Mirage drive cutting into hull... Common issue?

I have a 2015 Pro Angler 17t. Yesterday while prepping for a trip, I discovered a round "notch" in the front of the rear drive hole. Looking at the middle one which is rarely used, over half of the plastic has been chewed through by the drive. I always make sure the drives are locked in. I contacted my local dealer and they have forwarded pictures to Hobie Cat. Still under warranty, but I have found people reporting that Hobie sent them plastic welding kits to resolve similar issues. Not an avenue I want to pursue on a craft this pricey. Not sure how to attach pics.

Never heard of this one before. Years ago we had some cracking issues, but not wear like you describe. There is nothing about using the drives that should be doing that.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Are the fins on your mirage drive bent severely? I am thinking that might be the cause of the issue.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

No, they are straight.

That is VERY unusual. Maybe thin, but the material is sheared. Do you brace with both feet pushing on the pedals?

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

1

I have been providing customer support for much longer than that. I mean nothing more than it is not something I have seen, so is VERY unusual to me. I have already suggested (via PM) you file a claim, not insinuating fault. I am just trying to understand what your are showing us.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

This looks like some sort of abrasion process. Is there anything peculiar about the front notch of any of your Drives? The other thing I would check is the Click N Go for that drivewell to see that is securely mounted and allows no front, back or side movement with the Drive (up and down rocking is OK and should not cause any friction).

Just to be clear, is this happening in the forward part of the rear drivewell, correct? The reason I'm asking is because the PA 17 is the first that has a backward facing seat -- it would be good to eliminate this aspect from being a possible cause of the problem. Standard drivewells are reinforced differently at the front vs. the rear.

Finally, I wonder if a bubble or air pocket was trapped under that drivewell tongue. That would be very rare with the rotomolding process, but perhaps possible. To that end it would be good to know if this happened suddenly or progressively. There would be no way of knowing without further use to see if the wear continues, but the abrupt color change in your photo suggests a possible sudden collapse.

Your concern is understandable, but once you've dealt with Hobie for awhile, you will see it is not their style to try to cover up a defect or attempt to pin the blame on somebody. But when you're trying to get to the root of a unique issue like this, it's important to explore any any and all clues that may be related in an effort to solve the problem. Perhaps being in customer service for so long has made you a bit sensitive. Most here will assure you that Hobie takes good care of their customers. Since you appear to be the first person to have this problem and and the PA 17 has some unique capabilities, it's possible they may be related.

BTW I don't work for Hobie -- just sharing my opinion as a fellow forum member.

Thank you for your input, your assurances do help.
Click and go has some wiggle, more than the other two wells.
Yes, it is the front of the rear (3rd from the front) drive well. Very hard to get a good pic.

Yes, it definitely feels like it is due to friction, and I will take a closer look at my drives.

Honestly, I cannot tell you if it was spontaneous or gradual as I just noticed it the other day while prepping for a trip. The rear seat always has faced forward and there has almost always been someone in the front facing forward. We have not yet tried the Social seating position yet. I thought it was just the front seat that turned around.

I really hope that they are as fantastic as my hobie dealer. Perhaps too long in the task chair has made me cynical. The way Mike's questioning came across was abrasive and felt like he was leading towards user error by asking me if I brace myself on my pedals. This is my first pedal kayak and I do my best to baby her. I am hyper critical about pulling the skeg, rudder, and drives when coming up to the trailer from a day in the water.

With the amount of cash invested in the product and only 7-8 months of once/twice a week trips, the tone of his questioning put me on edge.
I would expect service like my dealer delivers, who is working with Hobie Cat to get this resolved.

Once again... my apologies that I offended you. Not my intention at all. I know it is difficult to tell tone in a text. The one word in caps was only expressing that this is clearly not normal. Lots of users read these forums and I spoke not only to you when I wrote the response. I am an investigator in a way and try to understand the problems presented here.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thank you for the apology, I appreciate it. I am on edge about this whole situation, and there is a high probability that I over reacted to your questions.
So as member Roadrunner suggested, I tested the click and go in the rear drive well. I think it is the culprit. There is nearly a half inch of play going forward and back if you wiggle the drive when locked in. Barely any side to side, but front to back it moves. Cannot compare to the other drives right as it is trailered and the cradles cover half the well.

Rest assured... we will replace the hull for you. Our warranty manager has already assured your dealer. This is clearly a defect that I can see in the image.

I don't think the drive play is so much the issue. When you pedal... the spine mostly rests on the forward ledge. It does not typically bump back and forth. Pedal motions are primarily forward pressure on the drive. The fore and aft play in the well is normal but, your's is excessive. Every boat has that to insure the drive locks into the click and go before the spine rests on the ledges. It is bulit-in tolerance. The material appears to be pushed downward by the spine, not worn away. That seems to mean the material sheared and was (as shown in the image) is stacked up at the bottom. The PA 17 is a beast to mold. There are so many features that have to be covered by the plastic. Sometimes an area can be thinner than intended. It is science and art at work and not every part is the same.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks Matt!
I just got the call and I am picking up the new hull today! I now have complete faith in Hobie cat customer support and warranty claims!! What a painless and seamless interaction between myself, my hobie dealer, and Hobie Cat themselves. Very impressed to say the least. Going to have to rewire everything and dial the new craft in, but well worth it in the end. Thanks for bearing my harsh words and still working to get this squared away!

I would be more than happy to take that useless horrible 17T hull off of everyone's hands!

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937