Another Broken Bolt

I changed my oil yesterday and while I was cleaning out the drip pan under the engine, I noticed a bolt. Although it was broken off, it was still pretty big, and I recognized it was from the engine mounts.

I replaced one in City Island, but in retrospect, I should have replaced them all. It's the lower starboard one that bolts the mount to the transmission bell housing. I bought new bolts today, but may try to lift the engine enough and reuse the broken one temporarily.

It broke off inside, so it still has a little over a 1/4" of meat. I filed off the end, so I should be able to use it. I also bought a new set of easy-outs, but I'm not sure I can get a drill down there to drill out the old one. I'll tackle it tomorrow and see how far I get.

Porthole watch:

I pulled all the screens and cleaned up the portholes a bit today. I still need to use a brush and naval jelly to clean them up before painting. The screens trap water, often salt water, and really accelerates the corrosion process.

Luckily, it's warm enough to do this sort of work. It's been a year and a half since I cleaned them up, and although they aren't that bad, they're essentially bare aluminum now, so I need to protect them before they disappear.

Provision watch:

I had to go ashore to dump my trash and the old oil, so I left the dinghy at the dock and walked to the auto parts store to pick up the bolts, and on my way back, picked up another load of groceries. Not sure how much I've got, but I'm going to try to keep track, so I can better plan next time.