Outboard propeller guard

In combination with an outboard motor or the out drive of an inboard/outboard motor wherein said motor has a generally vertically oriented housing supporting a propeller on a generally horizontally oriented axis of rotation, and wherein the housing further includes a depending skeg provided in a vertical plane below and forward of the propeller, which skeg has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined leading edge, the improvement comprising a propeller guard arranged below the rotating propeller, said guard including left and right wing-like projections extending outwardly from the skeg, said left and right wing-like projections having a center wing segment oriented generally horizontally, which horizontal center wing segment has a severely swept leading edge, said left and right wing-like projections having upturned outer wing segments that cooperate with said wing center segment to define a generally U-shaped wing panel provided generally circumaxially of the lower portion of the rotating propeller, said upturned wing outer wing segments being less severely swept providing concave leading edges thereof, which concave leading edges are rounded so as to be deflected by any foreign object coming in contact therewith, said center and outer wing segments being fabricated from a thermoplastic material of flexible and resilient characteristics so as to assure that following any such deflection the wing-like projections tend to assume their original shape, and bracket means comprising two L-shaped members, each L-shaped member having a first flange abutting said skeg and secured thereto, and said bracket means further including second flanges secured to said center wing segment.