skeggard

[C-RAVEN]

After a slight distraction at the boat ramp, my partner and i headed for home, only to find out upon backing up we had left the motor unlocked.<br />it really is a horrible sound when the leg swings down and hits concrete instead of water.<br />needless to say the skeg broke off and one prop blade did the same. <br /><br />i ordered a skeggard after considering the options, and while they are expensive, they install very easily and look great.<br /><br />it's a good option for those who have similar "bad luck" stories at the boat ramp.

 

[JB]

Re: skeggard

Movng to Outboard Non-repair

 

[11 footer]

Re: skeggard

I never liked skeggards, I thought motors looked "fresher" without them and didn't like the idea of taking a drill to my lower unit.<br /><br />Well, <br />When we bought a boat from ever do prudent JB it arrived with a skeggaurd installed on a undamaged lower unit. I was a bit disappointed, my dad called me "soft". First trip to the ramp with the new boat, if it wasn't for the skeggaurd we would have damaged the skeg. Since then that skeggard looking much “cooler”, I’m a believer. and was proved wrong by my dad.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: skeggard

eeewww<br /> bummer<br /> man I hate it when dad was right. usually when he was right I was bleeding <br />anyway skegs are rather overated. mine has been missing at least 2 years.<br /> I am not sure when it left but one day last summer I lifted the boat out and it was not there<br /> really does not make much difference other than cosmetics

 

[11 footer]

Re: skeggard

eally does not make much difference other than cosmetics

Maybe after the damige has been done, but if put on there when the motor is undamiged it will protect it.

 

[JB]

Re: skeggard

The next time you find an unexpected rock or log it will be your prop that takes the hit, rodbolt.<br /><br />What the skeg is really there for is to protect your prop. No skeg + 1rock = no prop.<br /><br />A hundred bux or so for a SkegGard or several hundred for a new prop and a tow-in is pretty simple math to me.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: skeggard

jb<br /> I have replaced to many props and prop shafts to belive that. we do 5 or 6 a year that hit the oregon inlet dredge pipe and dont even scratch the skeg. I would rather it be there but a high speed impact will take it off as well as the prop and sometimes the shaft. many many boats here,mine included dont have skegs due to the sand wearing them off. I hit stuff in bob perry ditch here in kitty hawk weekly as the water is about 2ft deep most the way to the sound.<br /> the main reason for skegs ,same as why jet drives have rudders, is a little known regulation held over from days of sail, requireing all motor driven vessels to have a rudder. a skeg/rudder on a jet drive is like a teat on a boar hog.<br /> but if given a choice, put the skeg guard on before losing the skeg.<br /> but yest JB I find them waterlogged sunk logs almost daily with my poor 120. I run the ditch at planing speed to lessen the water depth I draw. this ditch is wild sometimes. especially with a northeast wind. I have run back in with the depth sounder flashing less than 2ft the entire way <br />its about a 2 mile run all totaled from where I keep the boat to the sound and kitty hawk bay has some right shallow spots as well. aint many places I have not run aground in the past 35 years or so

 

[bossee]

Re: skeggard

Hi,<br />I also have to use my boat in shallow water when running to/from the lake where I use my boat. Last summer I hit a sand bank in planing speed in the river and I came to an halt in 2 sec... My depth sounder showed 40 cm (1,5 ft) then.<br />Result: prop was "sandblasted" and most of the black paint disapeared, on the skeg also much of the paint was gone but skeg itself was in one piece. It is difficult to know where the sand banks are from one day to another since they move so it is a risk I take. <br />It is difficult to have patience to use low speed (long time) to reach the lake, usually it is planing speed I prefer. Actually You do not need much clearance under my boat to cruise without problem in shallow water, but I would not dare to do this unless I know it is soft material like sand/mud etc in sea bed in this river. With my old boat I had before I hit a rock once (in the lake, not in the river) and the skeg saved the prop then and I got a 10 mm (1/2 inch) dent in the front of skeg - no problem to repair. But that is the only hard object I have hit during the years. <br />There is also a danger in the river here with old timber sitting in the mud/sand and sometimes they rise and is a great danger (it can hit the hull but usually no problem if you hit the timber in same direction they are tilting in but if you hit it in from other direction it is much more dangerous). They used this river before as a natural water transportation road for timber and let it float from the nothern part of the region to the south part in to the lake. It was maybe 20 years ago they ceased with this activity but there are still much timber in the river that is sitting in the mud and sometimes rise to the surface with one end. 2 years ago it was very low water in the river and lake and it was interesting since then You could see much more of this old timber sticking up and some places where I regular cruise at planing speed so I have to be more careful there now... <br />Maybe a forward looking sonar can help some. But I'm not sure after reading some test of Echopilot and Interphase Probe.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: skeggard

Bo<br /> you outta try running in the sound after a hurricane washes all the houses,decks .railings and other debri about. plus all the old pound net stakes and pier pilings that are half sunk and just drifting around. thats why I keep life jackets,vhf and flare kit close by and I never leave without some one having a float plan of what I want to do and when I will be back.<br /> I have spent a night or two on the water and one in the marsh cause no one knew I was out.<br />age makes one not quite so invisible and skeeters just get worse