If you hit something that hard in the parallel direction it is probably a
rock or a stump. In this case the skeg would hit first. The motor should
raise up and over. If you hit hard enough to damage, you would tear the
skeg off and have more damage than just the prop shaft and gears due to the
prop being SS. Probably the whole lower unit would be tore up. However,
anything is possible (like you could fall over w/ a heart attack while
reading this).

I look at the boat and prop from a performance point of view. Most people
want the most performance (either hole shot, acceleration, planing ability,
top speed, or something) they can get. If you are so concerned about damage
to the boat that you want to us an aluminum prop as a protector for your
motor, you need to invest in a good depth finder and learn the river. And
buy insurance on your boat. Insurance will be less than constantly
repairing/replacing aluminum props from sticks in the river that peel blades
off.


Tony
My boats and autos - http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com



"Dean" wrote in message
...
Obviously you both have taken the extremes.

The prop hub shears during a perpendicular to the propshaft strike
(IE, when the face of one of the blades strikes a rock or log).

The propshaft will bend if you hit something and the force is parallel
to the propshaft. The hub will NOT protect from this type of damage.

An aluminum prop will break in the 2nd instance, whereas a SS quite
possibly won't.


-Dean

On Sat, 9 Aug 2003 20:42:16 -0500, "Boots Crofoot"
wrote:

I hate to tell you but you are. I use to work for Mercury
Marine. Have a great summer

--
http://ripperd2.dhs.org