Bent Tracking Fins

[jwanck11]

Oh... What am I to do...

[samw]

You can replace fair easy. Buy them online.
good luck

[Bandsecurity]

Try a prop repair shop they can fix them cheaply.

[da.bell]

^^^^^ I second that suggestion. Probably going to be a cheaper route.

[chpthril]

With a bottlejack and a couple blocks of wood, I see back in line in about 20 minutes. Or cover the tip with a rag, and get a pipe wrench on it. I think you would have better success straightening it on the boat using the other fins, keel and running gear as guides.

[jwanck11]

Yeah - was definitely thinking the repair route...

Am a bit worried about doing damage to the hull by pulling too hard. That would be bad!

[Fit to be Tige]

I think a new fin is around $100. Yours don't look too bad to bend back into place though.

[scootc]

I bent mine a few years ago almost the same. It didn't effect the way it drove or rode so I left it alone.

[Fast1911]

My wife bent mine for me a few years ago. Yes, she is still alive and still my wife. There was no repairing these fins though.

[dogbert]

Looks like it was more than just fins.

[laserfish]

Would love to hear the story behind those pics. Same decals mine has so it really made me cringe. Tell us the story please.

[da.bell]

I agree, more than just one fin...

Fast, what went wrong?

[TeamAllen]

Well this time, we got the pictures first, and want the story.

Should we say, These pictures are worthless without the story?

[da.bell]

Well this time, we got the pictures first, and want the story.

Should we say, These pictures are worthless without the story?

he he he

It's a first here on tigeowners.com....

[Fast1911]

We'll at least I was first to do something....OK here's the saga of "The Asphalt Tige". My wife and I used to take turns taking the boat to work so we could go out to the lake afterwards. I of course had to work late this day and she went out with the usual crew after work. I ended up working till dark so I couldn't make it. Keep in mind that she is very proficient at launching and driving, ect. I get a call after the sun went down and thought someone died with all the screaming I heard. I made out words such as boat, road, middle, you get the idea. We'll 20 minutes later I arrived to see the pictures from above. WOW. Apparently, a wore out strap, an F350 Power Stroke and my wife's lead foot don't mix. If you gun a powerful truck and break the strap it can pull the trailer right out from under the boat especially when the bunks are wet. The fins, rudder and prop were destroyed with some gelcoat damage on one side. The drive shaft actually was not affected. We put it on a lathe and it was great. The lesson here I guess would be to check the strap every now and then and replace every couple of years since they only cost $10 compared to $3500 in new parts and gelcoat work. Also, not to many people do it, but install a turn buckle up front as a backup. Add $360 for the tow company to lift the boat back on the trailer ("beacuse it's after hours")and your close to 4 G's baby!!! So, in retrospect it was just an accident that could of happened to anybody. At least nobody rear-ended the boat and got hurt or sued me. Imagine. I still have the prop, I'll take a picture of it and post it later.