I need a front port side rail for a 2004 Malibu Response LXI

[RandyAllen]

My boat was involved in a "head on" with a surf boat that didn't see me (long story) and the damage was fortunately very minimal.  The front port side rail on my 2004 Malibu Response LXI was partially crushed and I can't find a replacement.  Anyone know where I can find one?

[wedge88]

I would reach out to a local metal/fab shop and have it built.  My parents 12' TXI didn't have rails but my mom wanted them for the grandkids so my dad went to local shop and they look great after 11 years.  Sorry, I don't have a completed pic but this was at the shop before they attached the front of the rails. 

[RandyAllen]

Great idea and I've considered that.  Just wondering if there is one out there needing a home.  

 

[uk_exile]

1 hour ago, RandyAllen said:

My boat was involved in a "head on" with a surf boat that didn't see me (long story) and the damage was fortunately very minimal.  The front port side rail on my 2004 Malibu Response LXI was partially crushed and I can't find a replacement.  Anyone know where I can find one?

Any chance of the short story? It's good to learn from others. I can understand a surf boat driver not seeing another boat if it's straight ahead but hard to imagine how your driver don't see the approaching barge 

[RandyAllen]

3 hours ago, uk_exile said:

Any chance of the short story? It's good to learn from others. I can understand a surf boat driver not seeing another boat if it's straight ahead but hard to imagine how your driver don't see the approaching barge 

Happy to share.

We were half a week into a week long annual family vacation at Lake Powell in Utah/Arizona and my son and I had just attached the barefoot boom.  We shut down waiting for good water and noticed my Brother in Law headed for us in his Mastercraft.  We figured he was coming to see if we wanted to surf/talk and, therefore, were not too worried until we realized he was headed straight for us and did not see us.  At about the same time we both lunged for the key to start the Malibu, and figured we did not have time to start the engine to move out of the way.  Fortunately my Brother in Law was only surfing at <10 mph surf speed, but the nose of his Mastercraft came up over the nose of my Malibu with me half sitting/standing near the driver seat.  My son jumped out as the Mastercraft climbed up mine until his nose hit my tower, stopped climbing and started pushing me back.  I'd like to say my superhuman strength held the nose of his boat from completely running over me as my hands held the bottom of the hull, but I'm not that vane.  I was literally pinned under the Mastercraft until my Brother in Law finally realized he hit us and throttled back.  The boats then separated and the bottom of his Mastercraft slid back off the nose of my Malibu.  My Malibu and I got pushed about 100 yards from where my son jumped and the surfer stopped.  Nobody was hurt and we actually skied the next morning.  Lessons learned is never trust that another driver sees your boat!  Never sit with the engine stopped when other boats could be lurking.  We're just very grateful there were no injuries.  Now I need a few fix it parts that are really hard to find.

[uk_exile]

Sounds like you and everyone else were very very lucky as the outcome could have been much much worse. 

[ahopkins22LSV]

Holy cow I’m glad you, your son and everyone else is ok. 
 

As for the bow rail, I'd check https://skidim.com/, https://www.bakesonline.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA35urBhDCARIsAOU7Qwkb16ElUlcbx2uGu1yOgPJ7NK0Q4IdWEaaB8oJyOtTK3MGjc9BcJWoaAsSvEALw_wcB, and keep your eye on https://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer

[John I.]

It's scary to think how quickly a good time can turn ugly. Glad to hear that in this instance no one was hurt.

Here is another website to keep an eye on, Great Lakes Skipper.

Good luck.

[redrooster]

What's the reason you are keeping the rails?  I am thinking of deleting mine and putting gator step on.  

[Michigan boarder]

4 hours ago, redrooster said:

What's the reason you are keeping the rails?  I am thinking of deleting mine and putting gator step on.  

With the recent law suit settlement from a bow dipping, I would definitely keep the rails.  Not that you're a bad driver, but crazy stuff (like the story above, or the litigation settlement) can happen and I'd rather someone has a chance of hanging on instead of getting flushed overboard without a chance.

[Woodski]

My letter from Malibu just arrived, it is dated in July so there is a time lag to find as many owners as they can.  The Malibu site will also have the document.

As for OEM bow rails, all that stuff tends to be made in China, there are a couple of suppliers that cater to all the marine vessel manufacturers.   I did run the comparison test of stuff removed to stuff still installed in the bow, results - keep all the hardware installed, the Response likes that +~50 lbs in the bow for best wake.

[Bozboat]

Check with 

Marine Hardware

they are helpful and they make or sell some of the oem parts not all of which are in the catalog. They also mention custom parts, maybe they could match what you have. 

 

[justgary]

3 hours ago, Woodski said:

My letter from Malibu just arrived, it is dated in July so there is a time lag to find as many owners as they can.

I got mine last week.  I figured they wouldn't find me.

[electricjohn]

On 11/29/2023 at 5:29 PM, RandyAllen said:

Happy to share.

 

Always assume you are in the line of fire until eye contact is made in any situation, not just on your boat.

[Michigan boarder]

13 hours ago, Woodski said:

My letter from Malibu just arrived, it is dated in July so there is a time lag to find as many owners as they can.  The Malibu site will also have the document.

As for OEM bow rails, all that stuff tends to be made in China, there are a couple of suppliers that cater to all the marine vessel manufacturers.   I did run the comparison test of stuff removed to stuff still installed in the bow, results - keep all the hardware installed, the Response likes that +~50 lbs in the bow for best wake.

 

9 hours ago, justgary said:

I got mine last week.  I figured they wouldn't find me.

I got mine 2 weeks ago

 

[Bozboat]

11 hours ago, Michigan boarder said:

 

I got mine 2 weeks ago

 

I’m feeling left out

[justgary]

3 hours ago, Bozboat said:

I’m feeling left out

They'll find you!

[iliketoski]

I don't have a pony in the race, but am curious what Malibu is doing to address the issue.  I've seen so many people take waves over the front (me included, mostly with my original Supra) and have read about the lack of testing for bow weight limit recommendations.  My guess, they are adding grab rails to the front.

[justgary]

14 minutes ago, iliketoski said:

I don't have a pony in the race

Your user info indicates that you have a 2001 Sunsetter, which means you do have a pony in the race.  They are telling you that you cannot let anybody in the front seating area if the boat is moving.  I take it you haven't gotten your letter yet either.

[uk_exile]

I suspect outside the USA Malibu won’t bother trying to contact owners as ruling won’t apply. It’d be very hard to make contact here in New Zealand anyway. For example my Australian built Response LXi is now 20yrs old and has had several owners. Malibu has no idea I’m the current owner, and there’s no national register of boats. Maybe via all insurance companies they could seek to contact owners, but I suspect privacy regulations will prevent the insurance companies giving out owner details.

[iliketoski]

On 12/3/2023 at 10:38 AM, justgary said:

Your user info indicates that you have a 2001 Sunsetter, which means you do have a pony in the race.  They are telling you that you cannot let anybody in the front seating area if the boat is moving.  I take it you haven't gotten your letter yet either.

Nope, no letter, I'm surprised the VLX would be included.

[justgary]

2 hours ago, iliketoski said:

Nope, no letter, I'm surprised the VLX would be included.

I don't have a Response either.  I have a Sunsetter LX (the direct drive version of your boat), so it looks like they are covering their tracks by including any older boat with an open bow.  Given the lawsuit, I don't blame them.

[redrooster]

I just read up on the lawsuit.  I don't know how malibu could be held responsible for this.   Seems like driver error all day ever day. 

[Woodski]

Lawsuits tend to find the deepest pockets, not necessarily the instigator of the event.  Clearly the operator had little or no experience with a DD open bow boat.