Is this Bad?

[Dances with Walleye]

So coming back Saturday night, my buddy was towing my boat for me... As my truck is in the shop...

We get back and I get out to run into the house and turn on the yard light as it's pitch black...

I run in, hit the light, run back outside to find that despite having no one guiding him back, and no way to see, that he just decided to back up anyway, and "Try to do it" in the dark...

Only my other buddy's truck was in the way... So I stepped outside just in time to be able to scream "STOP!" As he "Tapped" the truck, instead of the massive crash he would have been headed for.

****

So aside from the fact that I'm a little ticked at him personally...

I wanted to know how bad this might be...

One blade on my prop took a bit of a scrape, but nothing bad... more of just a "Trading Paint."

However the Skeg, which took the brunt of the blow... The end of it now curves.

If you measured it from the point where the curve starts to the tip... I would say that it's 5 inches long and veers out at 10 degrees.

So I guess the question that I'm asking is "Does a mildly bent skeg matter to the performance of a boat?"

***

Luckly my Transom Saver and all of it's rubber bumpers absorbed all the blow, as there seems to be absolutely no affect to the Transom.

Thanks in Advance!

[Surface Tension]

I've straighted a few out myself but you run the risk of breaking it off. You might want to bring it in and have a shop do this for you.

[eyepatrol]

I'd get it fixed. Cheaper to do that than to have something really bad happen.

[Dances with Walleye]

Quote:

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I've straighted a few out myself but you run the risk of breaking it off. You might want to bring it in and have a shop do this for you.

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I have a trip that I leave for in 2 days, so I can't take it into a shop until afterwards...

Is the bent Skeg going to impact my performance of how the motor runs/handles?

***

I fear that it's going to shudder, or that I'm somehow going to get stuck always veering left etc...

[Deitz Dittrich]

Sounds to me like you have 2 days to get it fixed.. it should take them little time.. and your going to want that thing fixed. It could be nothing at all or it could be like you said.. pulling hard one way or the other, which is unsafe!

[Dances with Walleye]

I found a machine shop that straightens Skegs as a side business, along with some other Marine Work...

Sounds like they'll heat it up, and make the minor bend.

Talked to them and they're making time to fit me in before my trip!

Thanks Guys!

[eyepatrol]

Awesome! I think it's always better to go into a trip with peace of mind, not worrying about things such as this.

Have a good trip!