weldcraft renegade boats

fishstik · 02-22-2006, 07:53 PM

are there any weldcraft renegade owners out there?

Smitty · 02-22-2006, 09:37 PM

I have a 2003 18' Renegade outback with a 90 horse Honda. Love it, they are great boats

Smitty

Tacklebuster · 02-22-2006, 11:13 PM

I had an 01 Weldcraft Renegade built for me brand new at the time. Great dealer I bought it from, motor was flawless and ran great everytime I put her in the water. The rest of it was an abslolute piece of welded crap. Every year I had it I had to ship it back to the factory smack in the middle of URB season cause the hull was cracking. It started with cracks near the bow and before I got rid of it, the cracks worked clear back to the transom. Every year it was either a brace that wasn't welded correct, a weld that was not right, this excuse, that excuse. I lost 6 to 12 weeks a year fishing time a year because of it. The last time it cracked they agreed to build me another boat. I sold it a day after the agreement was made. I would never buy another Weldcraft Renegade if it was the last boat for sale on earth. I guess I would have to take up golf

The person I sold it to had good luck though. He had it for a year, had it back twice in that time because it would porpoise like it was possesed. Though the boat didn't leak anymore they couldn't get it to stop bouncing. He sold it and now has a ThunderJet.

I guess owning something and have nothing but problems puts a bad taste in your mouth for a long time.

Chris Edgmon

fishstik · 02-23-2006, 06:03 AM

chris i am sorry you had problems with yours, i bought a weldcraft becouse my old man had one and they do a few things other boat builders dont and i like the big windsheild. anyway mine is an 18' 05 with a standard transom i have a 150 yami 4 stroke hanging off the back and it has both pump and prop, weldcraft has two boxes in the rear full of floatation and from day one i was always going to remove these becouse they take up alot of room, has any done this yet???

Catching Nemo · 02-23-2006, 07:49 AM

Quote:

I guess owning something and have nothing but problems puts a bad taste in your mouth for a long time.

Chris Edgmon

Didn't you have problems with your NorthRiver as well? Maybe your are cursed :grin:.

I agree that it doesn't take much to lose faith in a brand. I'm done with Ford because of problems with a Taurus and F-150. They keep tempting me back but I'm not going.

I do have a Weldcraft Sabre, with the offshore bracket, and it has been a great boat. I also had some frustrating issues early on but that turned out to be the dealer. Once Weldcraft was aware of the problem they took care of it quickly.

adfluvial angler · 02-23-2006, 08:07 AM

You might want to read this shipwreck story before you remove the flotation:

shipwreck

It was posted on the Salty Dog page.
Adfluvial

snit · 02-23-2006, 09:02 AM

My good friend bought a 03, 18' Weldcraft with the bracket. He loved the Yamaha engine, but the boat porpoised at WOT. The trim was VERY touchy on his boat. Also, after 2-3 months, he noticed that the boat was "oil canning" along the sides, forward of the helm. It was flexing so much, he was getting "waves" in the skin of the boat. He sold the boat after 6 months, and got an Alumaweld.

Tacklebuster · 02-23-2006, 09:11 AM

I had some issues with my Seahawk when I first bought it. The offshore bracket was a big concern but it was fixed along with quite a few other boats with the same problem. The leak on my Seahawk turned out to be nothing more than a trim tab not being sealed correctly. It had nothing to do with the hull cracking every year. Rigging issues and an offshore bracket design was my problems but I was taken care of and would not hesitate to buy another NorthRiver again.

I hope you have nothing but good times in your boat FishStik

Weldcraft makes a pretty boat and I know others that have the Weldcraft models and have no issues at all. I just lost faith in the company and have no intentions of trying to regain that faith.

Bottom line is all boats are going to have their issues before it's over. That was the driving reason why my boat's name was changed to "Almost Perfect" :grin:. The main thing is the trust and relationship you get by good customer service and how willing a company is to correct the issues and get you back on the water. If you have to come back time and time again for the exact same problem, your faith starts to dwindle and finally just ceases to exist.

Good luck with your boat, I bet she will fly with that 150 on the back of her

rola76 · 02-23-2006, 09:20 AM

I've got an '01 Renegade with an inboard jet, and I can't complain one bit about it. I bought it used in 2001 with only 7 hours on it for $18,000. The boat was absolutely flawless and included all anchors, 5 rod holders, 2 downriggers, a 9.9 Yamaha kicker, bumpers, ropes, fish finder, CB and many other valuable accessories.

To this day I can't complain about it. If I were to build my own boat I'd do some different things, but for that price I couldn't beat it. Right before purchashing my wife and I had a Duckworth Advantage custom built and we were basically a signature away from spending nearly $40,000 on a boat that wasn't a whole lot different than what we got in the Renegade.

Love mine and would be willing to give more info if needed! :grin:

SR1 5 · 02-23-2006, 12:47 PM

Here is a picture taken from my 02 Renegede in the Imnaha Rapids in Hells Canyon. This boat was abused by the first owner and smiled all the way home the day I bought it.It doesn't leak a drop and I can take my hands off the wheel and it will track perfectly straight, something some inboard jets I have been in can't say. Like said previously, for the money I couldn't be happier and would buy another one in a minute.
'

fishstik · 02-23-2006, 01:27 PM

SR1 5, funny the only respectful dent my old mans Weldcraft had was from the Imnaha rapids just below where you are at, if you are at where the Imnaha dumps in? looks like it in the photo...

BrianH · 02-25-2006, 01:23 PM

Hi Fishstick!
I am the proud owner of a 2004 Renegade. I really like my boat, and so far have had no issues with it - picked it up brand new in April '05. It is my first boat so maybe I don't know any better. I think it is a thing of beauty. We were tied up at the dock in Garibaldi last summer, and my wife saw a couple of guys go by in another boat. They were looking at our boat and one guy turns to the other and she can see that he says "Nice boat." :grin:

The only thing I don't like about it is the seats. They are comfortable, but I wish they had more adjustments. This is something that I could fix, but I think I will wait until they are worn out to some degree.

I can't wait to get out and on the water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BrianH.