Rotten Transom In Zodiac Dinghy

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Stumble

The best solution I have seen for this is to take the old transom and use it as a pattern on a piece of G10 board. It isn't a particularly cheap fix, but it will last forever.

Replacing with new plywood is also an option, but even if a good job is done fully encapsulating it, there always seems to be a leak eventually.

I would have no trouble making a replacement transom, the problem would be ungluing it from the tubes and regluing it afterwards.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I would have no trouble making a replacement transom, the problem would be ungluing it from the tubes and regluing it afterwards.

The glue comes off pretty easily with a hot air gun. Then use Hypalon adhesive to reattach.

[bill good]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I would have no trouble making a replacement transom, the problem would be ungluing it from the tubes and regluing it afterwards.

The use of a tool like a bosch pmf180e multi will cut out the transom from the rubber & when refitting, three screws with large washers & nuts on each side will aid the rebonding. I have not had good results in reglueing the other materials & have now resorted to just cleaning with MEK any seam that comes unglued & with suitable clamps & weights using the same glue as I used on the transom. I used carbon composite to make up the new transom so that will never rot but the poor quality solid hull is still just that poor quality!!

Regards Bill

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I was cleaning up my three year old Zodiac Cadet for this season and noticed a soft spot in the transom. Poking around I found the soft and rotten part was pretty big.

According to my paperwork this should be covered by the warranty. I found the local authorized repair facility and took it there expecting them to fix it and let me pick it up.

So far it;s been there a month and they are hemming and hawing about not being able to find a Zodia repair code and saying the warranty doesn't cover the transom.

They are saying that they probably can't find a replacement transom and even if they do, it's going to cost me $600 to repair and I should just replace the dinghy (with one they happen to sell, BTW for several hundred dollars more than defender sells it for).

I just bought a $120 cover for it, replaced the broken handles for $30 and paid $30 to renew the registration and am planning a two month cruise a month from now.

Bottom line, I'm pretty pissed at Zodiac. $1500 for a glorified pool toy that has been nothing but trouble and is now pretty much junk in need of disposal.

I'm stuck now trying to choose a replacement, buy a cover that fits it and trying to get it registered and the numbers painted on at the last minute.

Zodiac - POS.

If you have the heart for it, give them a lot of static. Tell them that you cannot believe in this day of forums, chatrooms and so on that they really want to have a customer as dissatisfied as you are about to be. Tell that to the President for the vP in charge of sales. In large irate tones, by telephone.

It may not work, but then you shall be satisfied that you did everything you could to (a) get your dinghy fixed and (b) give them an opportunity to handle it better than the runaround you've been getting. It's all more ammunition.

Shame on them for such a shoddy product. There was a time when Zodiacs lasted 15 years! We had one. It was made back when particular French ladies glued them, and they stayed glued, and they used marine grade multi-ply plywood for the transoms, which was good as gold. Quelle domage, French for what a shame.


Ann

[rwidman]

I'm now dealing with the repair place not Zodiac. It's an independently owned business that's authorized to make Zodiac warranty repairs. I suppose I can call Zodiac and complain but I doubt it will do any good because I can't get a straight answer from the repair place.

Yes I could probably unglue the transom with heat but considering the responses here and research I've done I really can't be sure about regluing it. It's a pretty critical process and failure in the middle of the river with my wife and puppy on board would not be good at all.

If the failed part was only in the wood not under the PVC, I would have no problem gluing in a wooden patch. I have the skills for that.

What pisses me off is, I paid extra to buy a known. quality, USA made product and I got a French made POS! I should have gone ahead and bought a Korean made boat at half the price and that's what I will do if I can't get this fixed. The problem of course is, I don't want to screw up my cruise by all of this.