...They rec a hatch to view the stuffing box from the battery case...
...you do need good access...regardless of the type. Need to be able to get two hands on it to snug it up.
Will the hatch give you access? If it does...
I prefer standard stuffing boxes over dripless. When a dripless starts to leak, you have more work to do than just snugging the stuffing gland.
You don't need the yard to make you a mirror on a stick. They are sold at tool shops everywhere.
I am confused about the threads being stripped, surely the yard can fix that easily or just replace the bolts for piece of mind.
Yes gore packing does not have to drip and I do not like those dripless systems. Some times old technology really is better.
Starside, you should tell the yard to "get stuffed" (old Australian expression denoting criticism). They left a stripped bolt, which prevented tightening the gland; they would charge you heaps for an extendable mirror. Buy the dreaded phone/camera "selfie stick" and install a small mirror on it.
I made the decision to stay with the traditional gland. If it chews out packing and won`t seal, it or something associated needs a repair. My stbd one is fine, years post repack, constant problems with the port one eventually led to a bent propshaft as the culprit.