[TheRealThing]

Not been on it in a couple of years. Swore I would never go back after hitting a refrigerator running about 70. Dang near killed me. Stopped my boat on a dime, when I came too, I was hanging over trolling motor with legs in water and my lifejacket hung up on trolling motor. Thank God I had it on. I even had kill switch hooked up. I very rarely done that and decided to that day. Have ever since. It knocked me completely out (don't know how long) and I had a big knot on my head. Put a gouge in my gelcoat about 4" long but not very deep. The frig was just under water line. I thought it tore my lower unit off, but it stretched jack plate bolts. Dang!

You sure you stretched those bolts or maybe they were loose for a different reason? I was piddling around with mine in the garage a couple years back and noticed the jack plate was loose. The bolts did tighten up but after a fishing trip on the way back home I looked back and noticed my motor bouncing even though I always use a transom saver. Pulling off the road and checking things out I saw that the bolts were loose again. :yikes:

After having limped on back, it turned out my transom was compromised due to water damage and I had to fix it. I would tighten the bolts but the bolt head was just compressing the wood in the transom.