Looking for a replacement skeg - Caliber 28!

[mpollastri]

Hi folks - first time poster....appreciate you help. I have a 1987 Caliber 28 (not to be confused with a Cal) that has lost its skeg. In fall 2024, I noticed it was loose, tightened the nuts in the bilge, and did some fairing work to smooth out the cracks. Yesterday, I hauled out for the season, and the skeg is completely gone - the bolts sheared off.
So I'm on a quest for a replacement. Any ideas where I might find this part? Not a lot of these boats were built....so it's going to be a challenge to find one at a salvage yard; and there's really nowhere to buy parts for the boat.

Help!

PDF attached showing a picture of the skeg in Fall 2024 (loose), and now (missing).

 

[Tally Ho]

Did you notice any change in the rudder along the way? I assume the rudder was attached to the bottom of the skeg?

I really doubt you can find one….but who knows. It might be a good time to practice your fiberglass skills and make one. Then bolt it up, glass it over and Bob’s your uncle!

It doesn’t look too difficult of a part to fabricate.


Greg

 

[mpollastri]

Hi!
Actually, I didn’t feel much difference with the rudder, but if it fell off when I think it did, I was only sailing / motoring a few more nm. I will say though that the rudder was only attached at the very bottom of the skeg with a small metal bracket. I can’t imagine that it was there to do anything but stabilize the bottom of the skeg (versus it stabilizing the rudder). But I could be wrong.

methinks that I don’t trust my skills enough to do some below-the-waterline work like this. But I suspect you are right, that I’ll need to have something made to replace it.

Part of me is hoping some random person on the board here will say “hey - there’s an old caliber 28 here in the boatyard being scavenged for parts…..” but I can’t imagine that’s a likely scenario.

if there’s an engineer type on the board who can help me design something to fabricate, that’s a close second!

thanks for responding.

 

[Stu Jackson]

only attached at the very bottom of the skeg with a small metal bracket. I can’t imagine that it was there to do anything but stabilize the bottom of the skeg (versus it stabilizing the rudder). But I could be wrong.

That piece was there to keep anything from getting up between it sand the rudder, that's all.

 

[Tally Ho]

That piece was there to keep anything from getting up between it sand the rudder, that's all.

So it didn’t really support the rudder?

Then how important is the skeg in this case?


Greg