i have a 2013 Grady and today when winterizing the boat i unfolded the swim ladder to climb up. The ladder was totally rusted and had difficulty getting it apart. The boat is not stored in the water and rinsed after every time out. I am starting to get concerned over my purchase as i have had a few issues over poor engineering and poor design. Is anyone else having issues?
Anyone with a new boat rusting?
- Thread starter bigwaves
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you should definitely contact the dealer and have it tended to. if it is defective, they should replace it. that said, water could wind up inside the windline collapsible ladders if they lay relatively flat. mine does and i lift it to drain and polish every now and then. no rust though after 5 seasons. good luck, ron
Doc Stressor
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When you use a boat in saltwater, you need to extend the ladder to rinse it every time. Otherwise the salt will cause the interior surface to rust. Stainless steel is rust resistant, not really rust proof. You get crevice corrosion in any area that is not exposed to air. That's because the chloride in salt will remove the protective chromium oxide layer on the surface of the SS and without oxygen it can't reform. It's actually best to store the ladder extended if you can do that.
Just clean up the existing rust with any SS rust removal product and polish with Flitz twice per year. That's just normal SS maintenance in a saltwater environment.
Just clean up the existing rust with any SS rust removal product and polish with Flitz twice per year. That's just normal SS maintenance in a saltwater environment.
Doc stressor is spot on here. Stainless is not rust proof. You must maintain it and keep in dry (if possible) when stored. Keeping it dry and polished will mean less maintenance. Also, Doc is right on the money in terms of storing the ladder. I always clean mine, then dry it and store in extended. If you have it folded up, it will trap water from rain, etc, and that will rust a bit on the gelcoat. In terms of quality, I have all the original stainless on my 1994 Grady. She is a great boat. I purchased used and spit shined her to perfection. I don't have a 2013 Grady, but I can't imagine that Grady would put out an inferior product. Just clean her up and oil that stainless with a good stainless steel product. You will be good to go. Trust me, your Grady is top notch. Don't sweat the little stuff. Just tinker wih it and make Any necessary adjustments and repairs. She is a boat, so there will be those issues that pop up from time to time - even on a new rig. Now put some hours on that beast!
Thanks for the input on rusting issue. I have to say i am disappointed with the new boat and will have to lower my expectation around the quality. I have owned Whalers for years and never had any of the these kind of issues with that product line. Guess it's time to start replacing the items Grady cut corners on.
Same thing on my 2007 232. Small pocket of rust under my swim ladder. I would wash it after every trip, but I folded it back up afterword and the rust formed underneath it on my swim platform.
Fishtales
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I had an issue where the folding ladder would bang a bit too. I placed a small square of the fuzz side of Velcro on the spot. Solved both problems.
I also used the Velcro on the cabin folding door top. The black pieces let some light in when we stayed over in the early am. Placed a small strip on either side and light problem solved.
I also used the Velcro on the cabin folding door top. The black pieces let some light in when we stayed over in the early am. Placed a small strip on either side and light problem solved.
The dealer said this is not the first complaint and Grady is replacing ladders. There is different grades of stainless and some hold up better in saltwater. Two months seems to be on the low side. I have it replaced in the spring when they fix the other issues.
bigwaves said:
Sell it now before you are further disappointed and go get another Whaler.
We only have about 2000 hours under power and thousands of miles under our keel, so haven't have a chance to be disappointed yet.
Brian
Doc Stressor
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It may well be that Grady is having a supplier problem. They don't manufacture or spec their own hardware. They use branded hardware just like any other boat manufacturer. I've always found their hardware to be high grade. On par with Whaler and the other higher tier brands.
The problem is that just about everything made of steel comes from China. If factory #349 suddenly decides to use a cheaper grade of stainless, everybody using that manufacturing source suddenly has a problem.
Any manufacturer can have this type of problem. The can't know about the issue until they get complaints from owners.
I'm sure that Grady will step up and replace defective parts under warranty. They alway have in the past.
The problem is that just about everything made of steel comes from China. If factory #349 suddenly decides to use a cheaper grade of stainless, everybody using that manufacturing source suddenly has a problem.
Any manufacturer can have this type of problem. The can't know about the issue until they get complaints from owners.
I'm sure that Grady will step up and replace defective parts under warranty. They alway have in the past.
I hate it when manufacturers cut corners like that. It is so short sighted. Mercedes cars did the same thing about 20 years ago and it took them ages to get their reputation back again as a 'premium quality' car company.
I doubt GW is cutting corners on things like the swim platform. The Chinese steel theory is much more plausible. GW will take care of you. They have fixed defects on my boat LONG after the warranty period. Their customer service is legendary.