www.iFourWinns.com

If i have a CO monitor I don't know it.....mine is a 2008 model

In a recent post I stated that Stingray boats are built from the same materials used to build a certain brand X boat that was being discussed. Okay, it was Cobalt. A lot of folks here already know about what I'm about to discuss, especially those that have attended a factory tour, like I have, or have been here a while. This is for those that might not be aware and thought I was blowing smoke.

Stingray Boat Company is a member of an organization called American Boatbuilders Association. This group has some of the elite boat builders of the industry as members such as Regal, Cobalt, Correct Craft, Tiara, Formula and several others. These are all independent boat manufacturers and the purpose of the association is buying power. By buying raw materials as a group, they all save money. To accomplish this, they all use the same vendors and the same products for construction.

So, when I say Stingray has the same gel coat, fiberglass materials, etc. as Cobalt, Regal, and all the rest, I actually do know what the heck I'm talking about.

Now, not that I really care if one certain individual on the forum believes any of this or not, I thought some of you that didn't know this might like to know.

To check it out and see all of the manufacturers in the association go to http://www.ababoats.com.

The website seems to be down tonight but was working earlier.

I did not post this to start any thing, especially with a certain agenda driven whiner and I would appreciate it if it didn't turn into that. Just information for those that care or might be new to Stingray boats.

I guess that workmanship and design have nothing to do with quality. That guy sounds like a blowhard. Thats like saying that Hyundai and Lexus has the same quality because they use the same steel........

You must either work for Stingray or an affiliate. To clarify since you are obviously talking about me, I never stated the materials that built the boat were of poor quality. In fact I praised the quality of materials being that they are top notch.

My problem with Stingray is the same problem that A LOT of owners have: build quality and lack of design testing. It's obvious the skill level of the labor is very low, and quality control is sleeping. On the design side it's like none are actually tested before mass produced. An example of that is the computer bilge pump in my 2009 195CS cuddy. It's like an alarm clock going off every 3 minutes. Totally unacceptable. Another example is the helm seat. It's bolted in about 1 inch too close to the gunwale. You can't turn it backwards fully no matter how back/forward you slide it to have a conversation with people in the boat. The cuddy top round hatch comes from the factory unsealed to the top deck so as you can imagine.. it leaks. The fitment of the lay in carpet doesn't match any lines of the boat, they're all off a tad leaving crooked gaps. The carpeted covered dividers that go behind the rear seats to separate the engine bay from the cockpit NEVER EVER EVER stay in place. They always fall back due to nothing holding them in place. The rear of the radio is a slapped together piece of wood held in by 2 screws that sags. Zero accessory circuits for customer installed electronics like a chart plotter in the helm. To install a GPS requires a new fuse panel to be installed. The passenger folding seat never stays locked upright. One good wave and your passenger lays down. The fitment of the convertible rear seating to sunpad is horribly designed and everything is crooked as heck. My 195CS cuddy specifically uses the 195 bowrider hull. In doing so the cuddy is unbalanced due to less forward weight which causes severe porpoising. None of the fiberglass was cleaned up inside non-visible areas. Especially in the helm the wires rest on sharp un-sanded/cleaned up fiberglass which will eventually cut into the wires. Carpeted storage in the center of the boat in front of the cooler which perpetually stays wet since it's open to the bilge. Totally useless and should have been fiberglass lined. If you want the engine hatch to stay up, you need to unbolt it's limiting strap because it's too short.

So yes. Stingray uses awesome materials... and has no idea how to properly use them. Every issue I have with Stingray Boats could be easily resolved if maybe the people that designed the boats actually sat down in one for a day.

Hey ric, how do I get to that forum?

I'd like to have a good chuckle

Ric can you post a link to this discussion on the Stingray Forum so we can follow both sides of this story?

Nope, you need to own a stingray to get access. They verify ownership with the HIN and a scan of your bill of sale. No public access.

This was my reply:

You must either work for Stingray or an affiliate. To clarify since you are obviously talking about me, I never stated the materials that built the boat were of poor quality. In fact I praised the quality of materials being that they are top notch.

My problem with Stingray is the same problem that A LOT of owners have: build quality and lack of design testing. It's obvious the skill level of the labor is very low, and quality control is sleeping. On the design side it's like none are actually tested before mass produced. An example of that is the computer bilge pump in my 2009 195CS cuddy. It's like an alarm clock going off every 3 minutes. Totally unacceptable. Another example is the helm seat. It's bolted in about 1 inch too close to the gunwale. You can't turn it backwards fully no matter how back/forward you slide it to have a conversation with people in the boat. The cuddy top round hatch comes from the factory unsealed to the top deck so as you can imagine.. it leaks. The fitment of the lay in carpet doesn't match any lines of the boat, they're all off a tad leaving crooked gaps. The carpeted covered dividers that go behind the rear seats to separate the engine bay from the cockpit NEVER EVER EVER stay in place. They always fall back due to nothing holding them in place. The rear of the radio is a slapped together piece of wood held in by 2 screws that sags. Zero accessory circuits for customer installed electronics like a chart plotter in the helm. To install a GPS requires a new fuse panel to be installed. The passenger folding seat never stays locked upright. One good wave and your passenger lays down. The fitment of the convertible rear seating to sunpad is horribly designed and everything is crooked as heck. My 195CS cuddy specifically uses the 195 bowrider hull. In doing so the cuddy is unbalanced due to less forward weight which causes severe porpoising. None of the fiberglass was cleaned up inside non-visible areas. Especially in the helm the wires rest on sharp un-sanded/cleaned up fiberglass which will eventually cut into the wires. Carpeted storage in the center of the boat in front of the cooler which perpetually stays wet since it's open to the bilge. Totally useless and should have been fiberglass lined. If you want the engine hatch to stay up, you need to unbolt it's limiting strap because it's too short.

So yes. Stingray uses awesome materials... and has no idea how to properly use them. Every issue I have with Stingray Boats could be easily resolved if maybe the people that designed the boats actually sat down in one for a day.

Not a bad idea...

Not a bad idea...