Hardware rust on a 2022 Freedom

[MikeH64]

Earlier this winter I bought a used 2022 Freedom 235 with 70 hours and always stored in dry stack. (Marco Island FL) It had some pitting and rust on 2 windshield support bracket bases and the fuel cap. (the rest of the boat is pristine) I cleaned off the rust with some polish and elbow grease, but 3 months later the rust has returned. I rinse off the boat after every use with fresh water and it is stored in dry stack storage. Being the second owner, am I out of line calling a local GW dealer and asking if they can be warrantied? Or should I just buy the pieces ande not bother the local dealer? I ask because my previous Grady, a 2014 had no rust on any hardware when I sold it in 2019.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Where did you buy the previous boat from?

 

[DennisG01]

Mike, it sounds like you're saying the pieces themselves are rusting/pitting... and this is NOT just rust staining on the gelcoat running down from the items? If so, you're perfectly within your rights to contact a Grady dealer. The BOAT has the warranty - not the original buyer.

The supports bracket bases may not be stainless to start with - so waxing them may help. I would "think" the fuel cap is - but I'm not there to see it. Can you confirm?

FYI... stainless steel = stains "less"... not stains "never" But this is not normal to be happening on a regular basis if they are, indeed, stainless.

 

[MikeH64]

Where did you buy the previous boat from?

My previous boat I bought in St. Augustine. Stored in the same place as my current boat.

 

[MikeH64]

Mike, it sounds like you're saying the pieces themselves are rusting/pitting... and this is NOT just rust staining on the gelcoat running down from the items? If so, you're perfectly within your rights to contact a Grady dealer. The BOAT has the warranty - not the original buyer.

The supports bracket bases may not be stainless to start with - so waxing them may help. I would "think" the fuel cap is - but I'm not there to see it. Can you confirm?

FYI... stainless steel = stains "less"... not stains "never" But this is not normal to be happening on a regular basis if they are, indeed, stainless.

Rust and pitting on the actual hardware, not running down on the fiberglass from the threads.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

They probably won't warranty it. They only have a one year warranty. Just get new parts and replace them. Since you bought it used you have no idea what the previous owner did.

 

[DennisG01]

They probably won't warranty it. They only have a one year warranty.

Really? That's an awful expensive boat to only have a 1-year warranty on some parts. Companies like Sea Ray have a 5-year warranty on everything - and then a lifetime hull and deck warranty. I'm surprised Grady doesn't have a better warranty.

Probably still worth the effort to contact a dealer, though.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Really? That's an awful expensive boat to only have a 1-year warranty on some parts. Companies like Sea Ray have a 5-year warranty on everything - and then a lifetime hull and deck warranty. I'm surprised Grady doesn't have a better warranty.

Probably still worth the effort to contact a dealer, though.

Here's a link to the GW warranty.

Customer Support

Can't hurt to contact the dealer. All they can say is no...

 

[Peter A]

I’d be in touch with Grady. They may have had a run of bad pieces from suppliers. If this is a known issue they may cover all or some of the parts + labor. I have a ‘21 208 that exhibits none of these corrosion issues.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

My previous boat I bought in St. Augustine. Stored in the same place as my current boat.

Kind of odd that one boat would do it and not the other. I figured you were going to say you bought the boat in a different part of the country, or one was stored indoors vs the other being outdoors. I'd post a picture or two when you get a chance. I also hear quite a bit about "post-covid boats" on THT and wonder how much of that is actually a thing with regards to using parts that are subpar, QA issues, service and so forth?

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Kind of odd that one boat would do it and not the other. I figured you were going to say you bought the boat in a different part of the country, or one was stored indoors vs the other being outdoors. I'd post a picture or two when you get a chance. I also hear quite a bit about "post-covid boats" on THT and wonder how much of that is actually a thing with regards to using parts that are subpar, QA issues, service and so forth?

My buddy has what we believe to be a Covid World Cat. Bought it new in 2022. What a mess. Rust bubbling up under paint, large cracks all over, the entire electrical system had to be replaced, the center console has been replaced twice...what a nightmare.

 

[Beyond A Wake]

Are there any signs of scratches/damage to the HW? Always contact GW (not dealer unless u bought from aGW one) and see what they say.
Otherwise use some rust removers and polish well with a steel polish. I have no corrosion on any of the HW (2019) but I do have some reoccurring rust stains from the fasteners. Cleans up well with electric toothbrush and rust stain remover. Then I wax properly. Lasts for months until I have to do it again.

 

[Fishtales]

Def call the dealer and request new pieces. No way that should be happening. It used to be 5 years I thought but if there is a bad lot of parts, they usually supply the parts. May have to install yourself.

 

[MikeH64]

Called the local GW dealer (where the boat was bought new) and they told me Grady White only warranties items for the original owner. Also told me they would be happy to sell me new parts, but that I needed to understand that the new ones would rust as well. Still love my boat, but I would not pay the 200k for a new one after hearing that.

 

[DennisG01]

Called the local GW dealer (where the boat was bought new) and they told me Grady White only warranties items for the original owner. Also told me they would be happy to sell me new parts, but that I needed to understand that the new ones would rust as well. Still love my boat, but I would not pay the 200k for a new one after hearing that.

Only to the original owner? That's ridiculous. I'm using Sea Ray again as a comparison (only because I know their warranty really well)... the original 5-year bow to stern warranty is fully transferable. The lifetime hull & deck warranty is not - just for the balance of the first 10 years.

If it was me, I'd call (nicely) Grady directly about this now that you've first tried your dealer. You have a legitimate issue.

 

[glacierbaze]

They want a Sabre price for a Bayliner warranty.

 

[Beyond A Wake]

I kind of remember that I had to register with GW as a new owner, not sure if it would have been for motors but I thought I did that with YAmaha separately.
Reading the manual: Five Year Hull Transferable Warranty, One Year Material and Workmanship Warranty (Original owner only).
So based on that you are on your own. If the parts are easy to remove and replace then do so with best grade material. If dealer says they will rust again, that is a weird statement and I would ask what kind of parts they really are supplying. On the other hand all materials do rust if not cared for properly and especially if lower grade SS like many of the hardware parts from China.
In my example of running and staining rust from rear corner cleat fasteners I can impossible replace them, no way to reach underneath to the rear corner so I am stuck with cleaning and waxing the gunnel frequently, which is ok.

Looking at your pictures they certainly do not look ok. Send them to GW and ask where the parts are from and what the material specs are. They almost look like they were plated rather than solid. Try to find better quality replacements. The tank filler in my case does not look good but they are standard local Perko or other and mine is not rusty but scratched, looks worn maybe from hard scrubbing??

 

[Beyond A Wake]

From Wikipedia

Marine grade stainless alloys typically contain molybdenum to resist the corrosive effects of NaCl or salt in seawater. Concentrations of salt in seawater can vary, and splash zones can cause concentrations to increase dramatically from the spray and evaporation.

SAE 316 stainless steel is a molybdenum-alloyed steel and the second most common austenitic stainless steel (after grade 304). It is the preferred steel for use in marine environments because of its greater resistance to pitting corrosion than most other grades of steel without molybdenum.[1] The fact that it is negligibly responsive to magnetic fields means that it can be used in applications where a non-magnetic metal is required.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_grade_stainless#316_alloys
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_grade_stainless#References
While 316 is not completely rust-proof, the alloy is more corrosion resistant than other common stainless steels. For example, surgical steel is made from subtypes of 316 stainless steel. In addition to molybdenum, 316 also contains a number of other elements in varying concentrations

 

[glacierbaze]

Looks like you can replace those for about $20 on Ebay. Search for a vendor called,
parts1d414.

 

[DennisG01]

I didn't see your pictures when I made my first post - not sure why they didn't originally show. But coming back to what I first said about the support brackets... yes, they are definitely not SS. Those are the cheap, chrome plated Zamac. Super cheap material. You may be better off replacing them with the style that has black nylon brackets. Or, you could have a custom SS bar bent (one piece) - some manufacturers use those - you may get lucky and find one that fits.

Try a Perko SS fuel fill cap - it may fit. It'd be a better solution.