped up to the plate without a question. Very impressive for a 6.5 year old boat. The directive to tech from GW? " Do whatever it takes to make it right".

Kudos to GW customer service! :D
 
lemon contender

richie rich said:
GradyHound, how did you or the surveyor actually spot the voids behind the gelcoat?
Click to expand...

Our surveyor used a nylon hammer and tapped the entire hull. The change in sound indicated the voids.
 
And then you found some more voids on your own using the tap method? I've done that for wet/rotted wood but not for the glass itself. Did the repair shop grind out all these areas and relaminate glass, or just add filler? What a job...

I see similar 1 inch voids from the inside after I ground down the glass for laminating....when you wash down the hull, the wet surface really shows the white spots....lots of them. But I can dig till I hit China to try and repair them all....figure the hull made it this far without cracking, it can keep going.....

thanks for the info GH
 
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