R27 Stainless Steel Railings Rust?

B

Barieno

New member
Joined
Nov 2, 2026
Messages
3
Fluid Motion Model
R-27 (Outboard)
Hull Identification Number
FMLT2703E627
Vessel Name
Paramour
We have a 2027 R27 and after only 3 months on a fresh water lake, we are experiencing a lot of rust. Has anyone else experienced this so soon after purchase?

We have a 46 year old Sabre 28 sailboat with zero rust, so this was very surprising.
 
I get it where the rails are screwed down to the swim platform. The new R-43's I notice have a nifty cover over the screws where mine does not. It hides the rust. The rust can be removed but seems to come back.
 
Stainless could be 304, 316, 316L, or something else. if it is 304 it is more prone to rust than 316. If it is 316 polished and treated then it is least likely to rust. Your 46 year old boat may have used better materials.
 
Zep toilet cleaner. Rinse with water. Boeshield T9 to keep it from coming back as fast.
 
Goof Off Rust remover from Lowes-Home Depot $9gal in a spray bottle with toothbrush or tile-grout brush and then rense with fresh water. As others have said, it will come back due to the type and quality of the stainless alloy.
 
Thank you for the advice on removing the rust.

My complaint is that this boat was very expensive, and they seem to have used a very cheap stainless such that it rusted so soon. My question is whether other buyers of the Ranger Tugs have experienced rust within 3 months of purchase? I'm not talking a little rust. The railings are covered in rust. And we are on fresh water.
 

Attachments

  • 26.jpeg
    26.jpeg
    1.4 MB · Views: 108
Last edited:
From that picture it looks like there might be iron debris on it. Has anyone been doing any grinding around the boat? Has any steel wool been used nearby and the dust might have blown in the wind. I get some rust on my stainless but it mainly shows up in the corners not across the whole surface.
 
venajeff said:
From that picture it looks like there might be iron debris on it. Has anyone been doing any grinding around the boat? Has any steel wool been used nearby and the dust might have blown in the wind. I get some rust on my stainless but it mainly shows up in the corners not across the whole surface.
Click to expand...
No iron debris. I doubt anyone does that kind of work on the dock. We don't trailer the boat; we keep it in a slip. I think Fluid Motion got a bad batch of stainless, but they won't do anything about it.
 
That is possible, but the exact same rust forming on the flat plate as the tubing would be unlikely as they would probably come from different factories. It is possible that iron debris got on it at the factory. Even griding stainless can make debris that will rust up. Is the rust showing up uniformly over all of your stainless?
 
I agree with venajeff. That rust pattern looks environmental, either at the factory or at the slip. It appears to be on the surface and not from the steel underneath. It even seems to be heavier from one side (right side of photo) than the other. The good news is it should come off easily with a good metal cleaner and metal wax. Give it a try and see if the rust reoccurs as quickly and from the same direction.
 
Barieno said:
Thank you for the advice on removing the rust.

My complaint is that this boat was very expensive, and they seem to have used a very cheap stainless such that it rusted so soon. My question is whether other buyers of the Ranger Tugs have experienced rust within 3 months of purchase? I'm not talking a little rust. The railings are covered in rust. And we are on fresh water.
Click to expand...
 
I have a new 2026 I took possession of in June. I’m experiencing the same thing, but I keep mine in salt water.
 
I was going to be a smart a** and remind you that "stainless" does not mean rust proof, but after seeing the pics, I really feel for you. Id be really upset if that happened to me. The only way to prove vanjeff's theory is to polish a small section (sand, using down to 1500 grit wet then polish with a buffer to ensure you get everything off if it has been contaminated) and see if it comes back. If it does, I would think you have a warranty claim of some sort.
 
Hb17692 said:
I have a new 2026 I took possession of in June. I’m experiencing the same thing, but I keep mine in salt water.
Click to expand...
If you can, send a picture of your stainless, if they both have the same look then that leans toward a problem from the factory.
 
Last edited:
Is anymore information available on this subject? I find it rather concerning.
 
Thats good advice on treatment. Would that also take care of the staining spreading to the gel coat?

However, the concern is why it formed in the first place? Our family owns a 1974 C&C 30 sailboat with extensive stainless steel fittings and railings. There is hardly any rust and certainly not the level evident on this 3 month old boat. If it is a one off issue thats one thing. If its a more serious issue like a change in sourcing of SS in the late model RT that is entirely different.

We are close to pulling the plug and purchasing a new boat and this is understandably a concern.
 
We have a 2015 C30-sport top with lots and lots of factory stainless brightwork. Only rust we've ever experienced has been underneath a few of the mounting bases which were not bedded correctly leading to trapped saltwater causing some rusting.

Fast forward to earlier last year when another vessel crashed into our transom resulting in the need to fully replace the swim platform railing... Ordered a new factory railing (originally and currently built/produced by Bolton Stainless in Canada). After installing the new railing, within two weeks it looked just like yours, and continues to develop similar rust patterns constantly (though less frequently) even after fully cleaning, polishing, and chemical passivation all while the rest of the original 2015 stainless has nothing more than a water spot or two. I suspect a lower grade of stainless than what has been advertised, or perhaps contamination from their supplier, hard to say but very frustrating to deal with now.
 
That is not good, I wonder if it could be cost cutting or just supply issues. I had to purchase a couple lengths of stainless tubing a few months ago for a project I was working on and I actually had a hard time finding it, ended up having to get it shipped to me from across the country.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top