"I always use regular fuel with ethanol from the gas station. It's easier to get and less expensive. Been doing it for years and haven't had an issue."JerEazy wrote:curtiscapk wrote:In theory it's fine - the odds of a current pushing you hard enough to bend the skeg is minimal. But what is more likely is a passing wake lifting the stern of the boat and having it crash back down into the sand/mud. And packed sand can be hard enough to bend a skeg. Or you get mud/sand into your water passages.JerEazy wrote:[I honestly don't see a problem with it as I also do the same thing, once the engine is off. I get everyone off the toon, walk up front and lift/pull it up as far as a can, walk around back and make sure there are no rocks, and trim the motor down with the switch on the motor. It never gets buried deep enough to get sand in the intakes. 20+ years of boating and never had an issue doing this. If the water is too deep to do this I run lines from the back off each side to shore with sand anchors
If you're on a tidal river or body of water the tide coming in will cause the skeg to no longer work as an anchor.
Tide going out sinks it further in than you think.
And those are just a few of the potential issues. Let alone the whole list of "What-If's" that could happen ranging from forgetting to trim it out before you back off the beach, to someone bumping your boat while they are pulling in and causing damage to now not only your boat, but your engine as well.
A $20 mushroom anchor or slip-ring danforth style and $20 worth of rode is cheap insurance compared the potential issues of using your skeg as an anchor.
wow after 8 years not one of these have happened.... I'm glad I don't boat around you....
Good for you guys!!
Just because they haven't happened doesn't mean they can't or wont. Let's look at some other famous boating quotes:
"I never strap down the rear of the boat to the trailer. Been doing it like this for years and never had an issue."
"I always use regular fuel with ethanol from the gas station. It's easier to get and less expensive. Been doing it for years and haven't had an issue."
"There's no need for a fuse on that wiring. I direct wired mine to the battery and haven't had an issue for years"
"It doesn't get really cold here. I didn't winterize the engine last year and it was fine."
"I never turn my blower on before I start and haven't blown up my boat yet." (For those who have I/Os)
"You wont hurt anything by running your engine out of the water. As long as it's not for too long."
Moral of the story is, don't use your skeg as an anchor. Use an anchor as an anchor.
What is wrong using fuel with ethanol? This is all you can get in many States, and newer boats are fine with it. If you look it up, the boating manufacturers will tell you it was only the old boat fuel systems that you had to worry about. I don't like ethanol and am against it in fuel, but I have been using it for 15 years, as most other people in my State.
