This was my first year as a boater. I made it through the whole season without any mishaps. Today I pulled the boat out of its parking area to fill up the tank and add fuel stabilizer. Unfortunately, I forgot that I had lowered the outdrive last week while cleaning it. I started up the slope of my driveway and didn't feel/hear anything until I had embedded the lower fin of the outdrive about half an inch into the pavement <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/sad.gif" border=0>. <BR> <BR>So how bad is this really? The fin is slightly bent and has a good size chip out of it. I assume at least the lower housing is going to have to be replaced, but the prop never touched and I'm hoping all the internals are fine. Any ideas what this is going to cost me? Is there much chance of other damage beyond what is visible? Luckily, I was smart enough to get insurance. <BR> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/512754.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/512755.jpg" alt="Upload">

Any good welding shop will be able to easily repair it on the boat. Should be under $100.00 for the repair. If you want, you can leave it like it is and put a SKEG GAURD on it. Much stronger and it won't break. Everyone goes through this once. Not that big of a deal. One last thing, don't tell your insurance about this. It is not going to help you, only them when they increase your rates.

I've used boats with the skeg in much worse shape for years. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to. It is not an expensive repair, the housing does not have to be replace or event removed to straighten and weld a repair on.

I wouldn't worry too much about it I've seen much worse if anything I would just smooth it out to where it doesn't look bad that's what i did on my old i/o

Just check all around your lower unit, including where the skeg is for any stress cracks. Usually there would be oil at the crack. If no other damage, I would file, grind off sharp edges, shouldn't be any performance issues, other than you might notice when you let go of the wheel, it might turn a little. Don't worry, get back on the water!!!!

yup... No worries there... mostly cosmetic, and can be repaired by a good weld/prop shop. <BR> <BR>On my first boat, the skeg was completely torn off after Installed a skeggaurd and hit a rock. The shear pins didnt shear and ripped the skeg right off. Ran the rest of the summer that way.

I had my whole skeg welded back on for $100 after it broke off due to a crappy repair job that the previous owner had had done. <BR> <BR>Your's is not a big problem, any decent shop will be ably to fix that up for $100 or so. I would be amazed if there's any damage to the rest of the lower unit after that.

you should sell it and get an inboard..... lol thats not bad it should be ok, throw a skeg guard on it and roll it....

The skeg is simply there to protect the prop.... I've had my boat for 2 years and this past summer I bent and chipped the skeg on the outdrive. never noticed any performance issues, but I did invest in a skegguard just for some added protection.

actually its there to aid in steering the boat

yup, those are just ordinary scratches. You'll find them on most outdrives, mainly from touching bottom tho.. <BR>Grind/file it smooth, give it some paint and be happy. <BR>If there are no cracks further up on the drive, and there probably arent cause the whole drive <BR> will have moved upwards as you pressed it down, i wouldnt spend another dollar on it. <BR> Chances are you're gonna hit a rock or something again someday anyways.. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by scanboarder on October 20, 2007)

jsut go get a skag gard. it slides over it and bolts on i think its about 35 bucks or so.

I am with chris, your boat is now unusable...lol...get an inboard....you will NEVER go back... <BR> <BR>If you sit out at the ramp on the weekened, I would say every five to ten people screw something up, and usually it is the outdrive, <BR>I have seen this on the last few visits, and even did it once on the old boat we had, I knew it was down(long story) but usually it is ok, well we were at a different lake then usual........

This is an example of one of the better looking ones. $70 but some can be found as little as $15 with less coverage. This is VERY common to happen but usually only happens once. Next boat should be an inboard. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/81983/377%20710/0/skeg%20guard/Secondary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710&amp;Ne=0&amp;Ntt=skeg%20guard&amp;Nt k=Secondary%20Search&amp;Ntx=mode%20matchallpartia l&amp;Nao=0&amp;Ns=0&amp;keyword=skeg%20guard&amp; isLTokenURL=true&amp;storeNum=6&amp;subdeptNum=68& amp;classNum=418" target="_blank">http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/81983/377%20710/0/skeg%20guard/Secondary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710&amp;Ne=0&amp;Ntt=skeg%20guard&amp;Nt k=Secondary%20Search&amp;Ntx=mode%20matchallpartia l&amp;Nao=0&amp;Ns=0&amp;keyword=skeg%20guard&amp; isLTokenURL=true&amp;storeNum=6&amp;subdeptNum=68& amp;classNum=418</a> <BR> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/512833.jpg" alt="Upload">

dont trip dog

good thing it's a volvo

Get the full skeg gaurd that covers the whole skeg. I had just put mine on, was backing down the boat into the water, and hit a rock on the back side of the skeg gaurd. It was enough to put a good size dent in it. I still wonder how the hell it didn't hit my props. If I had the one pictured above, I would have broken my skeg for sure.

Thanks guys, I feel a lot less stupid now. Sounds like I should be more concerned about the gash i put in my driveway than the skeg. <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/lol.gif" border=0> <BR> <BR>Like I said, this is my first season boating, and I really didn't discover wakeboarding till about halfway through. If I knew then what I known now, I might have gone for a used v-drive over the new I/O. Oh well, I'm happy with my purchase, and there's always next time. <BR> <BR>Thanks for supporting a newbie.

Hey Lou you might also have your wife/girlfriend sit in the boat and trim all the way up and all the way down a couple of times while you watch the out drive to make sure you don't have any sudden "clunk" going on. Just a thought.

Lou, <BR> <BR>Pretty snarky boat you have there my friend. It may not be a inboard, but I bet it looks bada$$ on the lake.

Robert, <BR> <BR>Thanks man, that "extreme" package with the low profile tinted windshield and flame graphics in the upholstery is what sold me on this one over our second choice. Bada$$ is exactly how I've been describing it. Mechanically, both boats were pretty similar, both were NMMA certified, just went with the one that was sportier.

Good looking boat Lou...did that windshield come tinted or did you have it done? I am looking for a place to do my windshield.

The windshield came that way, its in the glass, not a film on top.