I made up a 1/16 plywood spacer for the Mack strut to help spread the pressure over a larger area. The strut, nylon thrust washer, drive dog and prop were located 3/8 inch from the forward edge of the rudder to the rear of the prop at its closest position. A line was drawn on the hull at the rear of the strut. Another line was drawn from the center of the rudder post along the hull. The strut assembly was put on the hull with one of the shafts in it. Using a short piece of 3/16 tubing in the rudder opening, the shaft was lined up from the end of the tubing to the intersection of the line on the hull. Pilot holes were marked through the strut base. These were drilled for #4 screws. I turned the hull over and saw where a frame had to be cut for a 1/8 plywood base. After some cutting and sanding, the plywood was epoxied to the inside of the hull with a mixture of micro-balloons to take in to account the slight convex surface. A #4 sheet metal screw held them in place. When cured, the screw was removed and the hull turned over. The original holes were redrilled, this time, through the plywood inside the hull. The 1/16 plywood spacer was epoxied to the bottom of the hull in a similar manner and held in place with #4 sheet metal screws. When cured, the screws were removed, and once again the holes were redrilled. The struts were then glued in place with Gorilla glue and held on with #4 screws and bolts. The alignment remained perfect and the glue left to cure. It took longer to describe this than do it. One day, two struts. Next, installing the stuffing boxes. Dan.