Help...hit roack with boat...

[Lammboy]

I posted this on the expert equipment page also but figured some of you may have had this happen to them also...any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

HI everyone,

I hit a rock at Mille Lacs this past weekend with my boat. I know for sure I broke the skeg and damaged my prop. Here is what happened.

I was going about 25 mph around spider island (not sure on name of island) and I was being very careful looking for buoys and what not. Well I was following a boat and saw a buoy to my left but didnt see the buoy to the right. I went over the reef and it hit my motor. We stopped as it shut off the engine. After looking at the motor the fin was broken and my prop was very dinged up. I started the motor just fine but it wouldn't engage in gear so we had to be towed off.

I'm assuming my lower unit is toast? I've never had this happen and was just curious what I will need to do with insurance and everything. Thanks.

[champion198elite]

Yep, that lower units done. Chaulk it up as a lesson learned. You'll be back on the water before you know it.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ouch.. yep call your insurance dude right away.. tell them what happened... they will tell you where to take it... take pictures of the damage.

get it fixed, pay your deductable, and make sure there wasn't more damage than just the lower unit.. IE look at the boat.

[Lammboy]

Deitz will insurance cover the prop also? Or will I have to buy a new prop myself?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Not sure of your situation... I did the same thing as you last year, but not as bad... I was just putting my boat on plane, only going about 10 mph and klunked a rock. It toasted my prop, and fried my lower unit.

Insurance took the whole bill minus my deductable, new prop was included.

Hope this helps... My insurance company was great to deal with, my only problem was the length of time I was without a boat.

[Lammboy]

Thanks for the help!

[NCLaker]

Dietz makes a good point on having them check over the whole boat. A friend did this on WBL. Assumeed it was only a lower unit issue. Luckly the repair shop caught additional damage to do bottom of the hull, and was able to get that covered under the claim as well.

If you can get your Insurance to agree to it, I have heard that it can be quicker to get an already rebuilt lower unit put on (and sometimes cheaper), instead of having to have the shop pull yours off tear it down and replace just the broken parts and rebuild. Depending on your motor - you can waste a lot of time waiting on parts.

Good luck!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Like NC said, mine was a whole new unit, from the sounds of your hit, it may be the same.. I know my total bill was over 3K.