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Why is it when we buy NEW boats we as a customer should have to check and make sure every thing has been enginerered so it will operate correctly . Look at all the problems on this web site that people experience with new boats and what you have to pay for them ,this is pure bs . I will never buy another new boat .
My 2004 3070 Express had a strong gas smell in the cabin (much more noticeable when it was closed and the AC on), but we felt it was due to the fact that we stored the portable Honda generator inside. ................
You finally figured out that that was a dangerous thing to do?
I hope it's stored on the swim platform now, not in the engine compartment.
i have a 2008 pursuit os285. have owned it new since mar. 09. about june it also developed gas fumes in the cabin to the degree you cannot stay inside.pursuit had my dealer install a small vent on each side (where the rear hardtop mounts are located) in july and this did not help at all.last weekend i took the dealership vice pres. and service mgr. on board so they could smell it themselves.(it will set the carbon monoxide alarm off if you leave the boat closed).they ageed to check the bulkhead between the tank area and the cabin,,said they found ''openings'' and are now awaiting direction from pursuit.4 days have passed and no answer. i wrote to the factory and they said they wanted to make me a satisfied owner but i now wonder if they really mean it as per these other,same complaints.i'm still seeking input and advice.
I have had to deal with cabin permeation and leak detection for various reasons over the years and will offer some suggestions; They are free so take it for what it's worth.
A few things are consistent. A) the cabin should be vapor tight from the machinery and fuel storage compartments. B) Any fuel tank compartment should be afforded natural convection ventilation. C) finding air leaks in cabins can be accomplished with tools and materials most of us have in the garage.
I offer up the example of an energy evaluation of your home. The company comes in and seals your front door with a membrane that is fitted with a blower of calibrated CFM, turns on the unit and starts measuring air pressure drops to evaluate gained air from window leaks.
Your boat is easier. Remove a pie plate inspection port over the fuel tank. leave all other hatches closed. Rig a duct with tape and whatever comes to hand from the now open deck hole to the inlet of a squirrel cage blower and switch it on. Use a piece of thin plastic drop cloth sheeting to place over suspect areas and watch it suck right into any openings. Seal as required and move on. A Swisher Sweet or Cohiba works where you cant get the plastic sheeting.
I also highly recommend gas vapor alarms and solar vents in the cabin.
Pursuit has issues with the F350s and low stern sections as well on a few boats. These guys have a lot of educated people who should be able to resolve these simple problems before they hit the internet.
As a rule for me I always opt for a poly tank in an open boat and an aluminum tank in a cabin boat. Even MTBE stinks in a cabin boat and poly tank.
Give them time but do whatever you can to help. I did some basic stability and ballasting testing to resolve the F350 issues and they appreciated my efforts. Pursuit is still a great company.
__________________ Baitkiller= Accredited Marine Surveyor
Bait fear me, fish just laugh.....
The little Dutch boy was just buying time...
Why would a manufacturer use a poly tank instead of an aluminum or stainless steel tank?
__________________ 2004 Trophy 2902 WA with Merc 225 EFIs
Sucks gas and hauls ass!
One step ahead and you are a genius, two steps ahead and you are a misfit.
Fascinating thread. As a retired auto engineer, about half the vehicles my company makes have "composite" fuel tanks (i.e. plastic). With autos, the fuel system is sealed at the cap and no vent outside as they must not "emit" hydrocarbons even while sitting. A technician pushing the vehicle into a test shed with oily hands will be enough to have the vehicle fail the test. Obviously the tanks themselves do not allow permeation with E10 or E85. While not my area of expertise (gas engine guy), the boating industry could learn alot from the auto industry. Ever have your car manufacturer tell you to see Lear about your power seat that doesn't work 'cause they are the supplier.
Oh, about the auto hydrocarbon emission laws? While refueling once, you put more hydrocarbons into the air then the car sitting will for its lifetime. But that is OK if you are the govt. (Oops, started to climb the soapbox. Sorry).
Back to the topic, this is not an insolvable problem. Just takes engineering and money.
I still want a Pursuit, hope they fix this soon.
Yikes, it sounds like there aren't any effective fixes that the manufacturer can do other than a major overhaul to tear out the tanks and replace. It also sounds as if the manufacturer is not willing to do this as it probably has a lot of boats out there with this problem, and that will be very expensive.
you'd better believe if i ever come close to dropping anywhere near half-a-mil on a new boat and there's fumes in the cabin, i'd tell them they've got 30 days to fix it or take it back!
i've always considered pursuit one of the highest quality production boats available -- this is pure b.s.
you'd better believe if i ever come close to dropping anywhere near half-a-mil on a new boat and there's fumes in the cabin, i'd tell them they've got 30 days to fix it or take it back!
i've always considered pursuit one of the highest quality production boats available -- this is pure b.s.
Unfortunately telling them to take it back, and having them actually do so are two completely different things. But hey, it doesn't hurt to ask even when you expect that they will refuse.
My boat was demoed with a light load , i know i should have made them demo boat with full load but being a new boat and the the quality praise that pursuit has you as a buyer overlook things. I had a marine survey done last week and the results were the boat should have never been sold the way it has been manfactured and you tell me pursuit didn't know this . Last week i was at the RI boat show they had a 2009 os345 for sale i talked to the salesman who has worked for this dealer many many yrs. after he finished his sales pitch about how good this model performed , i asked him about the fuel issue smell in the cabin . You should have seen the look on his face , then he claimed he didn't know about it, yea right why is pursuit still selling these model boats when they well know of the fuel tank problem. Do you call this a good rep. company.
10/6/2009
Pursuit sent the latest instructions and equipment to FIX the fuel odor in our cabin while the air conditioning is running. They sent it to the place where we purchased the boat so the mechanics would become familiar with how to implement this fix. I am assuming they may have to do this for any other Pursuit boat with the same issue.
The technician came from Delaware to our dock in New Jersey last week for the install. Pursuit designed a casing that was mounted over the air conditioning unit and then sealed. They told us that this would prevent any air being pulled from where the fuel tanks are located. Now the air will come the return vent in the cabin (hope we never block the return vent, don't know what the result of this would be).
I have not been to the boat to test the fix but we have been told by our seller that the install went smoothly and according to plan and that the technician was able to complete all the tasks given by Pursuit and it was a successful installation.
I am not confident that this fix will work as well as switching out the tanks because I have to agree what has been stated in so many postings is that there is only one fix, REPLACE the tanks.
I will update once I get to visit the boat.
Till then thanks to all for keeping this thread going.
Wow. Its problems like these that make me nervous buying a new boat. As someone stated before, I couldn't imagine dropping so much money only to find out that I have a major problem that is going to take months to fix (if it gets fixed at all).
Makes me wonder what other problems are specific to a certain manufacturer...
My wife and I are seriously considering an OS375 and are touring the factory a month from now. We'll definitely bring this issue up and will hopefully get a satisfactory answer or it's on to EW, GW or BW for us.
I've always considered Pursuit to be the highest quality boat out there but this problem does not sound good.
By end of week, I'm guessing 2000 boat enthusiasts will have read this thread. You would think a Pursuit sponsor would chime in by now. I wonder how they will prepare to answer questions at the Ft. Lauderdale boat show?? Hope this mess is resolved for you Pursuit owners...quickly!
10/14/2009
Fuel odor through Air Conditioning unit has improved. The fuel odor that builds while leaving the boat sit is still an issue and it's overwhelming.
We reported information back to Pursuit. As of this week Pursuit is in the process of working on another fix. They are putting a blower on a timer in the cavity where the fuel tanks sit. The blower will come on every few hours for 15 – 20 minutes to help evacuate the air in the cavity. They are just about ready to have this installed out in the field. Our broker will keep us posted when they will install in our boat.
I love Pursuit boats. Wife and spent a good deal of time on this model and the 345 at recent boat shows. Beautiful boat, beautiful layout. Wife began seriously considering this as our next pruchase until I told her about this issue. (Of course the two at the shows did not have an odor). Now she doesn't even want to go on a test ride with the dealer.
I'm surprised that Pursuit is taking a bandaid approach to fixing this problem - its kind of disappointing. Perhaps there's another side to the story although I'd be hard pressed to know what it could be.
10/14/2009
Fuel odor through Air Conditioning unit has improved. The fuel odor that builds while leaving the boat sit is still an issue and it's overwhelming.
We reported information back to Pursuit. As of this week Pursuit is in the process of working on another fix. They are putting a blower on a timer in the cavity where the fuel tanks sit. The blower will come on every few hours for 15 – 20 minutes to help evacuate the air in the cavity. They are just about ready to have this installed out in the field. Our broker will keep us posted when they will install in our boat.
Is it just me who thinks this blower is a solution to a symptom and not the cause? What happens if the batteries die and there is no power to run the blower?
Will it take an explosion and loss of life(with the resulting lawsuit)to get Pursuit to fix the underlying cause?
I was a big proponent of Pursuit before reading this thread.....no longer now. From what I see here, they are taking the typical BS corporate stance to limit their exposure and outlaying of funds to correct a dangerous situation.
