So, my swim platform came off yesterday

[Tyger]

Like several other posters, I've been annoyed and concerned by the amount of play in my swim platform. I've also noticed the number of posts about swim platform problems so I figured it was bound to happen to me some day.

Yesterday as someone was climbing onto the swim platform it came totally off underneath them. In the process one platform mount came off with the platform and all the screws ripped out of the other mount, leaving it on the boat. I figure either a) a mount pin came out and one side of the platform rode up, causing it to put unbearable pressure on the other side, ripping out the screws or b) the pin on one mount just sheared off. I'm guessing based on the strength of the materials the pin had to come out on it's own. At first I was worried that our surfing setup (see my post about boat attitude) had caused undue stress on the platform. However, I surfed once more at the end of the day with the platform gone and I could see that the water wouldn't push against the platform if it was present.

A couple of the screws holding the mount plates are not super-tight, but none of them have any play in them what-so-ever. I also noticed that some screws on both platform mounts have non-stainless screws going into them, which have rusted. Based on the fact that these are flat-slotted wood screws and many of the screws had gunk on them, I have to assume that the former owner of the boat replaced some screws at some point (maybe after they stripped) with non-stainless screws and put in some epoxy or something that didn't hold.

Has anyone else had this happen to them? Can anyone vouch that the screws from the mounts to the platform are all the same stainless phillips screws from the factory? Finally, are there any methods of keeping the platform more solidly mounted? I'm not too concerned about quick release right now because I don't need to take my platform off ever. Finally, I noticed that the bottom of the mounts are both bulging down somewhat from the force on them. I think stopping the play in the platform will stop this from getting worse.

I'm tempted to replace it with a teak platform, but I kind of like the firberglass one and I generally like to keep my boat factory. However, I'm definitely not going to replace the factory pin. I've already bought a regular wire lock pin (see pic) from Home Depot and I'm looking for a stainless version. However, I've had trouble so far finding a stainless wire lock, so I may end up with a stainless clevis, which seems pretty easy to find.



Currently, my idea of fixing is this (after input from my car fixing buddy):

Fill in the screw holes with fiberglass resin
Put in all new stainless screws once the fiberglass sets up
Use Loc-tite red on the screws
Replace both pins with wire lock pins or similar

I'm also going to see about getting slightly large pins that will fill in the hole completely so I don't have play on the platform.

[Yellowmobius]

If you can use Stainless bolts

[zegm]

I would not use fasteners from Home Depot until you check out the origins. www.McMastercarr.com has all the stainless hardware you need as they seem to supply the US Navy contractors.
Teak is awesome and not expensive and will make the boat look much better.
Not sure Locktite red will be the solution for the screws in fiberglass, would look at the 3M Marine sealants/adhesives. Don't get me wrong locktite is great but too thin and the 3M (I want to say it is a 3000 number or something like that I used it a couple of years ago and it was awesome) would do a better job in fiberglass.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff136/zegm/DSCF1484.jpg

[bradenb12]

I have a 2000 Mobius V and the swim platform is loose...The problem is you can access the top two bolts on the brackets but you can't get to the bottom bolts as they are underneath the sub floor...bad engineering design! I've thought about cutting small holes in the sub floor so I can access the bottom bolts, replacing them with stainless, and using loctite on them.

[Tyger]

Thanks for the tip on McMaster-Carr, zegm. Found what I needed in a couple minutes!

[Tyger]

Oh, I forgot to mention... After pulling the boat out of the water on Sunday I noticed that all of the bolts were out of the wake plate (where the plate attaches to the hydrolics). The guy that put the drain plug in the boat said that he noticed they were missing when he put in the plug in earlier that day (great to have non-boaters along, eh?).

Has anyone else had this problem? I noticed the plastic on the hydrolics is threaded, but I'm thinking of going with longer bolts this time and using lock-nuts on them from the back. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks everyone for the input.

[ian ashton]

I noticed quite a bit of play in my swim platform, and upon further inspection found that one of the pins was straight up missing! I was a bit shocked as my boat is only 1 month old, but its something that we weren't checking regularly, as my boat stays in the water. I put bolts in place of the pins, with a lock-nut on the end to ensure that the problem doesn't happen again.

[tazz3069]

Tyger--
What did you end up using. My swim step is loose. I noticed that my pins are a bit smaller in diameter than the hole. Went out and purchased the next size up pin and it did not fit.
Tazz

[Tyger]

Tazz, I bought both a 1/4" and 5/16" wire pin lock from Home Depot and had the same problem. The 1/4" is too loose in the mounting bracket and the 5/16" would not fit in the mount plate holes.

I ended up ordering 1/4" pin lock from McMaster-Carr. My boating buddy took my mounting brackets to work today and he's going to have the bottom holes welded in. Then I will re-drill the holes a smaller size and use the 1/4" pin. This will hopefully remove most of the play in swim platform.

However, it's not an easy fix for more people if you don't know someone who's good at welding aluminum (which is a trick).

[Tyger]

(It's kind of odd that I tend to respond to my own posts a lot.)

Well, I ordered the McMaster-Carr parts late Monday and they are here already. That's fast service!

[mvd]

Strange thing:

My teakplatform of my 2007 LSV cant be taken off. If i have to remove my platform i have to take the screws out that connect the plaform to the mount. If i disconnect the fastners i cant slide the platform up because of the hoisting eyes that are above them.

[njwlog]

Just came across this thread.

Last weekend, my swim platform came off as well ('07 LSV). I took the boat out in the morning, parked in a dock for a few hours, and then went out again. In the afternoon my daughter asks me what happened the the swim platofrm. I go back to check it out and it's completely gone!

As you can imagine, I was not too happy, and called my dealer to have it replaced under warranty. Whoever designed those pins obviously didn't think it through. I haven't heard an answer yet from my dealer if they will cover it, but if they don't I am going to throw a fit. What scares me most is the liability here, what if another boat or a skier hits a platform floating around the lake?

[bradenb12]

I think Moomba needs to really work on their swim platform attachment design. Just walking through the dealer the other day I would grab the platforms on the new Moomba's and they have too much play! Supra's were loose as well, obviously.

[Chris_B]

I noticed today that the port-side mounting bracket has caused some stress cracks in the gel coat below the mount. One extends horizontally several inches toward the outside of the boat. What would cause this? What is the solution to the cause? What is the fix for the hairline cracks in the gelcoat?

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d637b3127ccec4b588aa455a00000040O00JbMWLRqyZA9 vPg4/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/

[th3godf4th3r]

Just came across this thread.

Last weekend, my swim platform came off as well ('07 LSV). I took the boat out in the morning, parked in a dock for a few hours, and then went out again. In the afternoon my daughter asks me what happened the the swim platofrm. I go back to check it out and it's completely gone!

As you can imagine, I was not too happy, and called my dealer to have it replaced under warranty. Whoever designed those pins obviously didn't think it through. I haven't heard an answer yet from my dealer if they will cover it, but if they don't I am going to throw a fit. What scares me most is the liability here, what if another boat or a skier hits a platform floating around the lake?



we lost ours yesterday too!!!! our boat is not under warranty anymore though:evil::evil::evil:


anybody have a site thats sells them?

[cab13367]

You guys have me concerned, so I checked the fit of the pins on my platform, and they are snug. The spring keeps the rotating end of the pin at a 90 degree angle and flush against the bracket so it should not come off.

So how is everyone losing their platforms? Is the pin shearing? Is it somehow coming off? Did your pin have the spring still attached? I guess it would be impossible to know since the platform as well as the pins are gone.

I'm just trying to figure out what the cause is so that I can take preventative action.

Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks,

Al

[cab13367]

Oh, I forgot to mention... After pulling the boat out of the water on Sunday I noticed that all of the bolts were out of the wake plate (where the plate attaches to the hydrolics). The guy that put the drain plug in the boat said that he noticed they were missing when he put in the plug in earlier that day (great to have non-boaters along, eh?).

Has anyone else had this problem? I noticed the plastic on the hydrolics is threaded, but I'm thinking of going with longer bolts this time and using lock-nuts on them from the back. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks everyone for the input.


Tyger,

Your proposed fix should be just fine. On one of the 4 on mine, the plastic thread is stripped so it never snugs up. I'm keeping an eye on it but I will probably due the same as you at some point.

Al

[njwlog]

My dealer told me that they were aware of other situations where if the boat is sitting in the water in relatively rough conditions (in a dock), the action of the chop hitting the swim step can gradually work the pin out. I am guessing that is what happened in my case. My boat is normally on a lift, but I left it in the dock in the water overnight, so the day and half or so of sitting in choppy water probably loosened the pins. Either way, the safety pin holding the pins in place should not fall out that easily.

[sandm]

I ditched the original crappy supra/moomba designed pins after shearing 4 in 2 trips and not able to purchase replacements from the dealer. found 2 of the 4 laying in the bottom of the lake when docked(gotta love kids snorkeling with lots of free time), and all broke at the pivot point, very weak. they told me that they don't stock them anymore due to a poor design and are only selling the ones listed in the very first post. they were out(supra/moomba owners bought them out over the last week), so went to homedepot and bought 4 for less than 10bucks. have not had an issue with one yet. incidentally, that design is the same one used on malibus, mastercrafts and centurions. sometimes the wheel doesn't need re-invented.

[th3godf4th3r]

we lost ours yesterday too!!!! our boat is not under warranty anymore though:evil::evil::evil:


anybody have a site thats sells them?


any body know somewhere i can get a new one?

[njwlog]

I didn't consider the possibility that the pin sheared rather than just falling out. If that is the case, that is much worse of design/material probem.

[sandm]

supra/moomba are the only ones that I know of using the pin design the do. it's a nice thought, but poor design. they do shear off in rough water, I believe due to the play in the platform. we switched out to the ones listed in the first post and not an issue yet.

however....
noticed yesterday morning that due to the play in the brackets, the bottom of one of the brackets has broke off, so the platform can bounce up. pin doesn't hold it in place anymore. used some plumbers strapping to hold it on for our trip yesterday, but am going to have to buy a new bracket for the platform... am convinced all these issues are due to the play.
sucks.....

thinking about going to the next size up and drilling the holes just a tad bigger to hold it. would fix the loose platform issue, but not sure yet.

[Tyger]

Sandm, if you can find a welder, have them weld in the broken spot and then drill it through again. It will no doubt be cheaper than getting a new one and it holds up fine. Although your average garage mechanic may not be able to weld aluminum really well.

The locking pins I got from McMaster-Carr are working great.

To answer the other post, I'm not sure exactly what happened, but one side of the platform definitely came loose - either the pin sheared or it fell out. I would guess the pin sheared off, since the previous owner of my boat had bent over the flat flanges that are supposed to keep the pins from sliding out unless you want them to. After one side was loose and rode up higher, the weight of someone just climbing into the boat cause the other side to tear loose from the second bracket. So one bracket was left on the boat and the other came off still attached to the swim platform.

They do float quite well, so hopefully no one hit the one that came off at the dock.

Chris_B hairline cracks in gel coat is very common, especially near where things mount. I have one near one of my tower mounts and another near the windshield. Cheaper boats will have more of these. Take a look at a 5+ year old Bayscraper, I mean Bayliner and you will see tons of them. They are usually superficial and don't bother anyone except the owner. :)

[njwlog]

Tyger,

What style of stainless locking pin did you by from Mcmaster Carr? (I'm guessing the one with the lanyard?) Also, what length of pin did you get?

The lake patrol found my swim platform floating around the lake undamaged, so now I just need to find a more reliable pin to hold it in place. Your idea of welding and redrilling the pin holes makes sense to take the play out.

thx.

[sandm]

home depot sells them in the nuts/bolts aisle. they are located in one of the pull out drawers and look exactly like the pic in the first post of this thread. cost is right around $2, and no waiting for shipping...

[bhaastyle]

Hello,

I've had the same problem with my swim step ('07 Mobius XLV). Tightening/replacing the screws became a regular maintenance item. Finally, I came up with the bright idea of mounting the brackets to the swim step with 2 part, 2 ton clear epoxy (Home Depot stocks it) and my troubles are over.

Steps to success:
1. Remove the screws and brackets
2. Clean the mounting surfaces of the swim step and brackets
3. Apply the epoxy to the entire mounting surface of the brackets
4. Apply a small amount of epoxy to each screw hole on the swim step
5. Line up screw holes and screw the screws (sounds funny, huh)
6. Done!!! (Let it dry for a few hours, of course)

NOTE: You will still have the play issue due to the poor mounting pin design. However, this thread also has brilliant ideas to reduce/remove the play.

bhaastyle

[SC_LSV]

The first time I read this thread, I kinda laughed to myself. Until this past weekend when mine came off and stripped the screws out of the bottom of the platform on one side. Call it karma or bad luck either way... But fixed it and used some 1/4" clevis pins that will hold up alot better than the factory pins. So hopefully won't have this issue again.

Good info in this thread though, thanks for all the help.

[sandm]

interestingly enough, my dealer was out of the exact factory replacement bracket, so they sold me a different set that have a little more angle to them. swim deck does not sit level when the boat is out of the water. I thought that it would be an issue, but swim deck is actually a little more out of the water when the boat is sitting level, and I got an extra foot on our surf wake. was up above the waist when at the bottom of the wake. I'll snap pics. was going to have the dealer order the correct ones, but after seeing the wake, I'm sticking with the ones they sold me :)