Finding loose hardware.

Anytime you find a nut, bolt, split ring or loose bit of hardware on board the boat, that is a matter of concern. In my case, I found a wing nut in the bilge.

 So i checked out my motor mounts and this is what I found on the fore starboard mount.

Notice that there is no bolt head showing. To give you an idea, here is a photo of my fore Port one.

Look how rusty it is! And I replaced them less than 2 years ago! Anyway, now I had to find a replacement bolt. Just to show you the spare parts I carry on board, here are some of them.

Having a good inventory saves me from having to run out to the store anytime I need a new nut or bolt. This time I made sure that I used locktight on the bolt.

It really is a 2 man job to replace the motor mount bolts but with vice grips and acting like Houdini, I was able to secure the replacement. Phew!