An Idiot Repairs His Skeg

Glocker

Member
Sep 7, 2019
39
Boat Info
Boat: 2000 Sea Ray 185
Tow Vehicle: 2019 Ford Ranger XLT FX4
Engines
4.3 Mercruiser
If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.

Some of you might remember my post about not raising my outdrive before dragging my boat up the ramp. Today I got out to the boat and repaired the damage I caused. It wasn't all that hard, it just took time.

I bought a hammer and dolly set along with a file set from Harbor Freight, and a Bernzomatic torch and gas bottle from Home Depot to get this done. After I was done with the repairs I didn't like the bare metal look so I also ran next door to a Dollar General and grabbed some sand paper, primer, and black spray paint. So I have about $85 to $90 in the repair, but now I have a few more tools that I didn't own before!

I tried to use the heat sparingly, but I was very concerned about not using it at all as there is some evidence of surface cracking on the bend. I also alternated how I supported the skeg with the dolly and where I hit it with the hammer to try not to cause further damage and cracking. Once it was all straight, I had to knock off the loose chunks of aluminum and then file it all to shape.

I feel like a complete idiot for damaging the skeg but I very proud of the job I did getting it back into shape!

BEFORE:
2019-09-30 10.52.20.jpg


AFTER:
2019-09-30 12.13.22.jpg


BEFORE:
2019-09-30 10.52.30.jpg


AFTER:
2019-09-30 12.13.29.jpg


BEFORE:
2019-09-30 10.52.35.jpg


AFTER:
2019-09-30 12.13.15.jpg
 
Great job, mine has a stainless skeg protector on it it's been there since I got it and I never looked under it but I suspect it was damaged in a similar fashion. Dint be self denigrating we all make mistakes especially when pressured by the feeling we need to hurry up. I hurry up for no one when getting under way or coming in and make sure everyone knows it. Be in charge and go through your personal checklist taking as much time as you need without letting the constraints of time cause shortcuts or mistakes. Especially as a new boater and you will avoid similar follies
 
I wasn't in a hurry this time but I was majorly distracted.

As we were coming into the courtesy dock, my wife told me she wanted to learn how to back the trailer so she could help me streamline recovering the boat. We went around on that a little before I took back over and put the trailer on the ramp.

I think sometime early next season I'll put the boat on the courtesy dock and let her learn how to back a trailer down the road without an audience.
 
I wasn't in a hurry this time but I was majorly distracted.

As we were coming into the courtesy dock, my wife told me she wanted to learn how to back the trailer so she could help me streamline recovering the boat. We went around on that a little before I took back over and put the trailer on the ramp.

I think sometime early next season I'll put the boat on the courtesy dock and let her learn how to back a trailer down the road without an audience.
Good idea even better take her to a school lot on a sunday with the boat on it and bring some cones to knock over while she practices forward and backwards to learn cornering while staying in her lane and backing up into a spot
 
Good idea even better take her to a school lot on a sunday with the boat on it and bring some cones to knock over while she practices forward and backwards to learn cornering while staying in her lane and backing up into a spot
Sounds like a good plan! There is a school about 1 mile from our marina that will be perfect. Thanks for the suggestion!
 
grabbed some sand paper, primer, and black spray paint.
Did you use Zinc Chromate or Acid Etching primer on the bare aluminum before you painted it?

Did you check the outdrive lube after you were finished?
 
Did you use Zinc Chromate or Acid Etching primer on the bare aluminum before you painted it?

Did you check the outdrive lube after you were finished?
No. Is the paint going to fall off?
 
No. Is the paint going to fall off?
Just have to hope for the best. If it does peel at least you'll know what to do the next time.
 
Excellent job!!! Looks like new. Now change to an HK or a 1911 and you dont be an dumb anymore ;-)
 
Excellent job!!! Looks like new. Now change to an HK or a 1911 and you dont be an dumb anymore ;-)
Hahahahaha
I'm am all about the HKs and 1911s! I spent the last 6 or 7 so years as a firearms instructor with my agency and we issue GLOCK pistols. But we also have a handful of HK MP3s with the fun switch that I thoroughly enjoyed on the range. And on Fridays I carried a double stack 1991 for ".45 Fridays".

I took a promotion and I'm back on patrol so my daily carry is a GLOCK 34MOS with Trijicon RMR6 mounted up.
 
Hahahahaha
I'm am all about the HKs and 1911s! I spent the last 6 or 7 so years as a firearms instructor with my agency and we issue GLOCK pistols. But we also have a handful of HK MP3s with the fun switch that I thoroughly enjoyed on the range. And on Fridays I carried a double stack 1991 for ".45 Fridays".

I took a promotion and I'm back on patrol so my daily carry is a GLOCK 34MOS with Trijicon RMR6 mounted up.
Personally, I don't like plastic, regardless of what you might have heard from Mrs. Robinson's friend. I'm more of a S&W Hand Ejector kinda guy, especially if it's carrying cokes.

Nevertheless, last year a bought a new 19X just for grins and giggles. So far over 1000 rounds down the pipe and not one single FTF or FTE. Accuracy...it's OK. I guess the reliability makes up for its ugliness.
 
Personally, I don't like plastic, regardless of what you might have heard from Mrs. Robinson's friend. I'm more of a S&W Hand Ejector kinda guy, especially if it's carrying cokes.

Nevertheless, last year a bought a new 19X just for grins and giggles. So far over 1000 rounds down the pipe and not one single FTF or FTE. Accuracy...it's OK. I guess the reliability makes up for its ugliness.

I had the same philosophy until last year when I bought a Sig 320. Even the basic 320 is a pretty darn accurate little gun and the X series are as good as any of the high priced production guns. My tastes run towards the expensive side, Wilsonized or Langdon Berettas, Dan Wessons, Colt Gold Cups, Sig Legion series etc, so the plastic gun was an experiment that turned out really pleasantly.

Sorry Didn't mean to digress. Glocker, I know that looked nasty, but it really was mostly cosmetic. Both the Alphas and Bravos are pretty much solid metal in the bottom couple inches of the skeg, so they can take a lot of abuse. I've got a friend who literally tore the bottom 3" of of one of his Verados a few years back and has been using the boat without any problem since.

As for the paint that's an easy fix. Personally I never worried about cosmetics with the BIII. Basically, because I was liberally coating it with Trilux each year as I viewed preventing corrosion more important than shiny paint on something that was under water most of the time.

H
 
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