Stress cracks, stress cracks, stress cracks!!! What can I say. I have to live 30 days without my boat, but they assured me the problem would be corrected... Fingers crossed.

What year is it?

I have a 2000 nitro nx750. And about after 6 months of buying it new, i started having stress cracks over the cap, and around the storage comp. I called and fought with them over the phone several times and got nowhere. They said it was natural and ALL boats got them. Well i did not think a NEW bot just 6 months old should look like that. I had a local shop look at it and they said they had never seen one look that bad.

So they will never get another dime from me again. I will NEVER buy another nitro or any boat made by that same company.

Just courious - do you still have the boat?

Boat manufacturers telling people stress cracks are "natural and all boats get them" are just making excuses for poor design and manufacturing. Rough water and extreme use will sometimes cause stress cracks, but well made boat do not stress crack excessively. If you went out and bought a new Corvette for $60K and got stress cracks all over it after 6 months all heck would break loose. Boat manufacturers have gotten a free ride on this for a long time and it is time for them to improve their process rather than make up lame excuses.

Boss i do still have the boat. Bought it new and have had it ever since. I have also kept it covored and in a garage since it was new.

I agree hasben. Like i said earlier i made several calls and to no avail i got nowhere with it all. Only other thing i thought i could do was get a lawyer and i didnt want to go through all that hassel.

But they lost a customer for life!!

I have a 1997 Javelin 379 with zero stress cracks. Stress cracks do not happen to all boats and are definitely not natural.

JOe

I gree joe, i have been in several boats that were older than mine that didnt have a crack one in them anywhere. But it has been to long now, my boat is nearly 10 years old.

In July I had to send my Bug back for stress cracks in the hull. Skeeter did a great job but it sucked not having a boat for 30 days.

I am selling my skeeter are you interested in buying one?

My 2004 ZX225 had a few minor cracks on the top cap. I took it back to the factory and had them repair them. It took about 2 weeks. I have had one come back where the console meets the deck if you look real close ( you would never see it if i didn't have a white boat ). I mostly fish Texoma and i don't stay home on windy days. Until i drive a boat that handles better at high speeds in rough water i am sticking with my Skeeter. My dad has a 2008 ZX250 with a 300 and only fishes Texoma and after two years has ZERO stress cracks.

It's interesting to see the difference between boat owners.

Every bass boat guy believes every stress crack is totally the fault of the boat builder. We all want a hull that runs 80, sparkles, and never cracks regardless of what we put it through.

Then, watch say an offshore guy who just dropped $200,000 on his big tuna schooner, they expect cracks. It happens, and the boat company would laugh at them if they were expected to fix a 3" stress crack.

It's not any sort of editorial of anyone here, just observations from being in the business.

I own a Ranger and have not noticed any stress cracks. My old boat was a Stratos and I did notice some on it. Both boats were kept under cover and taken care of.

Every boat will get a stress crack in it at some point. I can go through a lot of used boats and find them in EVERY boat. Every boat company has issues with stress cracks at some point.

Skeeters, look behind the seats or the corners of the Rod Boxes.

Rangers, around the consoles and Rod boxes.

Champions - under the flanges of the deck lids.

I've given up trying to fix a lot of the stress cracks. We can fix the crack, but not the reason why it cracks. It will generally come back immediately in front or behind the original crack.

But, as Pat said, depending on how the boat is driven is the biggest issue with stress cracks.