Lower Unit Question

[BostonFisher]

Hey Everyone,

On my ride home today I hit a 2x6 at about 20 knots. Darned thing came out of nowhere! It put a ding in my prop but more importantly it knocked the "rudder fin" off the bottom of my lower unit. I'm not sure what it is called but it's the piece of metal that sticks out below the prop like a fin. It's busted off from about 3 inches below the prop (most of it is gone). I didn't notice it was gone until I got the boat to my slip. The boat steered okay at low speeds (I didn't try high speeds yet) and I docked no problem. My trailer is two hours drive from my slip and the dealer is another hour away so I'd like to keep using the boat until the fall when I bring it in to get winterized and fixed up. My question is how bad is it to keep using the boat with this "fin" missing? It seems to me it must be used to help steer but if your engine is in gear it should steer without it right? I wanted to check with everyone before taking it out again. I wouldn't take the boat out too far in this condition but I'm hoping it's okay to use it in the bay.

At least the day wasn't a total loss. We caught about 15 striped bass and two keepers.

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks,

Noah

[Putershark]

Here is the low budget way to fix your skeg "if" you have enough to screw it into place http://www.skeggard.com/

[elroy]

Putreshark is right just use a skeg gaurd.

[saltydawg]

but if there is a largish ding in the prop it can cause caviitation and wear the gears in the lower unit if not fixed. Props are balanced for this reason... and the skeg helps to protect the prop from the bottom and the other 2x6 that you missed this time...

[ILLOGICAL GGC]

Definitely Need To Remove The Prop And Have It Looked At. If It Had Been A Propulse Brand As I Own It Would Have Probably Have Broken Off And You Would Then Just Put On A Replacement Blade At The Dock.-

[NCangler]

I would definitely want to have that looked at. Is it a Yamaha? You could take it to a Yamaha Service Center close to where you keep the boat and have them check it out. Your boating insurance may cover the cost.

[elroy]

I hit somthing under a train bridge a few weeks ago and had to replace the lower unit. Thank god for insurance. The bill was 3514.17 but I only had to pay 167.00. That was on a 2006 etech 75hp.

[BostonFisher]

I didn't even think to call my insurance company - I have full insurance so maybe they'll cover it. good tip! The prop has a nick the size of half a dime in it shaped like a pizze slice taken out of a pie. Other than that is seems in pretty good shape.

[saltydawg]

even that size nick can mess with the harmonics of the prop, the difference maybe so small that you will not notice it but it is there....over time that vibration will work on the out board....like a tire on a car it should be balanced to wear right...if not you may or may not notice the ride difference but there wil be wear on the tire and other parts