Super Air 210 Tower Crack

[Andy Mohler]

I'm a new owner of a slightly used (~30hrs )2010 Super Air 210. Went to check on her today in storage (outdoor) and found the base of the port side tower split/cracked with exposed metal ~2" long. No other marks. The tube looks a little bit bulged out at the base. I have no idea what could cause this. My initial thought was that somebody ran into me in the storage facility but it would have to be a really hard blow and there are no marks or dents. It recently froze here for one night ~30deg which is cold for Orlando. Ideas?

[offshorejay]

looks like it froze to me

[Andy Mohler]

man, how do these things survive up North? got to be a manufacturing defect...even my Orange tree did not freeze. I have a warranty and I hope this is covered

[riderite]

Must of had some water in the tubing and when it froze it expanded and cracked..

[mdvalant]

What are we looking at? Looks like there's a few different random marks, can't tell if they are reflections or what.

[mdvalant]

Put a bottle of water outside at 30 all night and see if it freezes solid...water didn't cause this issue.

[Andy Mohler]

you are looking at cracked, exposed, shiny metal. all the rest are just reflections. It looked like freeze damage to me also but I just could not believe it

[TxJole]

It is a known problem my dealer here in Texas had a few replaced under warranty. I was going to put one on my 08 that cracked and was re-welded. All new towers have larger drain holes.

[riderite]

Just another reason to get a tower built out of stainless steel...

[HS]

Andy:

Is this the tower you have?

In what part of the country was your boat located when you noticed the crack?

http://planetnautique.com/vb3/showth...or-FCT3-Towers!

[HS]

Andy, does your photo show the damage at the tube ar in the gusset part of the tower? I think the recall (as I read it) pertained to the tube; in the photo, were pointing to the area where the weld joins the gusset plate and the tube??

[gride]

Is that a Roswell tower? My friends 09 cracked from freeze and Roswell came to his house and replaced it I believe. If not they fixed it.

[Andy Mohler]

thanks, it looks like the weep hole issue. This 2010 has always been a Central Florida boat. I'm just shocked that relatively mild cold weather could crack this. Sounds like I need to have my dealer fix this (Nautiques of Orlando)

[Andy Mohler]

it did not look like any damage in the gusset...it was the tube burst from inside. I grew up in N Ohio, used to seeing occasional pipes break at -20. Looked like those old galvanized steel pipes we had.

[RyanNoble]

30 degrees is just barely barely below zero and overnight that wouldn't cause enough expansion pressure to blow apart a tower tube. I would say until into the low twenties or high teens water wouldn't freeze hard enough to cause that kind of damage. I'd say its impact or stress related. Just my 2 cents.