Help/suggestions...'03 board racks and swim platform

[x10vancouver2003]

Hey all,

Hope summer is going well!

This past weekend at the lake 2 of our 4 '03 ratchet board racks shot off the tower, and are completely broken. They have been bad for awhile, but now they are done. What is recommended from here? Do other companies make replacement racks for the '03 boats? I can't find any used OEM racks out there...have been looking for awhile.

Lastly, is there anything "aftermarket" in terms of a swim grid for the '03 boats? Our teak platform is pretty beat down, and hasn't lasted long with the hours of sanding and teak finish we put on back in the spring. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[bturner2]

I take it you mean the fingers for the racks. I'm pretty sure the newer style rack fingers are a direct bolt on for the older fingers but you'll want to check with a dealer to be sure. My 03 X2 came with the newer rack fingers. You should be able to find the newer style fingers on Ebay and there have been several listed on this site. I've even seen the mounting plates for the X1 on Ebay if you had to go this route.

Swim platform maintenance can be a bear. I usually do mine in the spring and once in the summer and that's about it. My boat sits on a shorestation so the platform is out of the water most of the time. It doesn't have that fine finish for a month or so during the summer but it holds up just fine. I had a fiberglass platform on that 03 X2 but those seem to chip and weather pretty bad. I swapped it over to a teak one after the first season.

[x10vancouver2003]

The fingers on the racks...yes. Sorry for the confusion. The local MC dealer doesn't have any suggestions for the broken fingers/racks other than replacing them, as was already mentioned here. Does anyone know of any exact racks that are a direct bolt-on to the Zero Flex tower? Brand? Model?

Has anyone has a similar problem and found some compatible solutions?

As for the fiberglass swim platform, where did you get yours? They look pretty good on the newer boats that have them...although if they chip and weather pretty easily, it may not be worth it...

[Archimedes]

My fiberglass platform has held up well so far. The downside on my boat is a) it's much smaller than the teak one and b) it's heavier. I've converted though and it's all we use now.

Why do you guys spend any time on your teak platforms? It's a boat. The teak is supposed to look weathered. Constantly sanding and oiling a swim platform seems like such a waste or time to me.

[brucemac]

the 2003 board racks are tough to replace. i believe there is a repair kit for the 2003 model year. mastercraft of charolotte used to sell one online i'm pretty sure, but i don't know if it included the fingers. i've ordered parts from them before, but the business was sold and i believe is called something else now. i think they still have the same parts business though. i don't think there is a direct alternative replacement that is "bolt-on" without significant modification; i.e. welding. a like for like new replacement (if you can find it new) is very costly. and those who sell them online used, seem to know there worth (as in difficult to find)--again costly. wish i had some better news for you. i baby mine, but i know it's simply a matter of time. good luck and please if you do find an alternative, please post it up or pm me.

[limegreen]

Why do you guys spend any time on your teak platforms? It's a boat. The teak is supposed to look weathered. Constantly sanding and oiling a swim platform seems like such a waste or time to me.[/quote]

to annoy others who don't appreciate it

and because it makes the boat look proper (motors go in the middle and decks are made of teak)

[Archimedes]

Originally Posted by limegreen

to annoy others who don't appreciate it

and because it makes the boat look proper (motors go in the middle and decks are made of weathered teak)

Fixed.......

[wboardguy]

Last I think Chicago Mastercraft said they had one pair (two fingers for one rack) for $800. That was early this year. The 2003 racks are hard to find -- at best. You'll see them come-up on ebay now and again and the going price is around $300 for one pair. I've bought two pair off of ebay over the last 12 months. The first set was very nice looking but only works okay -- the second set looked beat-up but works fine. So for your $300, who knows what you'll get.

I also bought two Ski Sky fingers for about $400 and intended to fit them to the rack but never got to it -- it's going to take some retro fitting. However, after all that I still use my monster tower racks, which work nice for me because I pull them off all the time to store the boat on a lift.

The 2003 racks were a nice idea but too expensive and too complicated to work well over the long hall. I wanted to have them just to have them as an original part of the boat -- but I'm not going to use mine on a daily basis for fear of splattering them on a dock. They only made that rack the one year, which is why they are so hard to find. It's the first year that Gere Marie made stuff for Mastercraft and now they are the company that runs MasterCraft by Design -- do I have that right?

[NoSubstitute]

I'm also looking for a replacement. We need someone to come up with a replacement design that will easily attach to the existing mount. Anyone know of a good metal fabrication shop?

[brucemac]

Originally Posted by NoSubstitute

I'm also looking for a replacement. We need someone to come up with a replacement design that will easily attach to the existing mount. Anyone know of a good metal fabrication shop?

i think we should all send a request to john at mastercraft by design. i think i remember him saying they will fix them if you send them in, but it sure would be nice if he could come up with new/retrofit design. heck, i'd even settle for bungees like the 02's and 04's and i wouldn't expect a bargain either. i'd be willing to pay.