Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

well i bounced of a nasty reef this weekend and took about a half inch off the vertical portion of my skeg? :'(.? Who can repair these?? I've heard that some shops will take the whole skeg off and weld a new one in, any recommendations? ???


(added in response to Dan's response...Mercury Opti-Max 225)

Have it done by someone reputable who knows what they are doing. I've seen to many of these skeg repairs fall off soon after - often without even hitting anything again. I'd recommend someone, but I've been lucky so far and the ones I've seen in the past are the ones that fell off after repair.

What brand do you have? I've heard some now just say you need to replace the lower unit case to get a real fix. Ask some of the dealers who they use maybe (and maybe what kind of repair they recommend).

Sounds familiar - i just did the same thing last week.  I only gouged the skeg and chipped off a little metal on the back side. 

Honestly, if it only took a half inch off, I'd grind/sand it down smooth and blend in any sharp corners where the piece broke off and prime/paint it.  The original skeg will still be stronger than a welded on repair, and you might as well wait until the whole thing is busted off before paying to have it cut off and a new one welded on.  As long as there are no major cracks it should be fine. 

Another easy fix is a Skeg Guard.  BPS sells a low profile one and Boater's World sells the one that covers the entire skeg.

I bent mine on a rock a couple weeks ago and a Friend told me to take it to a marine store in Lapear Mi. He had his done there before and says they did a good job.I'll get the name from him tomorrow.

Blake,
You might want to ask Charlie. He had his repaired a few years ago.
I think he had it done at Lapeer Boat Service, but I'm not 100% sure.