I have a 21' Sea Skiff that I just purchased. While looking it over, I discovered that the long bolts which go into the wooden engine rails on the rear were loose and protruding from the mounts. I put a 3/4" open end wrench on them and they threaded in- easily (too easily), and never came close to being tight.
A friend of mine who has a different Chris Craft said he thought I would be fine for awhile that way, but after thinking about this for a day or so, I am feeling that I need to address this issue before I ever put it in the water.
My idea was to drill out the stripped hole carefully and install a hardwood dowel (probably 1/2" diamater) with a good epoxy glue, allow it to dry and then redrill and reinstall the engine mounting bolts. The structure of the boat is solid so I am not fearing rot or other issues, just someone who was not careful when they reinstalled the engine.
I have resolved several issues so far with this boat since I purchased it and am looking for someones elses opinion regarding engine mounting concerns.
Thanks in advance for your opinion and suggestions.
Jim Woischke
Pine City, MN
A friend of mine who has a different Chris Craft said he thought I would be fine for awhile that way, but after thinking about this for a day or so, I am feeling that I need to address this issue before I ever put it in the water.
My idea was to drill out the stripped hole carefully and install a hardwood dowel (probably 1/2" diamater) with a good epoxy glue, allow it to dry and then redrill and reinstall the engine mounting bolts. The structure of the boat is solid so I am not fearing rot or other issues, just someone who was not careful when they reinstalled the engine.
I have resolved several issues so far with this boat since I purchased it and am looking for someones elses opinion regarding engine mounting concerns.
Thanks in advance for your opinion and suggestions.
Jim Woischke
Pine City, MN
