Skeg missing a piece the size of a quarter

[guido]

Do I need to fix that? It smacked the dock during a storm last year and broke off the tip. Someone said marine tex might work to mold it. Any suggestions???

 

[richie rich]

can you fix it with epoxy, yes.....will it hold long term, no....going in a straight away it may hold, but when you start putting side loads from turning it will probably pop off....It may get you out of a jam shirt term, but it should be fixed by a shop....or put on a replacement skeg....blackfin makes one fore about $80 for the do it yourselfer

 

[jekyl]

Not sure exactly where it's missing but if you can't feel any difference in steering or performance then most likely you willbe able to smooth off the rough edges with a file andthen just check it priodically to ensure it isn't getting worse.
I have a small bass type boat with a 50hp honda and we fish in very shallow water and of course both the prop and skeg occasionally get wacked. I used to be pedantic about getting it fixed but as invariably i didn't notice an improvement after fixing I just got into the habit of running a file over any nicks etc. and so far it seems to work.
We have an alloy prop for that motor and it is quite easy to shape.

The sacrificial skegs/anodes can make a noticeable difference to the steering but as they gradually wear down anyway it doesn't really matter.

 

[gradyfish22]

Just file it down smooth and coat it with clear antifouling so it does not corode, the only other option is to have the skeg replaced with an after market one, but unless you hve a noticable loss in steering or a vibration you did not have previously I'd leave it alone, no sense in spending money on something not necessary. Marinetex will not hold long term and is not really the right material for the job.

 

[BobP]

No