Offshoreonly.com - IMO......Formula may have a safety isssue with the hull/deck bonding.

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- - IMO......Formula may have a safety isssue with the hull/deck bonding. (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/formula/246413-imo-formula-may-have-safety-isssue-hull-deck-bonding.html)

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Originally Posted by PhantomChaos (Post 3308247)

Second letter from Formula.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fossil fuel (Post 3308853)

5 out of 5 382's had the same issue in SCOPE!

From reading Formula's second response, I don't think they're comprehending the seriousness, nor the wide proliferation of this problem. Perhaps, the next people you should copy on all of this is the Coast Guard certification office.

This deserves a nationwide recall in my opinion, before someone gets killed.

Here you go, Nort. Report it to the Coast Guard:
http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/owners_report.aspx

Quote:

Originally Posted by CigDaze (Post 3308899)

Here you go, Nort. Report it to the Coast Guard:
http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/owners_report.aspx

WOW! That might make some manufactures sit up and listen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhantomChaos (Post 3308709)

Yes. I feel you are missing something. The problem started in 2003 when the boat was two years old. I see it as a safety issue since some folks that use these boats as they were intended (and marketed) and use them in the ocean. Waves can and will come at unexpected angles and with them come stress peaks to the deck/hjull joint. When I had my boat repaired, every inch of the connection between the hull and deck was compromised. With your hand, you could move the rub rail up and down anywhere. I feel that what makes the hull strong is the deck. What makes the deck strong is the hull. By themselves, I feel they are weak. Given the right combinations, I see a deck splitting apart and peeling back on a swell and the glass windshield breaking.

I'm not looking for money for the repair even though it would have been nice to have them comit to fixing it no matter what. Read the marketing material.....I see phrases like "inseparable", and "this joint is fail-safe", as well as "never going to leak or break apart".

I was seeing what Formula would actually do.

I agree that their brochure makes the boats seem invincible and is BS, but if you noticed the problem after 2 years, you should have contacted them at the time since it would have been a warranty issue and maybe there was a manufacturing defect in yours and some others. Because of the length, a problem will show up in a 38 before a 35 or 29. I know of no other industry including homeowners warranties that will back a product after ten years. I've owned old Scarabs and Stingers where the decks were simply screwed on using the rub rail self tapping screws, and yes, they flexed, cracked and the screws fell out, but you noticed these things before the deck flew off, as you did. My 311 Formula lasted 15 years before I needed to make some repairs to the deck joint. While the manufacturing techniques and materials have definitly improved over the years, I don't think any of these boats are indestructable forever. I hope the repair works out, it looks like you take good care of your stuff.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention PhantomChaos.

I was just out carefully looking over my 292. Looking under the rub rail around the entire boat there are only two places where I see a 1/8" to 3/16" gap between the bottom of the rub rail and hull. The gaps are located on each side of the boat near the windshield area and only for 2-3 feet. Everywhere else the rub rail butts up right to the hull. I grabbed the rub rail and tried to move it up and down and it didn't move at all. The hull would not push in either.

I am not sure if this gap has been there from the beginning or has happened over time. Do any of you Fastech owners see a slight gap between the bottom of your rub rail and the hull? Thanks.

Does Formula just use Plexus and bolt on these newer Fastech's, or do they glass any of the hull/deck joint with the Plexus? I remember my 242-SR1 being glassed & bolted on the deck joint. Never had an issue at all. It was a tank.

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Originally Posted by 4mulafastech (Post 3310969)

The way I understand it you are fine.As the rubrail is a different material it may contract/expand at different rates as long as the hull does not move when you push on it I think you are fine.I don't think we will see any 292s doing this as they are much shorter the deck on a 38 is hugh because they are side by side so is the 35.There is a lot of area that has to flex.

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Originally Posted by Expensive Date (Post 3311082)

True, but I am still wondering if any gap is normal. Do you recall seeing any gaps with your 292? I noticed mine probably 2-3 years after owning the boat, BUT I'm not sure if it was there from the start and I simply didn't notice it before.

The response is very similar to responses and court testimony from Contender boats in a now infamous series of threads at THT. For boats costing as much as they do with these two lines, it's amazing what their responses are.

As far as I'm concerned, separations in the hull deck joints are the kiss of death. Plexus with thru bolt should never come apart short of an impact.

I am doing my 311 this year so I am interested to see how bad it has come apart. The boat has about 400 hours on it. I know it is apart in a lot of areas because the rub rail screws back out all the time. I am not sure what they used to bond the decks on the 311 if anything, but I am going to use 5200 like I did on my 302. I like the 5200 idea becaues it will allow a very slight amount of movement with out loosing it's bond. Once Plexus lets go it is going to be a very quick progresion to disaster. I am also going to through bolt the rubrail back on with large fender washers and nylock nuts any place that I have access behind the rubrail.

I remember being down at Lipship and Phil showed us a 38 or 35, can't remember, that the actual stringer grid had let go!