Damaged Lower Unit

[YoMan]

This is not the best first post, but i am in need of some help.

Was heading back to the boat launch today and ended up running over a sandbar, plus rocks and totally destroyed my lower unit. The part that looks like a shark fin is shaved off/cracked off, and the steel prop is bent pretty bad.. What a great way to start off the season *sigh*

No one was hurt thankfully, and the boat remains intact..

The motor is a 2007 Suzuki 175..

My questions are: would insurance cover this? And does anyone know how much it typically costs to replace this lower unit (estimates)...

[ccarlson]

Yes, insurance will cover it assuming you have a physical damage policy and a low enough deductible to make a claim worth while. I'm sure it will be worth while once you get that estimate.

call your agent and ask their advice on filing the claim.

Keep in mind that this will count as an "at fault" claim which could affect your rates or insurability depending on your claims history and claims made over the next 3 years.

ccarlson

[boatfixer]

Welcome to FM

Most insurance companies do, check with your agent.

Totally destroyed? or the skeg (shark fin) and prop are destroyed?

Call http://www.soderbloom.com/

[LindellProStaf]

Just go to a good prop shop in your area. They will weld one back on and you will be good to go. No big deal!!! I just did it. Cost $150 on a 50 hp Merc. They welded the whole skeg on and completely rebuilt my prop which was a mess. Looks like new now.

[YoMan]

I wished i took pics... i thought it was pretty bad.. i would say almost 8 in. of skeg came off.. the prop was bent on all 3, more than an inch bend on each so i hope it didn't mess up the shaft from the engine. The shop guy was like, how the hell did that happen lol..

its in the shop as of yesterday. my insurance agent suggested taking it in for estimates, so we should know how much if repaired, or replaced with a new or used lower unit.

Im so bummed.. but hopefully she'll be ready soon.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about your motor damage. Makes a guy wince just thinking about it.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I wished i took pics... i thought it was pretty bad..

Welcome to FM!!!

It's a bummer about your lower unit. However, if it's any consolation for ya, I've done some lower unit damage that I thought was the end of the world and after repairs it wasn't that bad. Props and skegs can be repaired and the repairs are not that uncommon, nor terribly expensive. With any luck that's the only damage and your gears, shaft, seals, etc are still good to go.

That must have been a pretty quick stop. Did you get stuck on the sand and have to drag the boat off? Good to hear there were no injuries.

Hopefully you'll be on the water soon. Let us know how it went.

[Wanderer]

YoMan,

Good to see you here!

Ask the shop about taking the prop shaft out and sono-fluxing it to check for hair line cracks. It sounds like a pretty good hit.

I had a freshly repaired lower unit have the gears come apart on me while out of state for a tourney. I was NOT happy.

Good luck!

[croixflats]

See if you can get them to put nose cone on it get a little more top end out of it. Thats if they repair it.

[YoMan]

Thanks for the all the advise fellas.

That must have been a pretty quick stop. Did you get stuck on the sand and have to drag the boat off? Good to hear there were no injuries.

We actually drove right through it. Going east on Minnetonka heading towards Wayzata bay and came across that Island. Going about 45mph and i decided to take the left side.. Big mistake.. There was a sand bar about 3 yards wide, and connected the island to shore.. Im guessing it was 3 ft deep..

This was only my second year out there.. Last year there were marked buoys, but i think it was still too early.. I admit I was a little careless (RPMs humming high, wind in hair, summer like breeze, etc..), but i wished they could just channel that section... Although I'll never take that side again..

Definitely a lesson learned.

[YoMan]

See if you can get them to put nose cone on it get a little more top end out of it. Thats if they repair it.

Will throw that out there when they call with the options.. Also, I was thinking about switching to a 4 blade prop..

[steffanf]

Going east on Minnetonka heading towards Wayzata bay and came across that Island. Going about 45mph and i decided to take the left side.. Big mistake.. There was a sand bar about 3 yards wide, and connected the island to shore.. Im guessing it was 3 ft deep

I know exactly the place you are talking about. You were lucky the water level is higher than normal. Typically that sandbar connecting the island to shore can run less than 1 foot deep. Like you mentioned, it is usually marked. I thought there used to be an actual metal sign on a post permanently fixed on that sandbar. It said something like: CAUTION: SHALLOW WATER. Is that sign still there? Or, is the sign removed during the hard water season?