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AI crack around Cam Lock Bolt
http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=51467		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Ed17 [ Sun Jun 01, 2014 12:14 pm ]
Post subject:  AI crack around Cam Lock Bolt
How ironic, earlier I was viewing all the crack conversations in this forum and thought how lucky I was not to have had any in my two kayaks, a tandem Outback and a AI...... short lived thought, as I checked earlier for a place to tie down transducer cables for a Fish Finder/Plotter installation, my hear sank as I was looking inside the hull and spotted a clean crack in the plastic tube around the bolt that holds the port Cam Lock Knob. A place that it would never occur to look at upon the delivery inspection of a new kayak...you'd have to get your head inside the forward hatch and turn it 90 degrees towards the back of the boat..not a comfortable position nor a logical pre-delivery inspection point; nevertheless, that was the maneuver my curiosity dictated me to take, instead of tying cables around the easily accessible mast post.

This was my kayak #2 for solo use, a Tandem Outback being the main family fun kayak. The AI never got much use at all, perhaps three easy outings in Biscayne Bay and one in the Everglades, in four years.....practically new, as it was garage kept. No scenarios come to mind for a "user caused" damage.

My question to Hobie is three-fold: a) Would manufacturer warranty apply to "undiscovered" factory defects after a stipulated warranty time?, b) In the event I had discovered the issue shortly after delivery, would Hobie have replaced the kayak, or offered a fix? , c) What is the ultimate downside of that crack creeping on during use in the ocean?

I just finished rigging the AI with a sail Kit, AMA sidekicks, live bait well and the Lowrance Elite-4 HDI on hand was next.

My gut feeling tells me that the bolt for the cam lock knob was over torqued during installation, as I could not think of any torque forces during normal use that could act upon that area to compress the bolt cover until it ruptured. As a pilot I've seen some stress cracks on aircraft and helicopter fuselages that had rational explanations, I am no expert on kayak dynamics and cannot figure this one out.

Any comments would be welcome.

I have a picture of the crack; however, at this moment I seem to be technically challenged and cannot seem to figure how to attach it....I will when the "light bulb" comes on.

Ed
Author:  mmiller [ Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: AI crack around Cam Lock Bolt
Warranty is... as discovered... not back dated to an unknown period from which it might have happened. Too difficult. A cam column is now pretty old as a kayak goes. We have used click and go for many years now.

This is repairable as noted by roadrunner in a number of posts.

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=10176&p=89541

Quote:
There are two excellent epoxies for PE: One is 3M scotchweld DP 8010 and the other is Locktite3030. They are both industrial epoxies and may be found at an industrial supplier. You can check with the manufacturers for a nearby location. This is a "reinforced" cam column using DP 8010:
Image
Not pretty, but it increases the strength substantially.
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