A few months ago I bought a new 16 ft WS Tarpon – I paddled it on two occasions and both times it leaked significantly (it was not the drain hole,the plug was tight) – by filling it with water in the backyard I found the leak in the right front foot scupper hole where the hull and top come together – WS took back the defective boat and after 6 weeks replaced it with a new Tarpon – the replacement leaked in the exact same place – I called WS to voice my concern but they didn’t seem concerned at all – this time I patched the hole with Lexel caulk, so far so good – suggest you test for leaks before you buy or take it on a trip – quality control at WS apparently is not too good – anybody else have this problem?
Problems
Sounds like the WS quality is going downhill. When I bought mine I asked about that exact problem as I had had a number of Ocean Kayak boats that had scupper leaks. I was assured by the dealer that he had never had such a problem. My Tarpon never leaked. However, the cheap plastic warped after the boat was stored properly on a rack in my garage for two weeks. The dent came out with some prolonged sun exposure, but I was less than impressed to say the least. Apparently scupper leaks are not uncommon in the SOT world and home repairs such as yours are done all the time. It’s a shame to spend a $1,000 on a boat you’ve got to fix when it’s brand new and comes from the factory with defects.
not common
it is not being overlooked by Wildy. they will take care of it!
I’m with some QC guys right now and…
more soon
steve
Leaking WS Scuppers
I recently spoke with the owner of a WS Tarpon 140 who had this problem last year. He took it back to the dealer who swapped it out for him right on the spot. After that, he had no other problems. Could this problem be caused by forcing the scupper plugs in too tightly or using a plug larger than was intended?
Nope
The way it was explained to me was that it is in the process of molding the boat. Apparently not enough plastic flows into that area.
yes, I agree it’s the molding process
they probably need to modify the mold slightly to allow more plastic to go to that area – WS claims this has not been a problem but it’s hard for me to believe that – what are the chances of getting two boats in a row with a leak in exactly the same place – it’s not scupper plugs (I don’t use them), it’s a slightly flawed mold
120 Leaks
Hello All
For what it’s worth…my first T120 (right after introduction) had a major leak at the scupper hole behind the seat, replacement had a leak (not nearly as bad) at the scupper in front of the seat…third one was a charm…dry as a bone, terrific boat for it’s intended purpose.
In the quest for little more cruising speed…just took delivery of a T160i. Dry as can be inside after a day on the water (Chesapeake Bay, many waves coming over boat) but am a little disapointed in what looks to me like many air bubbles in the plastic, especially near stern/rudder mount area. Also material seems very thin in most areas, deforms with slightest touch. I do however tend to be a bit anal over such things, boat performs wonderfully for me(6’3" 220lbs).
Jamie