Hit a rock & replaced bent prop. Am I done?

[slap]

This is my 1st season as a boat owner. I picked up a 2000 Sunsetter LXi in pristine condition. Previous owner must have babied the heck out of it.

Anyway, while idling around a local sight-seeing landmark (a multi-million dollar mansion on its own island), I hit a rock. Well, a pile of UNMARKED rocks that I've been told are the mansion's property marker. (Usually a buoy on top I'm told, but as my bad luck would have it it recently disappeared.)

The boat was just idling, and I cut the engine as fast as my reflexes allowed me to; heard the ssssscrape sound and my hand went for the key.

After copious swearing, and after drifting away from the rock pile, I started the engine and idled back the the launch. With the boat out of the water, the stainless steel prop (I know! I have since learned that stainless steel is bad, especially for inexperienced boaters like me who hit rocks!) had a slight bends on the "lips" of two of the fins. Also about 4" of gel coat damage.

Luckily, my boat came with its orginal (and recently balanced) Acme brass prop. Yay! So I beat the stainless prop off using a hammer and a 2x4 and installed the brass prop. (No local place to pick up a prop puller, and our 4th of July long weekend at the lake was hanging in the balance.)

Well, the boat seems to drive as well as it did before. I don't notice any vibration or anything. I've pulled tubers and skiers for 9+ engine hours since replacing the prop, and all seems fine.

Finally, my questions:

1. Should I file an insurance claim to get my gel coat patched and my stainless prop replaced (with a brass one)?
   
2. Does the fact that I don't notice anything wrong when driving necessarily mean nothing bad happened to the shaft, bearings, etc?
   
3. If I file a claim (I have full insurance), can I expect my insurer to raise my premium?
   
4. Is it OK to file a claim a couple of weeks after an accident?
   

We have a lake cottage booked for a week of R&R at the end of the month. I know that there's no way I'd get my boat back in time if I go down the insurance road, now. Any harm in using the boat for a week with a quarter size area of fiberglass exposed? I'm tempted to just patch it with Marine Tex and not bother with a professional repair since its all the way on the bottom of the hull. I don't want the steel prop, anyway, so don't care that it's wrecked.

I guess I'm mostly just worried I damaged something more than the prop and just don't know it, yet.

Thanks for reading this long post!

Edited July 15, 2011 by slap

[martinarcher]

This is my 1st season as a boat owner. I picked up a 2000 Sunsetter LXi in pristine condition. Previous owner must have babied the heck out of it.

Anyway, while idling around a local sight-seeing landmark (a multi-million dollar mansion on its own island), I hit a rock. Well, a pile of UNMARKED rocks that I've been told are the mansion's property marker. (Usually a buoy on top I'm told, but as my bad luck would have it it recently disappeared.)

The boat was just idling, and I cut the engine as fast as my reflexes allowed me to; heard the ssssscrape sound and my hand went for the key.

After copious swearing, and after drifting away from the rock pile, I started the engine and idled back the the launch. With the boat out of the water, the stainless steel prop (I know! I have since learned that stainless steel is bad, especially for inexperienced boaters like me who hit rocks!) had a slight bends on the "lips" of two of the fins. Also about 4" of gel coat damage.

Luckily, my boat came with its orginal (and recently balanced) Acme brass prop. Yay! So I beat the stainless prop off using a hammer and a 2x4 and installed the brass prop. (No local place to pick up a prop puller, and our 4th of July long weekend at the lake was hanging in the balance.)

Well, the boat seems to drive as well as it did before. I don't notice any vibration or anything. I've pulled tubers and skiers for 9+ engine hours since replacing the prop, and all seems fine.

Finally, my questions:

1. Should I file an insurance claim to get my gel coat patched and my stainless prop replaced (with a brass one)?
2. Does the fact that I don't notice anything wrong when driving necessarily mean nothing bad happened to the shaft, bearings, etc?
3. If I file a claim (I have full insurance), can I expect my insurer to raise my premium?
4. Is it OK to file a claim a couple of weeks after an accident?

We have a lake cottage booked for a week of R&R at the end of the month. I know that there's no way I'd get my boat back in time if I go down the insurance road, now. Any harm in using the boat for a week with a quarter size area of fiberglass exposed? I'm tempted to just patch it with Marine Tex and not bother with a professional repair since its all the way on the bottom of the hull. I don't want the steel prop, anyway, so don't care that it's wrecked.

I guess I'm mostly just worried I damaged something more than the prop and just don't know it, yet.

Thanks for reading this long post!

If she's running fine with no vibration I would order up the closest color gel you can find from West Marine and patch it yourself. If it's on the bottom of the boat it's not too big of a deal if that small of a repair is not a perfect match IMO. Leave your good ACME prop on and scrap the stainless one and your set.

[BuFootin]

I wouldn't worry to much about it. Sounds like you hit the rock at idle speed, so damage sounds like it is localized to just prop & hull. If you hit something at crusing / boarding speed, you're likely to bent not just the prop but the strut and drive shaft as well. Much bigger repair bill

Agree with previous post. Patch the hull scratchs yourself, and call it good.

[REW]

If she's running fine with no vibration I would order up the closest color gel you can find from West Marine and patch it yourself. If it's on the bottom of the boat it's not too big of a deal if that small of a repair is not a perfect match IMO. Leave your good ACME prop on and scrap the stainless one and your set.

I would still look around and get another prop and make yourself a weekend saver kit., Prop, prop puller, key, nut, wrench, ect.

[buBarry]

I agree with the above posts, but would recommend you check the tracking fins to make sure they didn't get dinged or anything. Some Prop shops take trade ins, or you could ake your stainless prop to a scrap metal place and get the down payment for your spare.

[Bozboat]

Take a long careful crawl under the boat, look at the rudder carefully to see if it is bent. Look at the strut from several angles. I mangled a SS prop, bent a rudder back a few degrees, and bent the strut at idle hitting my rock on my first trip out. Its sounds horrible, but wasn't too bad. I did the repairs for my time and less money than my deductible. Get some MarineTex and fill in the hole. Later you can sand it down and put some gel coat over it. Enjoy the boat. Regarding Q No. 4, While I have not made a claim on my boat ins, I have always come to regret every claim made on any insurance policy, even with the "accident forgiveness" that my policy was supposed to have.

[Bill_AirJunky]

I agree with everyone else... patch it yourself, run the Acme & call it good.

But DON'T scrap that SS prop. I ran a SS OJ on my MC 205 for about 5 of the 7 yrs I owned it & LOVED the way that prop performed. Repair it & sell it. Or sell it as needing a repair. Whatever. It may be damaged but their great performers..... quick out of the hole & no cavitation in the corners.

[skibreeze]

I also hit a rock while idling my '88 sunsetter several years ago. Even at idle speed, it bent the shaft along with the prop. Sounds like you got lucky with just the prop, which can be sent out and repaired.

[slap]

I agree with the above posts, but would recommend you check the tracking fins to make sure they didn't get dinged or anything. Some Prop shops take trade ins, or you could ake your stainless prop to a scrap metal place and get the down payment for your spare.

First of all, thank you to all who have replied. What a great bunch of people on this forum.

One of my tracking fins is totally broken, but I bought it that way. It's the one closest to the stern (there are three), and has its point sheared right off. It's also slightly bent/curved. The one closest to the bow has a small chip missing, but is fairly straight. Should I replace these? Any good [used] parts site?

Here are pics of my pre-existing fin damage, as well my SS prop damage. (Can anyone ID the brand of prop based on these pics?) http://www.donsbox.com/~dfelicia/rocks-suck/

Thanks for all of the tips on what else I should look at, and for the idea to trade or sell my SS. While doing the repair I did the best I could to examine the shaft. It looks straight. I tried turning it by hand to see if I could feel it "catch" anywhere, but I couldn't muscle it with wet hands (I was working under a boat lift).

Edited July 16, 2011 by slap

[Slayer]

If it was me, I'd replace the tracking fins. Your prop appears to be a CVP prop. Don't know if they were original equipment in that year. It's original on my '97 SSLX.

[elvis4400]

If it was me, I'd replace the tracking fins. Your prop appears to be a CVP prop. Don't know if they were original equipment in that year. It's original on my '97 SSLX.

Spectrum color sells patch putty for gel coat repairs. Call them and give them your hull id number. Should be a very close match and its easy to use for a first time user. Spectrum color supplies Malibu with factory gel coat.