During the process of winterizing the boat for an in water winter storage, I attempted to remove the 1/4" rubber hose that runs from the seacock to the shaft tube to the rear of the prop shaft seal. The brass fitting it was attached to came off with the hose, creating a steady 1/4" stream of water into the boat. I was able to wrap several turns of rubber electrical tape around the shaft tube followed by a hose clamp,which stopped the leak. On inspection, the brass fitting was fully plugged, rendering it useless. It had also been cracked for some time, as evidenced by the corrosion on the part that had broken off. Had vibration loosened the fitting, the boat could have taken on water at the mooring unnoticed, and possibly sank or at least sustained major water damage. This is a poor design! The fitting should be more substantial, and should be protected with a small seacock, in this case, a 1/8" brass cock used for pressure gauges. Has anyone had a similar experience?