Thread: Skeg Repair

To weld a new skeg back on the whole unit will have to come apart. aluminum transfers heat like crazy will melt the seals and possibly hurt the bearings.

Originally Posted by wilbur

To weld a new skeg back on the whole unit will have to come apart. aluminum transfers heat like crazy will melt the seals and possibly hurt the bearings.

Exactly.....this will not be a cheap job....thats why you have boat insurance.

ES i don't know that much about the skag, but I am a macnic and they are right about making sure about the engine being alright before you mess up big time.

I don't think a skeg protector is going to fix a bent skeg......his skeg is bent.....no pieces broken out. You need to have a tech check the seals in your lower unit to make sure that when the skeg bent it did not distort the area where the seals are ( this is important to make sure that water does not enter your lower unit).....and you need a run out check on your prop shaft with a dial indicator to be sure that it still turns perfectly true. If it passes these tests then you will be good to go with either skeg straightining or....skeg replacement. I would also check inside the boat in the bilge area etc. to see if the fall caused any damage at all to your tramsom....look for cracked welds, pulled rivits etc., etc, on transom braceing etc.......also check to see if your motor bolts are loose or slipped or anything like that....when the bottom of the boat hit as well as the lower part of the motor it put a lot of stress and pressure on these things concerning your transom. There is a lot that needs to be looked at and you need a good marine tech to check it out thoroughly. I would reccomend getting all of this done and repaired and turn it into your insurance.....thats what it is for.

You do have insurance don't you? Insurance is for gewbers that screw up, like you and tman. They don't have insurance for exspired lisence. Like "G" said, get things fixed right and then turn it into the good hands people.

bend it back and sail the boat to wb a JADA like you dont need a boat

I have had 2 skegs welded back on and never a problem with messing up seals. I have also used Ed's for the past 10 years and have been pleased with everything they have done. Shoot me a PM if you need a GREAT mechanic that works out of his home in Olive Branch. He is about half the price of the dealerships and is very good.

Going to call the insurance company tomorrow and see what's up

I know what I would do, I would break out two big hammers and work the aluminum skeg till the boat went straight and not pull and then use the other tab to fine tune it.

I would pull the prop off and check the shaft and make sure it wasn't bent, you can put an indicator on it and turn it slowly and see if it's bent.

I would also do as suggested and check the fluid in the foot and then run it and let it sit in the water for a while and then check it to make sure no water is getting in it.

If all of that was good then I would call it good, work the skeg over last and call it good.

If any of the other things didn't check out then take it to the Marina for an estimate.

Gonna be out a couple hundred for having the hole tig welded anyway. Might as well cough up the other $300 and let some pros take care of it. dangit