Smokercraft Boat Warning

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I stumbled on this ad which made me recall a boat I owned about 5 years ago. I bought a brand new Smokercraft Tracer and by the end of the 2nd trip out, the side panels started bulging out abnormally, beginning to fail. Mind you this was not in choppy water, or rough swells by any means. Very flat, calm water. I will give SC some credit for allowing me to trade the boat in for a pristine boat, but I see from this ad that this is not an isolated thing. If you compare the side hull thickness to most other aluminum boats, SC has the thinnest width of any. Just FYI.

 http://www.complaints.com/2008/january/28/Sylvan_Boats__Smokercraft__quality_and_dealer_net_160052.htm

[Rick]

You'd have a really difficult time convincing me that Smokercraft makes a bad boat. I bought a 15' Alaskan SS new in '97. I fished in just about every body of water in Washington state out of that boat. Sekiu,Puget Sound,Columbia River,numerous other lakes and rivers as well. I basically beat the hell out of that boat for 5 years. I sold it to my brother when I bought an Alumaweld and he kept beating on it for another couple years. When it was time to upgrade for him he had it listed on Craigslist for about an hour before it sold.

I'll bet there was 1000+ hours on that boat and motor when he sold it and it never leaked a drop. It was as solid 7 years after I bought it,as the day I brought it home.   

[SkookumHntr]

The Alaskan is a great boat! Well made and very strong for a riveted boat, I have the 16ft lodge with a 45 pump and 6 kicker and Ive been from Bouy 10 to the barrier dam and everything in between! I love the boat! I would buy another Smokercraft in a minute! Sure its not a North River but they are great for the bay fisheries and Rivers! Great Boats!

[Dmanmastertracker]

 Stats don't lie. Every major aluminum boat manufacturer; Duckworth, Custom Weld, NR, Weldcraft, etc., used .125 guage aluminum on the side hull, SC uses .06 guage on the Alaskan. I'd say you were pretty lucky given that. I've seen 21' Custom Weld's with .125 guage sides cave in at the bow in 4-5 foot swells and barely make it back in. As I said before, Smoker does provide a warranty, which is better than some, NR never had a hull warranty on it's OS model. Only issue for me is a warranty doesn't get you back to land if your hull caves in.

[bone head]

i won a tracer acouple years ago and ended up selling it because we already have a ranger bass boat but i did like the looks of the tracer but i guess im glad i got rid of it now. sorry on your bad luck

[GWA Hunter]

DMan I feel your pain I bought a brand new Smokercraft Tracer about 5 years ago and all I had was problems with the boat. In the first few trips both windshields came off the boat. We were over fishing the seep lakes around Potholes and the screws starting coming out everywhere in the boat also. THe rivets starting following out on the hull and the boat started leaking as well. We werent even fishing in rough water but man it felt like everytime we took that boat out something bad happened. After dealing with numerous problems for about a year they finally agreed to take the boat back and give us all our money back if we agreed to purchase a new smokercraft. So we ended up buying the new Smokercraft Phantom boat which is welded instead of rivets and we have been very happy. Auburn Sports marine was telling me they had a lot of recalls on the Tracer so it really doesnt suprise me to hear your story.

[BigGoonTuna]

Stats don't lie. Every major aluminum boat manufacturer; Duckworth, Custom Weld, NR, Weldcraft, etc., used .125 guage aluminum on the side hull, SC uses .06 guage on the Alaskan. I'd say you were pretty lucky given that. I've seen 21' Custom Weld's with .125 guage sides cave in at the bow in 4-5 foot swells and barely make it back in. As I said before, Smoker does provide a warranty, which is better than some, NR never had a hull warranty on it's OS model. Only issue for me is a warranty doesn't get you back to land if your hull caves in.

comparing my 13' alaskan that weighs around 200lbs with a 21' custom weld that probably weighs close to 2000lbs is a little lopsided.  i've been beating on mine for 7 years, the only complaint i have is that the rivets on the front braces have popped out a few times.  in a small boat like mine it doesn't flex in the waves like a larger boat.  i've had mine out in the swell at neah bay, the hull on my boat collapsing is about the last thing i'd worry about.

[Rick]

Stats don't lie. Every major aluminum boat manufacturer; Duckworth, Custom Weld, NR, Weldcraft, etc., used .125 guage aluminum on the side hull, SC uses .06 guage on the Alaskan. I'd say you were pretty lucky given that. I've seen 21' Custom Weld's with .125 guage sides cave in at the bow in 4-5 foot swells and barely make it back in. As I said before, Smoker does provide a warranty, which is better than some, NR never had a hull warranty on it's OS model. Only issue for me is a warranty doesn't get you back to land if your hull caves in.

Talk about an apples to oranges comparsion. Every boat you listed is heavy welded aluminum. Not even in the same league as a Smokercraft.

Now compare a Smokercraft to a lightweight aluminum hull like a Lowe,G3,Lund,Duroboat,etc.

By the way,a 4-5' swell ain't *censored*. If you saw someone "cave the bow in" running in 4-5' swells,the operator of that boat was an IDIOT.

[Dmanmastertracker]

DMan I feel your pain I bought a brand new Smokercraft Tracer about 5 years ago and all I had was problems with the boat. In the first few trips both windshields came off the boat. We were over fishing the seep lakes around Potholes and the screws starting coming out everywhere in the boat also. THe rivets starting following out on the hull and the boat started leaking as well. We werent even fishing in rough water but man it felt like everytime we took that boat out something bad happened. After dealing with numerous problems for about a year they finally agreed to take the boat back and give us all our money back if we agreed to purchase a new smokercraft. So we ended up buying the new Smokercraft Phantom boat which is welded instead of rivets and we have been very happy. Auburn Sports marine was telling me they had a lot of recalls on the Tracer so it really doesnt suprise me to hear your story.

 That was my experience also, I went with a Stiletto at the time on the warranty, heavier guage. Noticed the Tracer is no longer in production. I don't think ASM even sells SC boats anymore, I could be mistaken, but I have not seen any there for a while, unless they have some jon boats still around. I did have some electrical issues with my Tracer off the bat as well and some overheating issue's with the Stiletto, the weight of it wasn't right for a 16' boat, very heavy. It also tended to porpoise. They recommended a 90 horse for a 16' boat which is overkill for a well balanced 16' boat. I've seen 19' boats that weigh even more run on a 90.

 

 

 

 

[Dmanmastertracker]

Stats don't lie. Every major aluminum boat manufacturer; Duckworth, Custom Weld, NR, Weldcraft, etc., used .125 guage aluminum on the side hull, SC uses .06 guage on the Alaskan. I'd say you were pretty lucky given that. I've seen 21' Custom Weld's with .125 guage sides cave in at the bow in 4-5 foot swells and barely make it back in. As I said before, Smoker does provide a warranty, which is better than some, NR never had a hull warranty on it's OS model. Only issue for me is a warranty doesn't get you back to land if your hull caves in.

comparing my 13' alaskan that weighs around 200lbs with a 21' custom weld that probably weighs close to 2000lbs is a little lopsided.  i've been beating on mine for 7 years, the only complaint i have is that the rivets on the front braces have popped out a few times.  in a small boat like mine it doesn't flex in the waves like a larger boat.  i've had mine out in the swell at neah bay, the hull on my boat collapsing is about the last thing i'd worry about.

 Not sure where you would draw that conclusion. The 18' tracer had .06 sides, 15' Alaskan -.06 and most of the other SC models. I didn't mention a 13' boat. If you feel safer in a 13' boat on the coast then a 21' foot, your a braver soul than anyone else I know.

[Alchase]

Smoker Craft
.125 Gauge One-Piece Bottom and Double Riveted Seams

Link
http://www.smokercraft.com/Why/Construction/

[Dmanmastertracker]

 "bottom", not sides.

[bowtech721]

ya everyone wants a northriver, wooldridge, customweld etc.. but for the price smoker makes a good boat... ive had two and never had a problem. The one i have now is old as hell but with a little tlc its up and going just fine

[Tealer]

I have seen two Smokercraft sportsman's sleds with cracked welds on the transom, not even running the max hp. There smaller boats are great but the high horse stuff is under built.

[Dmanmastertracker]

I have seen two Smokercraft sportsman's sleds with cracked welds on the transom, not even running the max hp. There smaller boats are great but the high horse stuff is under built.

 That's a great distinction, thanks.

 Those few that are taking it personally that I lost 6k replacing a "new" boat with a (hull only) warranty are grabbing at straws. My only point was to make the public aware of a serious safety issue. The manufacturer would not have warranteed it if there was not a problem with it. Also, there are models of all the brands I listed that are comparable in cost to a 16-18' Smokercraft. If you want a smaller boat, the option's are fairly unlimited cost -wise and also a topic for a another discussion, not this one.

[Rick]

If we're really that concerned about safety,we need to start adding other boats to the "do not buy" list.

Lets start with North River,Alumaweld,Thunderjet,and Custom Weld.

The North Rivers of about 5 years ago had many issues with the design of their O/S bracket. Lots of guys had cracked welds on the transom.

Alumawelds have had issues with cracked welds on the stringers in the floor.

More than a few Thunderjets have sank because of cracked welds in the hull.

Custom Welds have been known to have the bow cave in running in rough water.

Any boat can fail,no matter if its riveted or welded aluminum or how well its built. *censored* happens.

Calling an entire line of boats garbage because of a few failures out of millions of boats produced is silly.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I would agree with you, so now if you can show me where I said all SC boats are crap? You really aren't reading what was said as a whole. I simply didn't say that. The two models specified were the Milentia and Tracer, for hull defects. I had issue's with the Stiletto as well of a different nature. These are all part of the "fishing" family, the Tracer is no more however -I said all this already. Again, I am not talking about the smaller boats outside of that family (under 16'), I have no experience with them and really don't care to compare them to big water boats, I did not make that comparison.

[fishcrazy]

For what they are for the SC boats are fine. You can't putt them in the same class as any of the other bigger welded boats. They are in a class of boats that are little and thin (light wieght) for the guy who wants that. if you want a well biult heavy dutty boat made of thicker metal then SC, Lowe ect  is not that kind of boat.

Good post to just make people aware of a problem. I don't think this topic was meant to be anything more.

Thanks for the info. I know some guys who have those boats. I will pass it on. I know one guy who found cracks in his boat before he got it in the water the first time. They fixed it but it makes you wounder when a new boat has cracks.


Kris

[Tealer]

For what they are for the SC boats are fine. You can't putt them in the same class as any of the other bigger welded boats. They are in a class of boats that are little and thin (light wieght) for the guy who wants that. if you want a well biult heavy dutty boat made of thicker metal then SC, Lowe ect  is not that kind of boat.

Good post to just make people aware of a problem. I don't think this topic was meant to be anything more.

Thanks for the info. I know some guys who have those boats. I will pass it on. I know one guy who found cracks in his boat before he got it in the water the first time. They fixed it but it makes you wounder when a new boat has cracks.


Kris

Just remember that SC makes larger welded boats up to 20' I believe. That is where they have problems.