Hey everyone, I have a structural question about the Sportmaster lower unit on a 1997 Mercury 2.5 offshore.

a number of years ago my friend went out to the lake in his 1992 STV Pro Comp Ski, when the unfortunate happened. As he was launching, he forgot to take one of the stern straps off of the boat, and when he went to pull the trailer out of the water, the boat came with it, dragging the skeg on the ramp. It is slightly bent, which brings me to my question.

Will the structural integrity of the lower unit/skeg be threatened if we mend the skeg by somehow bending it back, or does a whole new lower unit need to be purchased?

Thanks guys.