Skeg Repair

[KD4UPL]

Do you have insurance on this boat? The last time my wife ran my prop into the ground I took the boat to a marina, they fixed everything just like new and billed my insurance. All I paid was the deductible.

 

[superbenk]

I don't think I've ever run the bilge pump even with a day of tubers. That's a lot of water. I suspect you had a leak all along & it got worse after hitting the rock. I still suspect the transom has rot issues & that's why the transom assembly is now pulled away from the transom. You might have to drill a couple small holes from the inside of the boat into the transom wood around through-hull parts (like the plug hole or the big hole where the transom assembly is. Drill in just a little ways (maybe 1/2") so you're not getting into the fiberglass hull & see what the shavings look like. If they are dry then re-seal the holes with epoxy or 3M 5200. If the shavings come out pulpy then you know you found rot.

As for using silicon to seal the plug - that won't work. Silicon won't hold up under water much at all. You need to use something created for under water use like 3M 4200 or 5200.

 

[superbenk]

Lots of good info here: https://www.rotdoctor.com/glass/GLrotrepair.html

 

[Saddlehorse]

Thanks for that info . I will do some drill samples this weekend. Yeah i figured the silicone wouldnt hold long when i seen that is what he used but i planed on redoing this fall when i do some other hull work to prep for new paint .
will do some reading on that link you posted . .
I surely hope no transom rot as that seems like a pretty big job .
thanks again

 

[Saddlehorse]

I read that article, that makes me feel little better to know i have options besides ripping everything out and starting from fresh . Thanks so much for posting that

 

[Saddlehorse]

Drilled some test holes and shavings came out looking good, cant get to drill any down by the drain till i can get motor out. But from about 8" up they looked ok . Guess i gonna pull sterndrive tomorrow qhen i have some help here so i can get motor pulled to check lower transom and see what is going on with the leak around transom plate.

Talked to Gator Guard about their skeg repair and they said long as i have atleast 2-3" of skeg left to bolt to it would work. Well i do have a tad over 3" left but it is very slightly bent, so guess gonna heat it a little and bend it back .

 

[froggy1150]

Housings aluminum....right? Be careful.
1. Aluminum can crack if doesn't cool evenly
2. Aluminum melts at about 1150ish and will just "collapse". Not like steel where you see it sweat first. Do you have the broken piece to play with?

 

[Saddlehorse]

Yes it is aluminum . I put a pipe wrench on it today and got it to bend pretty good, so dont think it will take much to finish it without heat .
Going to get a dial indicator tomorrow so i can check the prop shaft run out as well. I am afraid with the hard hit the prop took it may have got it out of true. Cant really find any good info on removing prop shaft even in the service manual unless i over looked it.