kad 32 whats this for?

[Volvo KAD 32 tfft]

We had the boat on the drying rack for cleaning and noticed that this

>>>>>>>>>Support plate. 3868724<<<<<<<<<

was rubbing at the top of the drive, looking at the pics I think it may have been fitted hanging down instead of sticking up,
Either way I cant see what it does or is supposed to do? can anyone enlighten me?
As it was bent I took it off and it is still off with the boat back in the water

I now have the options of 12 hours on the drying rack waiting for the tide to ebb and flow,
£83 for a crane lift to do a 5 min job of putting it back,

or leave it off for 2 months until I am on the rack for another "de musselling session"

 

[[2068]]

I can't be sure: it doesn't appear to have any function at all.

It might be there to prevent the exhaust bellows from getting "folded" if they drooped when you lower the drive back down, but the bellows are so stiff that this would never happen even if the plate wasn't there.

It might also be there to deter that well-known predator, the "bellowfish" from removing chunks of rubber with it's razor-sharp incisors