Eddie:

Looks like pretty minor damage to me, but...

Number one choice would be to take it to a pro and have them weld a new
piece in.

Number two would be to file a fresh edge on the break and re-paint it.

Number three would be to just leave it alone.

Before putting your boat in the water, I would suggest that you check out
the rest of the outdrive for hidden damage from the impact. You may have
cracked something further up if you hit with any force.

Good luck,

Jim Pook
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.jimsfishing.com
www.tahsisbc.com



"Eddie E" wrote in message
...
Last season I ran aground but didn't appear to cause any damage. While
preparing my boat for this season I noticed that the fin thing (sorry I
don't now the proper name) on the bottom of the lower unit was slightly
bent. I'm assuming from the running aground incident last year. Well
anyway
in an attempt to straighten the fin I broke a small chunk off. In the
process I fell onto the drive and busted my lip. I guess that's what I get
for being stupid. Anyway here is a link to a picture of the damage
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ehicks/fin.jpg I'm assuming the broken piece
is too small to cause any steering problems but I'm not sure. My questions
are, Can it be fixed without replacing the lower unit? Or can I file down
the uneven edge to make it straight again but a little smaller? Or should
I
just leave well enough alone? Thanks

Eddie E