Noble Boat <2yo Cracked and Sinking

[PeterGar]

Trevor

Sorry to hear about your dramas. That would probably frighten me as well.

As you now I also have a 685 and spoke to you before I purchased it along with Marty, Broomey and a number of other forum members.

For the record for everyone my boat is the one that is currently featured in the Trailerboat video and in the Noble Trailerboat advertisement this month so like Marty I am sensitive about my endorsement. There is a boat review coming in the next few months. Also for the record, I have not been paid anything, had any special treatment, freebies etc and I even paid for my own fuel when Trailerboat shot the video. (Trailerboat did buy me lunch however on the day).

The legal feedback on this thread is correct and technically the issue is between the buyer and the dealer under consumer law (at least that is the way it is in NSW) although the dealers do not make a lot out of the boats and without the manufacturer's support they would find it difficult to deliver the warranty.

I have Hull No 173 and this is the the Generation 3 hull with the extra drains that address some of the issue discussed in this thread. I have had my boat for around 12 months and have around 160 hours on the clock.

My boat was a custom build and I am pretty picky. I did much of my own fit out for radios etc and consequently have been over the boat from front to back and inside and can honestly say that the only area where I have seen bad welding was on the seat boxes that was now being made without the "bog" to smooth out the corners so I asked that they be swapped and they were at no cost and without question.

In my case there were a number of issues that the dealer (Enterprise Marine at Narrabeen in Sydney) made arrangements to get rectified and this has been transparent to me.

I could not speak more highly of Chris at Enterprise, their honesty and commitment to doing things properly. I was also dealing with Jason who did usually take some time to respond but always did - even if it was a difficult conversation.

Below are several photos of my transom. I am not a mechanical engineer (I am an electrical engineer) but it looks pretty good quality to me and is typical of the weld quality throughout the boat. Please ignore the wires, I still have to tidy these up after a recent light installation.

IMG_2008.jpg

IMG_2003.jpg

I agree that looking elsewhere for water ingress should also be done even the transom cracks leaked the water into the chambers. One of the issues that I did have was a water leak from the deck into the both air chambers. I noticed this because after a wet week in Sydney, when I turned the boat around, I noticed water coming from the port chamber for 15 minutes and the starboard one for 10 minutes.

The leaks were traced to some really small holes due to bad sealing around the channel where the fuel lines run and tiny holes where the welds joined in the corner of the battery box. (Enterprise identified this by flooding the deck with 3" of water, pressurising the chambers and looking for the bubbles). As mentioned earlier in this thread, the holes were tiny but being there for a week enough water got through to cause a problem remembering that you have 20m of deck space draining into the hole. Some Sikaflex and the problem was solved.

I have one issue left to resolve around a fuel pickup and Enterprise/Noble have agreed to fix it.

The key from my perspective is that despite my teething issues (and Trevor, your welding sounds really, really bad), is that I would not hesitate to buy the same boat again. It is really solid boat and any issues that I found although frustrating, can be readily rectified even if they should have been identified at the factory.

I have a lot of experience around the configuration of this boat and what to look for in the build and fit out so please feel free to PM me and I am more than happy to help anyone out that is considering one.

I have also passed a list of suggested improvements to Noble and many of these are already being incorporated into the newer boats.

I hope that Jason comes online with a sensible explanation and how NBI can address your issue Trevor so that what is a really good solid boat is not relegated to history. I have forwarded a link to this thread to Jason.

Trevor In the scheme of life, this is a blip that I am sure will work out give your approach to "moving on". I would like to extend my best wishes for your family in what is no doubt a difficult time. I will give you a call in the next few days.

Cheers

PeterGar

[Lucky_Phill]

Trev.

Here is the QLD people to contact.

Don Jones is the CEO.


http://www.marineqld.com.au/contact-us


cheers Phill

[Stuart]

The BIAA are useless, expect nothing from them. They will take your money and for that you can display there logo to show your a member of the BIAA, what a crock of sh!t. You do however make a valid point in relation to many boat builders. In Australia you dont need any form of training or ticket to build and sell boats. Any hack and wonna be can by a good welder and start building boats. You cant tell me this isnt putting lives at risk, and these guys dont seem to get that they are and will be held accountable if there boat fails and some one dies. I just cant get my head around the fact that there is no reqierments in Australia that says you need to be qualified in building boats. Most of these guys wouldnt know the word lofting and what and how its done. Yep, you can hold a ticket in welding and sheet metal but not boat building.

[Lovey80]

Stuart,

do you even need to hold a ticket in welding to become a boat builder? I taught myself to weld in the back shed with a few pointers from a boily and now I could start producing boats?

[WalrusLike]

I know it sounds like crying to mummy but I still reckon get your local pollies on it. All three levels.

These businesses have to operate under government sanction... And if political heat is bought to bear they will fold like dunny paper. It doesn't matter how big the business... It doesn't want to offside the politicians, or even worse... the safety buerecrats in the various departments affected here.

No one on here can deny that Trevs boat could have suffered a catastrophic failure in rough seas with his family aboard. You start talking about life threatening faults in off-shored manufacturing in the right ears and you will generate heat and noise. Tell the pollies your next stop is the media and they will want to be seen to be acting.

I am certain that most cries to pollies get little action but when they can see a media downside to inaction they move on it. I have seen all sorts of extraordinary actions taken to settle the feathers of a ruffled pollie. Enlist their self interest and you will get a result.

And frankly I want to see these guys held to account for risking your lives.

[TREVELLY]

Peter thanks for the pictures inside the transom of your boat - I notice they have gone for full fillet welds where channels meet the back face of the boat and no stiffeners at the bottom transfering load from channels to inner wall. I will stick with repairs as pic in my last post 222 - overkill is fine especially as the major part of the work is getting access..

Yes family is the priority for me and will always be.

This issue with the boat is about safety - personally I believe this poor QA by NBI, call it what you will, put a boat on the market that did put my family at an unacceptable risk.

Compound that by them refusing to contact me despite many weeks of attempts by me and others on this forum to make good the boat or even accept responsibility.

The problem with many organisations is that unless NBI are a member or associated then they are of no influence or consequence to them regardless of their goodwill statements.

Boating manufacture safety, importation of safe products tis a bit of a mine field.

This is not necessarily a case of going to the courts and proving I am in contract with J&B Marine hence they are responsible for cost of my repairs - I am interested in who is best organisation responsible for enforcing safe manufacture of boats or import of safe boats. This is also something that can get tied up with states as NBI are NSW registered company.

Yes the media is a good vehicle for businesses that believe they are a law unto themselves.

I have tried a few ways to get hold of Ben Noble for no success - does anyone have something that will work? Thanks.

[WalrusLike]

Trev is Ben Noble the one to seek? Wasn't there a split in the Company? Perhaps better to find the directors of the Noble International company?

I don't know the ins and outs of this and could be way off base here..

[TREVELLY]

Trev is Ben Noble the one to seek? Wasn't there a split in the Company? Perhaps better to find the directors of the Noble International company?

I don't know the ins and outs of this and could be way off base here..

Sorry - yes you are right - NBI are the ones at fault here. I know Jason Lee is the one responsible for NBI in Australia and lives in Putney NSW.

I want contact with Ben anyway - you see when i bought the boat just as Marty was under the impression Ben was operating from China - so was I - just after some info here if Ben is willing to discuss.

[PeterGar]

Hi Trevor

I am not sure that Ben Noble has anything to do with NBI anymore.

I am also a safety first person and that was one of the main reasons I purchased the Noble and I would be pretty annoyed to be in your situation particularly given that they have not responded.

Nothing I have seen in mine has changed my opinion although after your post I did have a good look around. The build quality and strength of the product and welding on mine is consistent throughout. I have gone back and studied the build photos for mine that were provided during manufacturer and am comfortable that unless there is something I cannot see hidden well below deck, I got what I paid for.

As a matter of interest, you may like to take a look at the photo below. This is the keel of a 685 (not mine) that hit rocks at 20+ knots and you will be surprised at how much damage there is NOT. That is the type of strength that impresses me and this is the boat I would want to be in should I ever hit a semi-submerged shipping container or other object at night.

This particular boat was manufactured in China about 6 months ahead of mine. In this case the owner walked away with relatively minor injuries and the boat was re-floated and towed 10 mile back to shore!

Subsequent to seeing this thread, I have checked the photos of another boat I saw when I was initially looking at buying my one and they also have the full weld so it may be that yours is a one off problem and not a systemic issue with manufacture.

I remember that in one of the early boat test articles around 2009, they did mention some early quality problems but I cannot find the article.

I have not seen any of the paint issues although mine is only 12 months old so will be keeping an eye out for it.

Thanks again for the information and lets hope NBI make contact with you.

PS I love your planned reinforcing mods - they may well turn up as standard on future boats.

Cheers
PeterGar

[Stuart]

WTF did you headbutt mate?

[PeterGar]

Stuart, as I said not my boat and not me. But they hit a rock.

Members may also remember the accident on Botany Bay last year when what looked like a Pacific Sportfish hit a marker buoy at night (the Sportfish predated the Nobles but I understand is essentially the same design).

The skipper was thrown overboard and tragically killed but the boat showed minimal damage (I cannot find the image). Such is the strength of these boats (assuming they are welded properly).

http://www.theleader.com.au/news/loc...y/2211286.aspx


PeterGar

[Lucky_Phill]

PeterGar,

my entry edge is much sharper on my 2000 model Sportfish.

[Lucky_Phill]

Further photos.

I have an i beam running right across the inside transom ( left to right ) and is gusseted. can't get pics of that...



I also have a 6mm stainless plate in the inside of the transom to stop the bolts " squeezing " the double skinned transom mount.



further, I also have a 15mm poly plate at back.




cheers......... LP

[Lucky_Phill]

Just a heads up on the issues I had.

Not a welding issue or safety issue, probably just under engineered.










and to fix the problems, I had Col " over engineer it.

Up size from 20mm tube to 32mm throughout Targa





Double grab rail instead of single.



All good now................... boat has done over 1,000 hrs in 95% offshore conditions...

Cheers LP

[Stuart]

Gee mate, It looks like you have been running drugs int hat transom. Those gussets on the roof support shouldnt be welded like that. They should be in the outside of the tube, just saying. Why do you need to grab rails, is your head that big that one wont stop it? What else to pay out on you about? Hope you show up to the RBW so I have someone to pay out on.