Just bought a 2004 Moomba Mobius XLV. Steering, bilge, and water intrusion issues.

[wolfeman131]

Oh so sad. According to the Progressive insurance adjuster and my repair guy, it looks like a hull defect. The fiberglass delaminated from the structure and started flapping against the it, eventually causing a crack in the fiberglass and softening of the surrounding fiberglass. It's a shame Moomba won't cover it. since I discovered it last week, a total of four guys have told me that Moombas and Supras have had this issue in the past. However, unless you are the original owner, there is no "lifetime" warranty to cover it. I think they've changed their policy, which is good, but owners of older Moombas are out of luck. If there are any Moomba reps out there that can help me out with this, please chime in...I think all Moomba/Supra owners would appreciate it. Same for any other Moomba/Supra owners experiencing similar problems.

I completely understand the normal wear and tear of a boat can lead to this type of damage, but a 10 year old boat that has been well taken care of (garaged) with less than 260 hours on it should not be experiencing these defects.

We were very excited about the thought of purchasing a new Mojo in the next 2 years (came close to one before deciding to go used), but I will have to think twice about Moomba/Supra. I've had no other issues with it but this experience has been a real PITA. I asked the repair shop to look for any other weaknesses in the fiberglass and to take pictures. I will post them soon.

Thanks again for your advice and comments.

Sorry to read about the bad news, but are you really bitching about a 10 yr old boat that you failed to have fully & properly inspected before buying?

[OJT23]

Huge mistake on my part by not getting an inspection. No doubt.

However, I'm surprised of the problems that folks have had with moomba/supra fiberglass. I'm more surprised at how the manufacturer is dealing with them. Is it a lifetime warranty or not? Both the insurance adjuster and repair shop said it developed over time due to a manufacturer's hull defect. It's not covered because I'm the second owner and not the first? What a bunch of bs. I asked SC if they could at least just look at it, but they said in no way is it covered.

My body shop guy said there were more moombas coming into his shop for body work than any other inboard manuf. he's said the early to mid 2000s especially.

Live and learn. Hopefully he doesn't discover more problems once he opens it up.

[OJT23]

Here are videos showing the damage. It looks like the fiberglass ski locker tub was rubbing on the hull's fiberglass and created a weak spot, causing the crack/delamination. The repair shop is going to go over the hull in that area under the ski locker with extra matting to thicken up the fiberglass. What sucks is he is going to have to cut the ski locker to access the hull fiberglass from the inside. He will try to patch it up but its not going to look the same.

outside of hull: http://s113.photobucket.com/user/ojt...tml?sort=3&o=1
in ski locker: http://s113.photobucket.com/user/ojt...tml?sort=3&o=0

I read in another post that there is foam under there, and that it is supposed to be a dry area. There is still water sitting in there, I'm sure from water penetrating the crack, so I guess re glassing the entire area beneath the locker will alleviate that issue. Not sure if we need to reinstall the foam or what the purpose of the foam is. Maybe buoyancy?

Here is a link to the discussion about water in the ski locker. I wonder if these guys were actually experiencing water penetration through the hull and didn't realize it at the time.

https://forum.moomba.com/archive/index.php/t-13043.html

Sorry about my rant....but my goal here is to inform other boaters or future boat owners so they don't go through the same thing some of us have.

One last thing....food for thought. I asked my fiberglass guy who made the best fiberglass boat (thickest and best hulls, NOT features, luxury options, etc) and he said....

#1. Cobalt
#2. Ranger
#3. Mastercraft

The worst were:
#1. Bayliner
#2. Sea Ray
#3. Moomba (mid 2000s. Hasn't had many since.)

It's was painful for me to hear, and I'm sure the newer Moombas are thicker and better....I hope, but again, it's just an opinion from a guy who has been in the fiberglass repair business for 30 years. He worked for Glastron a LONG time ago for quite awhile but after that he opened his own shop. No affiliations with any manufacturer since.

[jmvotto]

sorry to see this, was this a private transaction or from some sort of used boat dealer etc,?