Bent Bow Eye Repair

[tbodine88]

I was towed this summer. It was an exciting event after a bad decision by the captain, myself.


I was in shallow water, too shallow for the tow. It was blowing hard. The tower towed from the side to get me out of the shallows. This bent the bow eye, which appears to be glassed in.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/xCivUVHKDxqHqvzD7


Any suggestions on how to repair or suggestions of good boat repair places in Texas would be appreciated.


thanks

[Kettlewell]

Remove the nuts on the inside of the hull and you should be able to pull the bow eye out, though I bet you will have to drive it out by putting something like a metal bar (or the handle of a wrench) over the bolts and then hammering it. Obviously, you should inspect the fiberglass in the vicinity for any stress cracks. When installing a new bow eye I would get one with longer legs so you can have an epoxy coated block of hardwood on the inside as a backing block to spread the load. The block will have to be fitted to the V-shaped space it fills.

[Jammer]

Cut the bow eye flush on the outside of the hull with a saw or grinder. Drive the remaining pieces back into the hull with a punch and hammer. Buy a new bow eye. Make any reinforcements that you think are necessary given the age and service history of the boat; consider that you are unlikely to put this much force on it again in the future.

[tkeithlu]

Darned good advice by Jammer and Kettlewell. Reinforcement of the new eye is important, because there just has to be cracking around the two holes. On the inside a layer or two of reinforcing roving can be seen. Consider fender washers such as these,

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/fe...zed-washers-9/

plus building up the inside to make a flat surface, or even bend the washers to fit the "V".

[TrentePieds]

The U-bolt fitted to your cut-water was never up to the job you asked of it, nor to much else for that matter. The boat is trailerable, allegedly, and has a displacement of less that a ton and a half. That U-bolt was never meant to do more than help to centre the boat on its trailer as you haul it up with the winch on a quiet, balmy Sunday afternoon.

I wouldn't bother to repair it. Just tidy up by cutting it off flush with the cut-water, seal the wound, and paint over it.

Now go buy a samson-post like this one:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/254768070471

and fit it on your foredeck. But be warned that for towing off the ground, if that's where you've put your boat, even a deck-mounted samson post like that should not be relied on. That'd be okay for belaying the anchor rode, but not for rescue work!

If you are stuck in the mud and need to be towed off before the tide floats you off, you lay a "girdle" of adequate rope, such as 1/2" dacron braid, all around the hull. You suspend it with gaskets from whatever will serve at deck level so it lies all around the hull just below the deck joint. Then you attach the towing hawser to it.

Part of becoming an Able Bodied Seafaring Man is to learn what gear can take a given strain, and, conversely, what strain will be too much for a given piece of gear.

All the best!

TrentePieds

[Spot]

Good advice given already, thanks Everyone.

If attempting to remove the nuts first, penetrating oil or 'blaster' spray or the AFT + acetone combination (weasel piss in the vernacular) applied multiple times over several days and use heavy duty sockets and extensions.

Cutting between boat and outer backing plate would probably be faster, a muffler or autobody shop could maybe help with the cutting if you are not comfortable with it.

I would plan on a fill and redrill of the area and for some internal backing, provided the new bow eye hardware is long enough to take additional backing.

The nice heavy stem on the outside of the bow most likely prevented the situation from becoming worse to the point of the eye leaving the boat.

[Kettlewell]

OT a bit, but I have seen lots of damage caused by commercial towboats pulling people off who have gone aground. They tend to use their substantial horsepower instead of their limited brainpower apparently. For example, for some reason the first thought is always to pull a boat from the bow, even if the bow end of things is likely the part that is where the water is shallowest because presumably you were moving forward when you went aground. Often, an anchor taken off the stern or a tow line can pull the boat out backwards more easily because that is the shortest route to deeper water. In any case, I am impressed that bow eye was able to endure a sideways pull like that.

[wyb2]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

The U-bolt fitted to your cut-water was never up to the job you asked of it, nor to much else for that matter. The boat is trailerable, allegedly, and has a displacement of less that a ton and a half. That U-bolt was never meant to do more than help to centre the boat on its trailer as you haul it up with the winch on a quiet, balmy Sunday afternoon.

I wouldn't bother to repair it. Just tidy up by cutting it off flush with the cut-water, seal the wound, and paint over it.

…

Agree that it was never up to the task of a significant side pull, but if the boat is ever trailered it’s quite important to have. Yes it’s for loading onto the trailer, but just as importantly for holding the bow against v-stop while bouncing down the road.

And for an inline pull, that u-bolt looks adequate for this size boat (well, maybe before the corrosion). I’ve used mine to scoot my 2,500 lb boat forward the last few inches after pulling off the ramp, just sliding it on the bunks. The OP will find his limit cranking the trailer winch before that u-bolt (in good condition) fails.

[TrentePieds]

What wyb2 sez is absolutely correct. As far as it goes :-)!

IMO it doesn't go far enuff. Most things are adequate so long as they are not abused. In the marine environment abuse is almost inevitable, and things must be dimensioned (or chosen) so the unthinking or the ignorant cannot abuse them to destruction :-)

Thus my recommendation that if you MUST tow - heaven forfend! - you make a girdle. But in a 24 footer you most likely would not have an 80 foot length of 12" dacron braid to impress for the purpose. Second best is the samson post/towing bit (call it what you will) I recommended because it has sufficient "footprint" (and goods) that it can neither be capsized or bent. It will also take the line from the trailer winch so you now have a win/win! And it'll take the towing strain all around the clock. In both senses :-)!

Fifty bux for the gizmo and two hours to fit it has to be a heckuva lot faster and cheaper than replacing the U-bolt!

Now in my teaching days, I'd deliberately run the stoodes aground on a nice sandy beach just to show 'em how to get off again. Cal 20s they were, and of course there is no trick to heeling one of them enuff to lift the keel off the sand. The OP's boat is a kettle of fish of a different colour due to is barge-like midship section c/w twin keels. that configuration was originally evolved for the specific purpose of GOING aground, cos that's how you handled cargo in those days and in those places. So if you would have a hull of that configuration you either learn NOT to run aground, or to do it only at low tide! You must also develop the patience to wait for the next high rising tide, even if you have to wait months for a "king" tide :-)!

In a boat of this configuration, you always know when it's time to go about. Doing so is always indicated when you notice that the seagulls alongside you are WALKING :-)!

Cheers

TP