Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

[reelfishin]

Re: Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

You can damage the transom but I've seen just as many with broken motor brackets or mounts, along with skeg damage.
I had a guy give me a 12' jon boat that had an older 9.6 Sea King on it which hit the road while in tow, it broke the rubber mounts and bent the motor bracket, but the skeg survived. It also tweaked the transom some.
I saw another case where I guy backed into a curb and broke the prop, bent the prop shaft and bent the transom outward as the motor tried to fold under the boat. That was at a McDonald's, the guy was trying to back over a curb backwards and take two inline parking places, he didn't notice the curb in the middle or thought he could clear it. A dozen people were shouting at him to stop but with the windows up, ac on, loud exhaust, and him looking only in the center mirror, he didn't hear at thing till someone actually banged on his window. By then it was too late.
The transom was bowed out about 6 inches, the prop was half gone and the prop shaft was bent under. The motor was a near new looking Tohatsu 9.9 hp.

 

[bhammer]

Re: Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

There is a speed bump at the entrance to the ramp area to keep people from driving another 1/8 mile, right into the lake. I have looked at the speed bump and every year, it ends up with a few more 1" deep, 1/8" wide slices in the top. A couple guys at the ramp call it the loaf of bread, and one guy has reported finding a skeg still planted firmley in the asphalt. Guess you could call it the trim reminder....

 

[triumphrick]

Re: Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

Stupid ramp tricks...just changed over from an over the boat tie down to ratchets off the rear. Launched with the wife holding the bow line. Me hollerin at her to PULL IT. I knew something was wrong when backing up more I saw the bow floating and stern firmly planted:redface:

 

[cribber]

Re: Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

I haven't done this at the ramp yet... but have done it in the driveway. I was putting the I/O drive down getting ready to flush it and heard this scrape sound. Peaked under the boat and seen that I dropped the skeg right down on the concrete. Live and learn...

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

I just watched another one last night, a guy with an older Evinrude 9.5hp on a 14' aluminum boat, he pulled up the ramp, we all heard a load crashing sound as he pulled up the ramp. Turning quick to see what it was, I watched his boat landing on the concrete ramp and the floating docks jar against their pilings.
He had a rope winch, and had left one of the rear cleats still hooked on the dock cleat. As he pulled up the ramp, the boat stayed, breaking the winch rope. The safety chain was not on. The lack of chain probably saved the hull but the motor was about trashed. It snapped in the middle with the lower unit hanging off to the starboard side by only the shift rod. The skeg, prop, drive shaft and mid section were all trashed, and the clamp screws were bent slightly.
He's lucky that they bow chain wasn't on, or he's have removed the bow eye as well. He may need a new motor but the boat looked OK. Those standing on the dock weren't so amused as they felt the dock slam the pilings as the rope yanked the boat off his trailer. He actually got all the way to the top of the ramp, the rope was at least a 1/2" rope and about 25' long.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

After my mishap at the ramp today I remembered this post. I never payed attention, but all the ramps where I was have noticeable lines in the concrete where someone had done some work in the skeg... Luckily my mistake did not broke anything...

 

[lombard]

Re: Someone's gonna need a skeg job...

I haven't done this at the ramp yet... but have done it in the driveway. I was putting the I/O drive down getting ready to flush it and heard this scrape sound. Peaked under the boat and seen that I dropped the skeg right down on the concrete. Live and learn...

That happens to me all the time. Makes me want to adjust the bunks on my trailer to hold the boat higher. There are times when I need to lower my outdrive all the way, but I can't on my trailer, even if I lower the front end as far as the jack will allow.