I had to post. You just gotta share a story like this. Late last fall I purchased a near new ALL CARBON 700x from an active P-netter through the classifieds. Seems he went surf ski and never looked back. The boat was only 7-8 months old and not a single scratch on the hull. I was ecstatic to get such an excellent boat at a relatively great price. A road trip south, a couple of local paddles and then I was forced to hang it up for a little while to rehab an injury. I recently took the boat out to dust it off in anticipation of my first paddle of the season when I noticed what I thought was a scratch along the seam tape. Imagine my horror when I discovered that this “scratch” was in fact a separation of the deck and hull! I felt weak. This was supposed to be my ultimate kayak. I had such great expectations for the upcoming season. It all came crashing down in an instant. I didn’t know what to do.
In the past if I had any problems with my 400x, I would just call Phil and he would work everything out with me. Now even Phil was gone… I was utterly lost. Of course I was aware of QCC’S policy of complete boat replacement for a deck/hull seam failure (you did know that, didn’t you?), but I hadn’t purchased this boat from QCC…so after a couple of mind-numbing days I mustered the courage to call with my weak excuse of a second-hand, near new 700 with a seam failure and anticipated a lot of sympathy and little glue. Instead, my call was answered by Steve Freund. I hadn’t finished my second sentence before I was interrupted with the magic words, “of course, we’ll replace your boat with a new one”. I felt like an oppressive weight had been lifted off my shoulders, the clouds parted and the sun began to shine again.
At best I was hoping for a free repair and only pay for round trip shipping. At worst, sorrowful commiseration and a tube of glue. This is like having your cake and eating it too. Being the type to push the envelope a little, I asked Steve, since we were building a new boat, if he would be willing to do a few mods…(I know, talk about looking a gift horse), of which we discussed the varying practicality. So I am getting the raised rudder, but they can’t gel the American flag on the deck (too bad), and although I didn’t receive a firm commitment, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a little extra room in my front compartment…So now I wait anxiously and dream of days to come while resting comfortably in the knowledge that there are still companies that stand behind their products 100% and act as standard bearers for pride in the American made product. God bless America! God Bless QCC!
Any idea why the seam split?
Mine split when the boat fell off my rack onto the concrete floor. I don’t get a replacement boat for that error on my part.
Not sure
Boat was stored outside under a roofed deck, suspended by straps. The seam separation was pretty clean and right along the entire side of the starboard cockpit. I was able to demonstrate this by slipping a piece of paper right through the cockpit. I thought maybe it was the suspension in the cold. The guy I bought it from suggested that if water was left in the boat (it was not) it could have gotten into the seam and frozen. I was meticulous with the boat and even had it draped with a Danuu cover even though it was under a roofed deck. Frozen condensation in the inside seam was offered by others as another possible reason. As I said, the separation was really clean and I am beginning to think it was simply a lack of Plexus (glue) in the manufacture. Steve just said it shouldn’t have happened, “period”.
what kind of kayak is that
that splits at the seam?
A real sea kayak with tape inside AND outside the junction hull/deck will not split by mere storing or dropping on concrete.
Needless to say that to manufacture a stupid light kayak some corners have to be cut.
How cool is to walk down to the put in spot with your kayak over the shoulder like you would be carrying a laptop.
Get real and get real kayaks.
A proper sea kayak should be sturdy enough to take at least a minimal ammount of abuse.
Or shall we compare those kayaks to the pretend 4WD that seem to be so popular around schools when dropping off the kids.
Look good but pretty useless when it comes using them for what they say are supposed to be used for: OFF ROAD.
Give me break...
Gnarlydog
Glad you are not an Inuit
Can you imagine a kayak falling apart if it freezes?
I have a fiberglass kevlar kayak that’s been thrown down on a beach by a 15’ wave and it’s just fine.
this reminds me
of a long string of posts a few months ago describing the flaws in a Valley boat bought used and sight unseen by bowler (Mark) and how Peter Orton of Valley replaced it with a new kayak.
The point is that great customer care is not only on this side of the pond.
The service level of the small kayak builders in England and the U.S. (as well as Canada) is amazing in these circumstances, esp. when they could make a case for buyer beware. And even more especially compared with the bigger companies which sell a lot more boats but make customers jump through more hoops just to talk to a living person about problems they should have caught at the factory.
Very glad this is turning out so well for you. Long live the small craftsman kayak companies! And they will if people make a conscious choice to give them business!
I have bought three QCC kayaks
and as every QCC owner knows, their customer service cannot be beat.
There is no and, if’s or buts about it.
They are a first class kayak outfit from their sales to their customer satisfaction.
Cheers,
jackL
In response…
A “real” kayak? I can’t speak about anyone else’s issues, but I think mine was simply a manufacturing defect. I guess that couldn’t happen in your “off-road” roto bumper car. Um, just don’t leave it strapped to the top of your car too long this summer…Oh, I’ll be the guy enjoying a cold one apres paddle while you’re searching for a shady parking spot…time for a reality check dude.
As far as the freezing business, those were others unqualified speculations. Not mine, nor QCC’s.
Seadart, I hope you weren’t in that kayak…
I don’t think I have to apologize for being a little patriotic, but I do admit quality companies exist across the pond as well. There just aren’t enough of them anywhere.
You know, stuff happens. I’m just saying it’s refreshing to not have to suck it up all the time.
I concur with JackL
QCC is a small shop and all of their kayaks are ordered and custom made as per the customers requirements. They only make a few kayaks each week and their employees have a great deal of pride in their work. They are based in a small town and there isn’t a lot of glitz. You might even drive right past their shop like I did.
I have had my rudder repaired under their warranty and paid to repair the gelcoat which was my fault. Their service is excellent!
I have a CD Gulfstream and a Knecky Looksha. I like all of my kayaks. Each boat has their own merits and function quite diferently from each other. The QCC700 is by far the best and fastest big water kayak of the three. It hauls more gear and is easier to load. The best part is it was built in my backyard by hard working Wisconsin people. That’s what sold me. Tom
Did it scratch easy?
Good heavens !!!
You have your response to all these QCC bashers under my post.
I love my QCC.
Please respond under someone elses name, but not mine.
Thanks and
Cheers,
JackL
At the end of the day…
I read that the guy from whom you purchased the boat speculated that freezing water may have been involved, and that you suspected it was more likely a previously unnoticed manufacture issue. (Rest deleted as more info became available.) I don't quite get how that turns into posts saying QCC makes lousy boats if they separate when they freeze.
As said, stuff happens, and manufacture flaws in kayaks don't always become apparent until they've spent some time on racks being transported around after leaving the factory. It seems to get forgotten that kayaks are still one of the more hands-on things out there to make, so robotic level consistency is unlikely.
At the end of the day, QCC stood behind their product and, like so many kayak manufacturers, acted in a more honest fashion than you can expect of most any other business these days. I believe the point of your story was that QCC still does old-fashioned customer service, and I think it makes a great case for that.
easily
What kind of big water do sea kayaks
see in Wisconson???
Having owned a Gulfstream in the past and paddled a QCC 700, I can’t imagine the QCC handling big water better.
For example, the hatches were secured by Velcro. Can you imagine that staying on in big breaking waves - I can’t.
waterdoc
I’m not here to debate the water capabilities of the QCCs because I don’t own one and don’t want one (not a diss, not my fit nor my style) but as Wisconsin does border on Lake Superior please give the Great Lakes a little credit as big waters.
They are the world’s greatest inland seas and conditions there easily qualify as big waters, esp. along the rocky coastline of Lake Superior and in the surprise squalls on any of the Great Lakes.
Not sure which QCC you paddled, but
the three different models we have don’t have velcro securing the hatches.
cheers,
JackL
They used to have velcro straps
securing the hatches - they don’t now. I don’t know when the change took place.
Yeah …
... you can call them "Great", but they're still just "Lakes", right?
http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii208/AquaDynology/Misc/
I mean, sheesh, if you can't paddle in this stuff, yer a stinkin' lilydipper ...
Delphinus
http://www.AquaDynology.com
Steve, are you kidding?
Try Superior in 20-30 kt winds. Nastier than what we get around here. Plus, you want to talk cold… 42 deg water in May.
You’re kidding, right???
Have you ever seen Lake Superior? How about Lake Superior when the wind blows? Lake Michigan is about the same, except if you capsize and lose your boat, the water is warm enough in summer that hypothermia won't kill you for perhaps as much as an hour. Heck, even a lot of our "regular" lakes get rough enough that no normal paddler would consider going out there when the wind is strong.
Oh, I guess I'm not the first to point this out.