Warranty

[sun17cat]

Last September I purchased a new SunCat. While doing out initial clean up I noticed water stains at the bottom of the ash liner in the cabin (both sides). We tried to bleach them out without success but they weren't too bad so I kinda forgot about them. Over the winter I did all of the interior and exterior teak and, with sanding, lightened the stains a little more. Now summer comes and our boat is out of storage and in the water, we've had a lot of rain here in Indiana. Everytime we go to the boat there is water under the seat cushions and the boards are getting more moldy and stained. I remove and  all screws and seal the holes holes along the top and bottom of the rub rail, still leaking! I finally call the factory and they have the dealer call me. At his request I do a thorough water test and find that water is coming in around the port light, at least on one side ,and probably both. I now tighten the screws and use a crack sealer recommended by the dealer. More money and time but still leaking. OK, enough! Time to have these repairs and the refinishing of the wood done under warranty. I call and talk to both Hutchins and am told I have to take the boat back to the dealer, a trip that takes a total 10 hours up an back and two tanks of gas.
After much complaining the dealer finally agrees to bring the boat back to me if I get it to him. I still will not do this as the time and money will be more than if I do the work myself. When I purchased the boat this was the closest dealer to me, they now have one a half hour away.  I have even purchased cockpit cushions and a bimini thru them. The factory will not authorize this dealer to do the work since it is their policy that the boat must be returned to the selling dealer. Frankly when you have this few of dealers and many people have to go quite a distance to buy your product you should authorize a local craftsman to do repairs that are under warranty and pay for them. But to not let a local dealer do the work is absurd. The boats may be nice but don't buy one if you do not live close to the dealer and expect the factory to stand behind the product. I know this story sounds unbelievable but it 100% accurate and I do not write this lightly but only after giving the factory many opportunities to do the right thing and not even  asking for help until I had spent many hours and some money trying to fix it myself.

Jim

[Joseph]

Jim,

In older boats it is common to see leaks like those you describe. However, it is surprising to see it happening simultaneously in BOTH portholes in a brand new Com-Pac. I understand that you already did a thorough water test, but are you completely sure that the leak comes from a failure in the caulking seal around the portholes themselves? Many hatch doors are not completely "water proof", and under heavy rain and strong wind may let some water through, which then runs along linings and bulkheads to collect in remote places. Could this be a possibility? Another source of at least some of the water could be condensation: during the summer, the inner lining of the hull below waterline is usually cooler than the air inside the boat, which may result in significant amounts of condensation.

J.

[sun17cat]

Joseph, it is definitely coming in the opening port since when running water specifically to test that area there was a steady drip running in from the port and down the side and then under the cushion. I have owned ten boats and cruised and lived aboard full time so I have seen and repaired most problems that can happen to a boat. I can fix this but I shouldn't have to, nor should I have to spend more time and money to return the boat to the dealer than it will take me to fix it. The Hutchins warranty policy is just not realistic and certainly not customer friendly.

Jim

[Joseph]

Jim,

I have not had any direct dealings with the Hutchins Company. but from what I have gathered it has excellent reputation both for quality and customer service. Perhaps in this case the company is bound itself by the terms of their agreement with the dealer?

Are the terms of the Hutchins warranty policy spelled out in black on white? Could it be posted here? This might help prospective buyers to negotiate with the dealers better terms according with location, etc.

J.

[sun17cat]

Joseph, the warranty does not specify that it must be returned to the selling dealer and I pointed that out to them but to no avail. Your thought is a good one for anyone buying a new boat.  Get it in writing that any warranty repairs must be done so as not to inconvience the customer.

Jim

[jamato323]

Sorry to hear about your warranty problems. My experience with Hutchins was the opposite. I had leakage in my new SunCat and called them. They asked if I could bring it up to them (about 75 miles away) as I had not purchased the boat from a local dealer. They even said that, if they needed to keep the boat to repair it, they would transport it back to me themselves. After examination they determined that the problem was owner (me) caused and fixed it for free. I know they pride themselves on happy customers as well as their workmanship. That is why I went back to Hutchins for my second SunCat. My nickel's worth.*
*inflation
Paul

[sun17cat]

I suppose if I were close to the factory they would have done that. Their stance on this has just amazed me. Anyway it looks like the dealer is going to pick it up in October and fix it and then return it to me. That would be Great Lakes Sailboat Company in E. Lansing, MI. I tried to get the portlights out but could not as I don't have the right tools and after seeing the difficulty was concerned about damaging the gel coat. I still say shame on the Hutchins for the inconvenience to their dealer and to me.

Jim