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Cracks in prop "fin" housing
Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:00 pm
by bindschadler
While bottom painting, we noticed water slowly weeping water from two short cracks in the fiberglass fin that holds the prop shaft. Yellow tape in the attached pic shows their locations. The cracks themselves may be how the water enters the fin. We are hoping this is not a serious issue. Can anyone confirm that this fin is added to the exterior of the hull during construction and is primarily a means to support the prop shaft and bearing?
- PropFinCracks_1Sept2021_B.jpg (149.23 KiB) Viewed 740 times
Bob Bindschadler
Hallelujah! #145
Re: Cracks in prop "fin" housing
Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:19 pm
by wolfe10
I would contact Warren Pandy at Catalina, Largo, FL.
Re: Cracks in prop "fin" housing
Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2021 1:40 pm
by bindschadler
I had an excellent and informative conversation with Warren Pandy on this issue. He said that the propeller skeg IS part of the hull shell, but after the prop shaft is installed, the interior of the skeg is filled in with material so there should be no path for water to get through the skeg to the boat’s interior. The infill includes some chunks of material so it is possible that there are some voids in the skeg leaving the possibility that if water does enter the skeg it can fill in some of these voids and be difficult to remove. It appears this was our case; the water slowly dripped out, taking two weeks to eventually stop.