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 Post subject: Getaway Hull Warranty
PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:10 am 
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I owned a Prindle 18’ for about 10 years and sold it awhile back. Having recently purchased a 2001 Getaway for its obvious advantages as a more family friendly boat. I have been well pleased with its simplicity and ease of setup. It also sails very well compared to the Prindle but lacks the obvious power / weight ratio, but that keeps the kids onboard.
However, I have read in several places about the hull problems with the early Getaway (2001), which is what I have. I paid $ 3500 for the boat with wings and $500 for the trailer knowing that it certainly needed some work on the hulls.
I did quite a bit of research and practiced doing some plastic welding and was able to very successfully repair a few short cracks at the front cross bar and a 1/2-inch tear below the water line. Don't bother getting a high $ plastic welders as there are lots of other options depending upon the size and location of the repair. I know this is an after the fact question, but in several places I have read about "Hobie standing behind their warranty" and I wanted some clarification if this was a lifetime warranty or simply limited to the original buyer of the boat, or for a limited time. I don't see any reappearances or issues with my repairs, but I would be nice to know if Hobie could help if need be, either in the advice department or with parts.


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 Post subject: Warranty
PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 9:40 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
The warranty on hulls is one year. We are happy to adjust the cost for replacements on older boats. Let us know if you see further problems.

I am surprised that you could weld the cross linked material, but this is one of the issues of a failed boat... under cooking. That could make the material weldable.

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


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 Post subject: Plastic Welding
PostPosted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 3:14 pm 
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Matt,

What I ended up doing for lack of other resources was tapping into the kayak community, which is more common where I live and has more experience it appears in repairing poly plastic hulls. See also automotive bumber repair community as well. Some of them are made the same CL-Polyethylene and they are more apt to really get beat up. I finally found the best welding rods off from <http://www.urethanesupply.com/storerods.html> for the HDPE clear rods. Another alternative for a small repairs is to use a body file to lightly shave the bottom of the skegs. My skegs needed some smoothing anyway and I was able to render the shavings into small sticks that I could melt into the cracks.
I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with bonding the x-bars to the hulls. I have heard of this as a fix on 16’s but I am not sure. Of course, it is actually impossible to bond anything to polyethylene. However, on close inspection the problem with the front crossbar appeared to be to be an issue of surface contact area as much as a manufacturing defect in the plastic. Of course, I didn’t want to replace the hull but I did try something that seems to really work very well. After completely disassembling the boat, cleaning, sanding, fixing cracks, etc. I reassembled the x-bars in the hull using a liberal amount of gorilla glue < http://www.gorillaglue.com/gGlue.html>, which is urethane based waterproof glue. I prepared both the cross-bars and the hulls with a dremel too with matched grooves to give the glue something to expand into. It expanded several times its original sized and made a very solid waterproof joint between the x-bar and the hull. I can really tell a difference in hull distortion if you pick up a corner of the boat on the trailer. The amount of lift and twist involved to pick up the boat has reduced quite a bit. The glue doesn't necessary need to chemicaly bond with the plastic because it is simply serving to provide 100% contact error and reduce stress points. However, let me tell you that the excess glue certainly acted like it bonded because I had to sand it off.

Of course, I can never take the boat apart, but with any luck all the repairs will hold for several years and by then I will know the true durability of these hulls. And if it comes apart on its own it obviously didn't work.

Q. Has anybody else done anything so drastic to tighten up and resolve hull issues on an early Getaway?

Q. How severe can these cracks get if left unattended?

- Drake


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:02 pm 
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From another manufacturer that uses similiar material: THIS IS NOT FOR HOBIE'S !!! - but could be helpful because the materials are similiar.

http://www.triumphboats.com/owners/faq.htm

Q. How do I get my registration numbers to stick to my boat?

A. 3M makes a product called 94 Primer that should be wiped onto the area where decals will be applied and allowed to evaporate before applying the decal.

Q. What happens if I hit a dock or a rock with the boat?

A. The boat will flex and absorb the impact instead of cracking, splitting or denting like an aluminum or fiberglass hull. (A test ride is a good time to demonstrate this and as well as how the boat absorbs the impact of beating into waves or bouncing off of docks.)

Q. What if the boat gets scratched?

A. Since there is no gelcoat, the color is solid all the way through, much like a Corian® countertop. For a small scratch, simply sand the scratch out, starting with 400 grit sand paper and then finish sanding with 800 grit. This will leave the surface dull. Bringing the shine back to the boat can be done in two ways. (See below.)

Q. Can the sheen be restored after sanding?

A. Yes. Try one of these methods:

(1) Polish with a dry, clean buffing pad and an electric buffer. Buffing action will create heat that will bring the sheen back to the surface.

(2) If you don't have a buffer you can use a heat gun. Simply warm the surface until you see it “gloss” and take on a slightly wet look. Do not heat too much to cause it to discolor.

Q. What if it is a large gouge or hole?

A. Large abrasions or holes can be easily filled with a plastic welder and some replacement material supplied by your Triumph dealer. Once the area has been filled you can then sand it smooth using the same method as above.

Q. Can I rig anything on the boat (e.g., cup holders, rod holders, antennae)?

A. Yes. In fact, it is similar to adding accessories to FRP. Most items should be fastened to the material using self-tapping screws. Make sure to “bed” all fasteners with Rule (Sudbury) Elastomeric Sealant. If it is an item that will see large loads, you can fasten to the hull using a Toggler toggle bolt, a stainless steel anchor that is permanently fastened in the hull. Many marine suppliers carry these. If the item needs further support, you can cut a hole for an access plate and back up the installation with a backing plate. We recommend you call the factory to make sure you are not in an area of structural concern. (Toggler’s have a pull-out force of about 400 lbs.)

Q. How are cleats, bow eye and stern eyes attached?

A. Hardware is mounted using molded-in inserts. These inserts are chromeplated stainless steel, have a backing flange and are molded right into the boat. (The pull-out force for each insert is up to 1,200 lbs.)

Q. What happens when water gets inside the hollow hull?

A. The hull is almost completely filled with closed cell-foam so there is not much space for water, but there are drain plugs on the boats to check for and drain water.

Q. Since nothing sticks to this material, what can be used to bed any fittings to prevent leakage into the hull?

A. Rule Elastomeric Sealant works the best at providing adhesion, as well as sealing. It is available at many marine supply stores and at Wal-Mart. Silicone, 5200, polyurethane or polysulfide sealants should not be used.

Q. Is a warranty available?

A. Triumph has a Lifetime Hull Limited Warranty that covers structural problems.

Q. What are the environmental benefits to this boat?

A. The boat is produced using a zero-emissions manufacturing process. The hull is also 100 percent recyclable. It can be reground and made into another PE product. Of course, Triumph uses only 100 percent virgin material for strength.

Q. If a screw pulls out of the material, how do I fix it?

A. With a Roplene®-constructed boat, the repair is easy. Simply heat the screw over a torch flame while holding it with pliers, dip it in polyethylene powder (supplied by Triumph or a Triumph dealer) and insert it back into the hole. Hold the screw in for a few minutes while it cools; the heat from the screw will weld the screw into place.

Q. What happens if the hull deflects?

A. A small dent or deflection will not cause permanent damage unless stored for a long period of time. The material has memory and will return to its original shape when properly stored. This usually takes about a week, depending on the degree of the distortion. Large dents and deflection can be a problem if the yield point of the material has been exceeded. Prevention is the best cure.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:09 am 
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Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:11 am
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Location: PO box 1513 St John VI 00831
I notice that PBsled mentions not bothering with the high dollar plastic welder. I would love to know what a good alternative tool might be?

I am replacing numerous deep and shallow gouges on the side of a Getaway. Since these are cosmetic repairs I'm very concerned with the finished appearance.

Since the sticks from urethanesupply.com are clear how did they look when finished? Should I just leave them alone? I have a lot of gouges - don't ask.

Han

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Sail Safaris tours, lessons and rentals
St John, US Virgin Islands
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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:47 am 
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Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:11 am
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Location: PO box 1513 St John VI 00831
After doing a little more research I believe the Getaway is cross linked polyethylene which is a thermoplastic - which means it can be welded.

It's crucial to use the same material when welding onto the hull. That's probably why PBsled used shavings from the hull.

Assuming I'm right on any of this there are many plastic welders out there - all seem pretty pricey for a one time repair. I haven't had any luck finding identical PE plastic welding sticks in white.

Perhaps Hobie would be kind enough to mail me baggy of the stuff?

Han
PO Box 1513
St John VI 00831

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Sail Safaris tours, lessons and rentals
St John, US Virgin Islands
http://www.sailsafaris.net
toll free(866)820-6906


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 Post subject: Not weldable
PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:02 am 
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Quote:
I believe the Getaway is cross linked polyethylene which is a thermoplastic - which means it can be welded.


Cross linked material is generally considered "not weldable". The reason is that the material has exhausted its ability to link during the initial molding process. Linear, on the other hand, is weldable.

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


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:35 pm 
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I've talked to someone who has actually tried to weld CL PE and to quote him "that sh*t can't be welded" but of course that's what Mr. Miller's been saying all along. Except for older Gways and Waves (pre cross linked) or those that didn't cure properly.

I just cancelled my order for a plastic welder and ordered a big old buffer/sander and a heat gun instead. I'm hoping to sand in decreasing grits and then bring the sheen back with heat? Anybody got any really big stickers?

There is a product made by Lord and sold by Ellsworth that claims it will bond (mechanically) with PE. Also 3M makes a product that they say will bond as well. They're both two part systems. I just googled for adhesives + polyethylene.

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Capt. Han
Sail Safaris tours, lessons and rentals
St John, US Virgin Islands
http://www.sailsafaris.net
toll free(866)820-6906


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:28 am 
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Han wrote:
Except for older Gways and Waves (pre cross linked) or those that didn't cure properly.


All Waves and Getaways are CL.

Yes, under cured material could be welded.

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


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:28 am 
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If worse came to worse, I don't see why someone could not cover a hole with cloroplast (since it is strong and white) by screwing a piece of the cloroplast to the hull, and dab any waterproof glue between the hull and cloroplast to act as a gasket (white sumo or gorilla glue perhaps). Would not look good at all, but if a hole is large I don't see how else to repair it.

I'm searching for solutions because I looked at a used boat with a bullet hole (and gouges from vandals) right through both sides of the hull (so clearly they are NOT bullet proof!). :-) The owner was shooting at an animal, missed, and the bullet bounced off the ground into the hull. One of his two patches was peeling off (something from the dealer - maybe the west marine stuff, who knows..)


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