yup i was taken care of.also alot less.

don what are the straps around the engines that hook to the jack plates?

Bungee cords.

They help keep the lower unit from flying out and back in rough water. You will notice them on almost all O/B race boats and on boats with 2.5efi(s)

yes i saw those on some other boats also.do i need them?

Only if you are going to be consistantly hammering big waves/wakes. Definitely more of a race thing.