Hi all,
I just picked up my very first Hobie kayak - a Mirage Compass Duo! My reason for this post that the metal insert for one of the three used used to hold the Lowrance ready plate is actually a bit loose. This happened to be the first screw I removed on the plate and I noticed that it was SUPER tight - now I'm realizing that whoever installed this plate way over torqued this particular screw. In fact, the threads at the bottom of the screw insert were cross threaded and the screw no longer sits flush like the other two (see photos with plate removed). The fact that the screw was over torqued and damaged the insert threads is disappointing, but not catastrophic (I hope) because it still holds the plate nice and snug. However, I am concerned about the screw insert being slightly loose. I noticed that the insert will slightly turn when I tighten the screw, which is concerning. Since this is below the water line I'm worried that the over torqued screw may have caused a hairline crack inside the hull. I can't see that far inside the hull so I am unable to tell if there was any damage. However, it does appear that the insert is glued inside the weld and I'm hoping that maybe all that happened is the bond between the screw insert and the hull came loose. Again, the insert is not ready to fall out, but it does move a bit when the screw is fully tightened. Should I be alarmed about this?