Severely Corroded captain's chairs

[Ilmmct]

@Bennie looks like the 2013 242 LS has a plastic bottom (looks like thick cutting board material) and does not use the metal upholstery springs like your 2015 242 LS. Pics from the underside of my captain chair below ... please excuse the grime, this is not an area of my boat I've ever looked at before:

 

[Bennie]

Very interesting. Thank you @Ilmmct - I appreciate the feedback.

Does anyone with a 2014 know what the bottom support looks like on their captain's chairs?
I know @blacksapphirez sold his but I'm hoping someone else might be able to help.

This may have been part of the new 2015 model redesign and be classified by Yamaha as a "lesson learned" engineering faux pas.

 

[Bennie]

Just sent this email to the Service Manager (Joe Martin) of Gulf Shores Power Sports, in Gulf Shores, AL.

"Joe -

I have been directed to you in regards to the severely corroded support springs on the captain's chairs on my 2015 242 LS. (please see the attached pictures)
[the pics on my first post in this thread]

The thin steel springs appear to only have a minimal primer layer of paint for "protection" and are showing signs of severe corrosion. I believe that these seat support springs were part of the new upgraded model design in 2015, as previous years had a corrosion resistant plastic bottom support. Reviewing the YES warranty I can see where, without seeing the severe corrosion, you might believe that these seats would not be covered. Under "SPECIFIC EXCLUSIONS" the contract states in item #5:

• "APPEARANCE-RELATED DAMAGE such as scratches, nicks, dents, fading paint and trim, tears, corrosion, gel coat stress cracks, and growth of marine organisms on surfaces. Seats, padding, upholstery, cushions, fabric, vinyl, stitching; stains on or damage or wear to seats, padding, upholstery, cushions, fabric, vinyl, and stitching."

Joe let me ask you, as a mechanically minded person, at which point does corrosion transfer from "Appearance-Related" to structurally unfit and unsafe? If my wife or I were to have a seat break and cause a traumatic injury will it then be considered to be more than "Appearance-Related"?

These support springs are not merely showing signs of surface rust, but rather shower the floor of my boat with rust particles every single time we use/move the seat. When every other angle of my boat looks immaculate and I have multiple other owners of boats less than 3 years old with the same problem it appears that we now have a engineering flaw and not just an "Appearance-Related" issue.

I greatly appreciate your time and diligence in resolving this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon with your solutions."

 

[Benny Sibbitt]

@Bennie well said....

 

[RadioWaves]

Totally unacceptable, hope Yamaha steps up

 

[haknslash]

Very interesting. Thank you @Ilmmct
This may have been part of the new 2015 model redesign and be classified by Yamaha as a "lesson learned" engineering faux pas.

I think you're correct. I'd be willing to bet the springs are only on the newer 2015+ seats that have the redesign seat with recliner. The previous 21' and 24' boat seats look the same as what us 19' boats use which has the same non-reclining "wrap-around back" with plastic bottom that the seat base bolts to (like below)..

 

[tonyGinFL]

Speaking of rust (seat related), my dealer informed me of the passenger captains chair base plate, supposedly notorious for rusting out from the underside of the base plate ..

Upon taking delivery, I was told that, if seat base does start to show signs of rust on the floor Yamaha would replace it under warranty.

After reading this thread, I will also keep an eye on my seat springs -as the boat had been sitting at the dealer for a year.

 

[Bennie]

I finally got in touch with the service manager and though he said that he agreed with me and concern that his hands were tied when it came down to the warranty part of the repair.

This is understandable and gladly he forwarded me to Yamaha. I am now in contact with one of their "Customer Relations Specialist" and have forwarded the same email that I sent to the service manger to them for their technicians to review.
Hopefully I will have more information before the weekend arrives.

If anyone else is (or has) experienced the same problem please let me know so that I can have more of an understanding just how much of an isolated problem this is or if it's a rather wide spread defect. - thank you

 

[Neutron]

I looked under both of my seats and they looked as they were new.
I hope you get some help from yamaha

 

[Bennie]

I looked under both of my seats and they looked as they were new.
I hope you get some help from yamaha

Really!?! And I'm guessing that you boat primarily in salt water looking at your location. Is that correct?

 

[Neutron]

I have been in salt water numerous times but its fresh here on the Trent, Brices's Creek, and the upper Neuse.

It gets brackish when you go south of Havelock

 

[swatski]

I finally got in touch with the service manager and though he said that he agreed with me and concern that his hands were tied when it came down to the warranty part of the repair.

This is understandable and gladly he forwarded me to Yamaha. I am now in contact with one of their "Customer Relations Specialist" and have forwarded the same email that I sent to the service manger to them for their technicians to review.
Hopefully I will have more information before the weekend arrives.

If anyone else is (or has) experienced the same problem please let me know so that I can have more of an understanding just how much of an isolated problem this is or if it's a rather wide spread defect. - thank you

Just reading this now. My "new gen" chair broke the base on the way to Bimini last year, gave my daughter a nasty bruise, not to mention she went flying towards the stern with that chair when it broke. I have not checked for rust, will do. The base is some kind of aluminum(?) alloy. I would def keep an eye on it, especially if you boat offshore. May want to have your family sit on the benches when it gets rough.

Well, good luck with the customer relations specialists of Yamaha...
Didn't work for me for $hit. In fact, it brought my love affair with Yamaha to a screeching halt, lol.

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[Bennie]

@swatski was it the aluminum base that broke or the metal base of the chair that broke free from the base?

This new design only has the seat held onto the base by four small bolts. Not a very sturdy platform in my opinion.

 

[swatski]

@swatski was it the aluminum base that broke or the metal base of the chair that broke free from the base?

This new design only has the seat held onto the base by four small bolts. Not a very sturdy platform in my opinion.

It was the alloy part - whatever it is - passenger chair.
And I'll say, just in general, comparing the quality of materials, even vinyl, not as good as in older boats.


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[Westbeach Bum]

I had to remove what was left of the springs under both seats. I was able to clean the rust stains from the floor but you sink in the seats now.

The first photo was taken when I took the cover off for the first time since mid October. One theory I have is the cover holds in the heat and humidity and coupled with salt water water exposure causes this. I have friends and family with non Yamaha boats that use the same type cover and this does not happen.

 

[Bennie]

I have friends and family with non Yamaha boats that use the same type cover and this does not happen.

Now that is interesting!
Would you please ask them to send you any pics if possible? Also are their springs made of a different material?
I am awaiting my first reply from Yamaha before moving this matter forward. Any additional information that I can provide to support our argument would help immensely. - thank you

 

[Westbeach Bum]

Now that is interesting!
Would you please ask them to send you any pics if possible? Also are their springs made of a different material?
I am awaiting my first reply from Yamaha before moving this matter forward. Any additional information that I can provide to support our argument would help immensely. - thank you

I will have to check with them to see if they even have springs in their seats. But they don't remove their boat covers and find rust falling from main components. It was just a poor design or choice of seat provider by Yamaha.

 

[Westbeach Bum]

If Yamaha will not help, I'm going to try and use something non corrosive and won't rot like starboard, to replace the springs for support.

 

[Bennie]

I was just advised by Yamaha that the chairs WILL be covered due the extreme loss of structural integrity.
My local dealer needs to only submit a claim and the process will move forward!!

Any suggestions on a application to the new seat springs to avoid this from happening again?
Rustoleum?
Rhinoliner?
Flex Seal?

 

[Neutron]

Good news indeed