pursuitfishing

Agreed. Wouldn't the water just drain out when you remove the plug though? Thanks for getting that posted up. That would bother me, but doesn't seem to have caused you any issues?

Found out a little more information yesterday. So what happened was the shipping company used the loops to tie the boat down during shipping. They over tightened the straps and bent the crap out of the tie down loops. My take after learning that, is it's not really a Tracker build or assembly issue. Maybe a slight design issue, but to J Franko's point, the design makes sense for cost. The dealer was directed by Tracker on the fix, so it's not the dealer doing something terrible either. I actually called Tracker, they confirmed the cut holes would be the only way to access and replace the damaged tie down loops. So I'm not judging/bashing the dealer, and I'm not judging/bashing Tracker. However, if my boat shows up with damaged loops, I will likely ask for a different boat. Though I did see the finished repairs and everything looked fine on that boat. Thanks again for the all the input.

Thanks guys. I definitely get the point. So, If someone needed to access the tie down nuts because, say, one came loose. Does anyone know of a way to access them without cutting holes in the boat? I'm starting to wonder if this is a Tracker design flaw that the dealer is getting stuck fixing.

Thanks for the replies. From what I could see the decks are now aluminum. Opening all the compartments, I couldn't find any wood. Yes. New boat. The section they access has been foam filled. I called Tracker, they said no notices have been issued, but they did say if you had to access the nuts on the tie downs that one would have to cut holes. This seems bonkers. Can't access that pic. I would very much like to see what you are dealing with.

Thanks for the quick replies, folks. Anyone with a Tracker had their tie down loops come loose or require work? If so, how were the nuts accessed?

I'm looking at purchasing a new Tracker 175 txw Tournament edition. Walked on the lot of my local dealer and found what seems to be an issue. Hoping folks here can chime in with some thoughts. Here's the situation. The tie down loops on the back of the boat are bolted through the hull. I noticed two 4-5" holes cut in the back casting deck. The dealer said the tie down loops were over tightened causing the rubber gasket to be smashed and not seal properly, so they have to cut holes in the deck to access the nuts and tighten them down correctly. My concern is having holes cut in the deck of a brand new boat. Granted, they cover the holes with a piece of aluminum and seal it up. thoughts on this situation and having a brand new boat cut on? I'm not sure if this should be a deal breaker, or why tracker doesn't weld on those tie down rings.