1988 Overnighters

[CapeCodGW]

Hi All.
I am a brand new member here and a new owner of my first Grady White. A few months ago I bought a 1988 Overnighter. It has been Repowered with a 2002 Yamaha 200HP OX66. Well about a month after I bought the 88 I came across the same exact model and year GW that had been Repowered with a 2017 209HP Honda motor with only 43 hours. The boat had been in dry storage for a long time before the owner put a new motor on in 17. Boat is in great shape looks and checks out solid by the marina. Well I end up buying this 88 also with plans to sell the one with the Yamaha. So before I bought I called Honda with the serial number to verify the warranty. They tell me it’s under warranty till July 2022. So we go run the motor with ears in Miami and it runs great. This is where I made a big mistake. I live in NC so I paid cash and took it back to the Marina in NC to check it out. After having it for a month they call and tell me It needs major repair...like $7,000. Baffled I ask what happened. Service Manager tells me he believes the motor was briefly completely water and sends me pictures of the inside of the motor and there it rust everywhere. So Honda sends out their Regional Tech supervisor to authorize the repairs. He agrees with mechanic that it has been under water and tells me Honda Will Not Cover anything! So I call Honda and file a case manager. Now on Monday after a month of calling and waiting to hear from the case managers boss, he calls me this week. Very rude and abrupt on the phone and tells me they will pay nothing and hangs up.
So that is my dilemma. I just put some work in the other GW with the Yamaha and runs great and is ready to go once I put a new prop on. I will be Putting this one up for sale next week. Now what to do with the one with the Honda...
Any advice is welcome.
Thanks all. Still Happy to be a new GW owner

 

[Bloodweiser]

Sounds unfortunate. Do you have a copy of the warranty? What does it explicitly say about water damage ? Have you contacted the previous owner ?

 

[CapeCodGW]

Sounds unfortunate. Do you have a copy of the warranty? What does it explicitly say about water damage ? Have you contacted the previous owner ?

Yes I downloaded a copy. My good friend in Florida is an attorney and advised me it will be very tough to win against Honda. Both the Mechanic and Honda’s Service Manager blame it on submersion which is not covered. I could win a suit against the Dealer in Miami but that doesn’t mean I would actually ever get paid. So I am probably going to just the sell the motor for parts. The lower unit and technically the whole unit are still under warranty. I am looking at repowering that boat with a in line 4 200hp Suzuki.. The Marina that has the Boat said it’s a solid Boat in great shape for its age. Just debating whether it’s worth repowering it with a new motor

 

[Capt Tom]

If you are 100% sure that the marina in Florida checked out the motor and determined it was solid I would mention their name. On the other hand what where they obligated to do, did you pay for a service? If all they did was look at it and said it looks OK with nothing in writing probably not much you could do legally.

 

[Lt.Mike]

Nothing meaning to point out any mistake but was the Miami boat surveyed by a pro? If not it’s a tough lesson learned. If you did and he didn’t catch the fact that the boat had been submerged he might be liable for at least part of your loss.
I’m also wondering how Big was that Honda on that overnighter?
I have a 2stroke 225 on mine which is pushing it but that 4 stroke has got to look like a refrigerator hanging on the back of that boat.

 

[glacierbaze]

So I am probably going to just the sell the motor for parts. The lower unit and technically the whole unit are still under warranty.

If the Honda rep that confirmed submersion didn't file that serial # as a voided warranty, he should be fired.