Non slip is way too slippery!

[Sea Saw]

I have a problem on my FV270's non slip surfaces. They are slick as glass, paticularly on the swim platform. When you least expect it you will slip and fall. The worst fall I have had was stepping from boat to boat on the swim platform.

Does anyone else have this problem. Any solutions that are reasonable?

Thought of new non slip gel coat surface... Too expensive.

Non-slip tape... Will not stick to the non slip surface.

I was discussing with the admiral the upgrades and repairs for the winter and she said: fix the swim platform first!!!

[merwin10]

Hey sea saw,

Thought I would just pass this along. One the hatty's had the tanks pulled last year which ment cutting out the cockpit. after everything was put back together and fiberglass in rather than re gel coating the fishing cockpit the owner had it Rhino Lined. Yep the same stuff they use on pickup bed, well almost. I was on the boat and let me till you it came out fantasic. As for non slip it was great. It is available in different grits and textures. Would fix your problem.

First, I would wash the swim platform down with acetone to get any wax off. Sounds like someone waxed the swim platform. Never wax areas where you are going to step. It is a sure way to throw the Admiral or BOB over board.

I am sending all of you a link to Rhino Linings MArine applications brochure. see

http://www.rhinonow.com/share/media/Mar ... %20Marine'

Hope this helps, let me know what you do.

Mike -  

[Talon]

My non skid lacking as well. Rinkers' non skid pales even by the standards of our last Bayliner. I've heard awlgrip mentioned as a solution but, to tell the truth, it hasn't been a huge problem for me. We use a welcome mat at the dock and everybody is careful when we are rafted up or on the hook.

regarding the Rhino Linings, Boating mag is restoring a small runabout and they had it Rhino Lined and gave it high marks.

[kcsteve]

Had the same problem with my Rinker, especially the ESP I managed to get Rinker to resurface it under warranty. But they wouldn't redo the molded in protion because it wasn't as bad. I'll probably have it redone this winter. I know a fiberglass guy here locally that does a real nice job not sure yet what it will cost. I read somewhere that Rinker had been sued over this when some guy fell into the Mississippi River and drowned. Not sure of the outcome.

[merwin10]

Have talked to several owners around here and on the net and they all seem to sing the same song. several have related the kids falling over when wet. My friends Rinker is very slipery also. The non skid is not up to snuff. Rinker needs to look into their QC on this item, way to many complaints, someone is going to get hurt.

Mike -  

[slawson]

YES, you can do a google can come up with the casefile on that thing.  IT's a case something like Miller v Rinker Boat Company.

It's pages long and more legaleze than you would ever care to read......bottom line....it appears at this point that if you get drunk, fall off the back of your boat...it's Rinker's fault.......only in America.

SL

[Talon]

http://www.state.il.us/court/Opinions/A ... 030541.htm

Seems like overkill to me, but then I don't speak legalese very well.

[merwin10]

Interesting court case! It is a tragic incident that someone died in this accident and that Rinker was sued over it, only in America. Fortunately, our court system had the common sense to make the correct decision. Some things are just common sense.

Let see I take a boat out that I know has risks associated with it, such as water is know to be unstable, in comparison to terra-firma, the surface of the boat gets wet of course we are in water. I have a 3 hour party. Fall of the deck. Now it is the manufacturer's fault.  I guess the beer had nothing to do with it! WOW!!!

You know if the decision went the other way, I don't think any of us could afford boats. It would have made the manufacturer responsible for any thing I do with their product.

That is like saying the car and tire manufacturers are responsible for a drunk driving accident because the car was unable to stop on a wet icy surface. errrrr!!!

Still Rinker needs to look into the non-skid issue and improving the non-skid just for the sake of a Quality issue, forget safety. They could even make it a feature of the boat. You know ".125" deep diamond shaped non skid surfaces deepest non skid in industry".

Oh!! Maybe not then it would be the deep non skid surface cause the person to stumble because it gripped to well!!!

Mike -  

[slawson]

Actually, as I understand it, from this came the walk through transom's that started showing up around 2003-2004 model years.  I know I sure like walking through on mine compared to 'climbing over' on the other half dozen boats that we tie up with each weekend.

Steve L.

[slawson]

As I read that long winded thing, the whole thing is NOT over.  Unless I am confused (and that is easily possible), Rinker originally asked for and received a summary judgement which sort of took them off of the hook.  As I understand it, the summary judgement said what merwin said so well, there are things in life that have some inherent danger....and if proper precautions are not used by those using those devices, bad things can happen.  So the summary judgement said that (basically throwing it out of court).  THen the plaintiff protested, someone (higher court) heard that case and threw out the summary judgement thus throwing it back into court for either a judge or jury to decide Rinker's fate.  I cannot find anything else on this.  It appears that case 'should' have been heard by now....but not finding anything on it makes me think that it's been postponed.  I suspect someone with more legal expertise can figure that out.  I can say that living in this local, the discenting judge is a very good judge, he was here in our county for a while and from what I saw of judgements in local cases....common sense came into play more in his courtroom than legal oddities and far stretches of precidents....but it sounds like he was outvoted.

Steve L.

[kcsteve]

Was at the boat show this past weekend and noticed that the 06 bowriders all  had the Diamond pattern non skid surface vs the granular type Rinker used in the past. Maybe they got the message. I also saw a competitors boat that did not have any non skid surface on the lids that covered the ladder and a small storage area. I would think that this would be dangerous going from a non skid surface to slippery one in one step.

[Talon]

Agreed. At the very least, the nonskid should be consistant.

[Sea Saw]

Thanks for all comments on the non-slip!

By pure accident I found a product that I would like some feed back on. I think it may solve the non-skid problem!

http://www.salisburymarine.com (deck gaurds, non-skid pyramid surface)

The only place I found to purchase is:
 http://www.rivermarinesupply.com/xcart/ ... _PM36.html

I have seen something like this on a few boats before. Anyone every used this before?

I would guess for the best application, the area would have to be sanded smooth first. What do you guys think?

[Talon]

No experience with the deckguard stuff, but it looks promising. Have you looked into Awlgrip?

[merwin10]

One of the boats in the marina tried something like that. Two things went wrong! First he did not sand the old non skid off so the bonding to the deck was not complete. second was the sun got to it after one season could have been because of the bonding.

Mike -