Today I spent 2 hours in my barn with John Wood, owner and designer of OnTheFly jackplates. John drove to my house to solve a few problems related to my jackplate that I purchased installed on my boat when I received it from the manufacturer, slightly less than one year ago. John was a delightful human being, graciously willing to help me and solve whatever problems I was experiencing with the use of his jackplate.
What had happened, all diagnosed by John, was that the bolts fastening the jackplate to the transom were loose, as when they were installed to the transom, there was no Loctite or any other sealant used to seal or lock the nuts in place. One might expect locknuts would be enough to keep the jackplate tight, but they were not. Or perhaps the nuts were never tightened securely in the first place. Anyway, all 4 nuts needed tightening, especially the top port side nut which allowed the jackplate and of course the engine, to wobble from side-to-side. John loosened that nut further, and then he used a clamp to draw the two jackplate brackets together. He used Loctite (or a similar product that he had) and then he tightened all bolts. Now my jackplate and outboard is tight to the transom, and working perfectly, as all the side-to-play was eliminated. Why this happened neither of us knew exactly, as even if the nuts were loose, the jackplate shouldn’t have had so much play. Our only guess was that the holes originally drilled for the bolts were too large. Because, if the holes were too large, then there could be play in the bolts, if the nuts were loose.
The aforementioned jackplate, which is an electric model, works marvelously, and it is an extremely valuable tool for the treacherous rock-infested shallows that I navigate multiple times each week. I have a delightful and efficient skiff (Spear Jireh) that serves my geriatric needs as well as any that I could imagine. I wouldn’t trade my skiff for any.
Today, as we all know, it is very rare to come in contact with any company representative, especially the owner of the company, that takes the time and cares enough to put the satisfaction of the customer to the forefront of his business plan.
I am much appreciative for the fine service that John Wood gave me, and I heartily recommend his product to anyone who would consider such an addition to their skiff.
The only thing that he accepted in compensation was my favorite all-time tarpon fly, which was prominently displayed in my fly tying suite, and a promise to take him out fishin’. A deal was struck!
What had happened, all diagnosed by John, was that the bolts fastening the jackplate to the transom were loose, as when they were installed to the transom, there was no Loctite or any other sealant used to seal or lock the nuts in place. One might expect locknuts would be enough to keep the jackplate tight, but they were not. Or perhaps the nuts were never tightened securely in the first place. Anyway, all 4 nuts needed tightening, especially the top port side nut which allowed the jackplate and of course the engine, to wobble from side-to-side. John loosened that nut further, and then he used a clamp to draw the two jackplate brackets together. He used Loctite (or a similar product that he had) and then he tightened all bolts. Now my jackplate and outboard is tight to the transom, and working perfectly, as all the side-to-play was eliminated. Why this happened neither of us knew exactly, as even if the nuts were loose, the jackplate shouldn’t have had so much play. Our only guess was that the holes originally drilled for the bolts were too large. Because, if the holes were too large, then there could be play in the bolts, if the nuts were loose.
The aforementioned jackplate, which is an electric model, works marvelously, and it is an extremely valuable tool for the treacherous rock-infested shallows that I navigate multiple times each week. I have a delightful and efficient skiff (Spear Jireh) that serves my geriatric needs as well as any that I could imagine. I wouldn’t trade my skiff for any.
Today, as we all know, it is very rare to come in contact with any company representative, especially the owner of the company, that takes the time and cares enough to put the satisfaction of the customer to the forefront of his business plan.
I am much appreciative for the fine service that John Wood gave me, and I heartily recommend his product to anyone who would consider such an addition to their skiff.
The only thing that he accepted in compensation was my favorite all-time tarpon fly, which was prominently displayed in my fly tying suite, and a promise to take him out fishin’. A deal was struck!
And yes, it is slow!
