Noble Boat <2yo Cracked and Sinking

[Aussie123]

Taijuian Asia sounds familiar as the parent company or some name close to that.
They are a Chinese company heavily tied up in Hong Kong with steel products.

[Zippidy]

I believe the owner(s) of noble got screwed over by the Chinese manufacturers. Cant remember the exact details, but I have a friend who knows one of the blokes. I will chase him down next weekend and get the full story.

I'll run some company reports in the morning and get as much info as I can on this.

[TREVELLY]

As far as the work on the boat is for now - I am confident it is not about to suddenly go pear shaped - it is a lot safer than when i got it new with the welds missing.

Am I confident it is a good longterm fix and am i content to leave it this way - no.

Even the guys at the boat building shop said it is not ideal - they believe it will hold and is certainly not at risk as it was.

When the boat goes in for it's next service at Jeffers I will get Keith to remove the motor and service it and store it whilst the boat goes in for full strengthening of the transom with additional plates and stiffeners - I want it bomb proof.

If the boat develops any small visible crack between now and next service then it goes in for full strengthening immediately.

I want a safe family boat - that is what I wanted in the beginning and I won't settle for less.

[Captain Seaweed]

Dirty rotten scoundrels.........

I did notice that they are using marty's boat in a pro mo video, ( 7.5mtr ) even see the AF stickers quite clearly a few times. They espouse the big 300 Yammie on the back and then at the end of the video they show the specs......... hull1860kgs... Max Hp....... 250 FFS !!!!!!!!!

That probably says it all.

When I had my hull brought over Phil I enquired about max HP and I have an email stating that it would take the 300hp as I expressed I didnt want issues down the track. I feel this could be an isolated case and it seems that the welds were not finished off perhaps? The boats are being built to the Australian plans just not finished (paint wise) to the standard they were originally made to(this is their achilles heel)I will have to check mine when we get home to see the same welding but I have not experienced any transom movement or failure of any welds. I have had my floor up too for an inspection when I replaced carpet with Regupol. One issue that is real is the paint issue with the early ones, mine had paint issues and Noble came to the party and compensated me for this with a figure that would see the boat repainted. I will be full sandblasting min and full repaint at time of sale to the colours and design of new owner or offering a discount of the price if he wants a saving.I am surprised they have not made any contact with Trev to work this out. They will fall on their own sword performing business like this.
However Nobles biggest problem is that they have NO repair workshops or facilities in Australia and therefore when it comes to performing any warranty repairs they dont know where to turn to or who to turn to. With the way the boating market is here no other boat manufacturer is going to help out another especially not a chinese one due to all the associated negativity.
When I bought my boat I was under the impression Ben Noble and his company here (Noble Engineering) was still involved. i was under the impression he had ventured to China to try and make his boats more price competitive and work was to be performed under his watchful eye. The Nobles were always a great design and their quality was always perfect but they were always $15k more than a comparative boat, there needed to be a change I am guessing. I called Ben Noble after my boat arrived as I wanted the old decals that he put on the boat not the new Blue ones. I was absolutely shocked when I ended up with a furious Ben Noble on the phone telling me he cant remember building my boat and he would not give me the stickers? I was confused......turns out there is some bad blood between Ben Noble and NBI.
Anyway to cut a long story short......Noble Boats International have somehow picked up the rights to build these boats and when buying mine I was told Ben Noble was still involved.
The design and ride of these boats is one of the best around, the way the new company operates is unfortunately tarnishing the hard years put in by Noble Engineering in Brisbane.

My 2 cents

[Fed]

I think you've gone the right way Trev, keep track of your time & costs and if Noble ever want to try & recover from this they can do the right thing & square up with you.

This thread is now #6 on Google's first page.

[fishing111]

enquiries@#######################.com

For anyone who wants to query how Trevelly has been treated by NOBLE in regard to his warranty claim.
Sent mine.

[John_R]

I have a 2004 6.2 Centre Cab, built by Ben for a mate of his father's. I have checked the transom through the inspection plate. I have a "transom knee" in the form of a 6mm vertical plate. It has radius cut outs to allow for the bung and draining from the front compartment, but is fully welded along the keel and to the front bulkhead of the swim platform.Also have additional horizontal plates on the inside of the transom wall.

I noted that my dry hull weight was quoted as 860kg, while the Chinese ones were stating 760kg for a while. That's 100kg of metal they left out?

Trevelly - they will probably need to take the top off the platform to install a transom knee - mandatory I reckon.

Very happy with my hull, just wanting to add a new Merc 150 four stroke to update the 150 Opti - but that's another story.

[TREVELLY]

I have a 2004 6.2 Centre Cab, built by Ben for a mate of his father's. I have checked the transom through the inspection plate. I have a "transom knee" in the form of a 6mm vertical plate. It has radius cut outs to allow for the bung and draining from the front compartment, but is fully welded along the keel and to the front bulkhead of the swim platform.Also have additional horizontal plates on the inside of the transom wall.

I noted that my dry hull weight was quoted as 860kg, while the Chinese ones were stating 760kg for a while. That's 100kg of metal they left out?

Trevelly - they will probably need to take the top off the platform to install a transom knee - mandatory I reckon.

Very happy with my hull, just wanting to add a new Merc 150 four stroke to update the 150 Opti - but that's another story.

Hi John,

Seeing as they (Nobleboats) have offered me zero assistance I would appreciate a few pics of what is inside your hull so that I can have my repairs use that as an absolute minimum - no disrespect to yours but when the boat builders get into it on mine they may as well go for overkill.

Yes, the boat repairers I will use again at Performance Plate Boats did say they need an openning in the top sufficient to get in and work - so i will end up with a larger rectangular hole cover screwed and glued to top of duckboard and the mandatory 6" screw in inspection hatch central to that.

Bigger hatch will be handy in case of needing to get in and do whatever to bilge pump etc, so i have come to accept the big hole and cover as needed.

They also said to remove the motor, so I am looking to have all work done when next motor service is due as latest. And of course floor up and fuel tank out again for welding safely. Jeffers will remove and replace motor - Performance Plate Boats will do the repairs.

The boat is presently stronger than when I bought it near two years ago - so reckon it is adequate temporarily - but not sufficient as a longterm fix.

Thanking you in advance.

They go nicely with a 175 Suz

[John_R]

I took some photos. Hard to get a good picture.







The Zook is a few grand more expensive and only has 8 more horses....

They should be able to take a section of the top of your swim platform off, then weld it back in place, complete with inspection port. Then paint it and you would never know it's been off.

[Stuart]

The transom girder and keel beam should be the same part.

[Smithy]

John_R, I'd be putting some chafe tube over those bilge wires or fixing them into position somehow so it doesn't chafe itself through eventually.

[TREVELLY]

John_R, I'd be putting some chafe tube over those bilge wires or fixing them into position somehow so it doesn't chafe itself through eventually.

Also clip up the wire joint away from water.

Thanks for posting John.

[cobiaman]

Hey marty, clear some pm's mate

[Broomey]

Hi Trev,

Just came across your post, mmmm interesting , have just lifeed my inspection ports ,, and yes my supports are all welded..... Thank God!!!, was'nt looking forward to go through the dramas you have in getting your pride and joy safe.
One thing, have you only got one fuel tank???
As I found I was getting a lot of water in my port side tank as well, what I found was that where first tank filler is , it is not sealed from the deck, inother words where fuel hose and breather hose goes through deck, there is a BIG HOLE cut through deck [Hidden by,a cosmetic plate] ] and any water you get over side or bow will run down through this opening and end up in the so called air chamber, found this out by changing my filler caps.

Good on ya mate to just getting your problem fixed and getting on with it, will be doing the same with the paint problems I am having, also supprising that on the Fish Wreck site , the photos shown of paint and bog lifting /gone on chines , looks very familular!!!!!

Also nothing heard from Jason or anyone from Noble when I was questioning this problem, also the spray painter was having same problems , just no replies.

Hope all will be ok now for you, keep us all updated if any further problems.


Eddy

[Lovey80]

Sill no reply? Sounds like the ACCC needs to be notified. Trading insolvent maybe?