Bow Eye Problem

[luckyinkentucky]

Last week my Bow Eye came loose, so I tightened it back down. Today I was out on the river, and noticed that the same thing happened again. The Bow Eye came loose on the bottom. Is there any way to secure it so it doesn't happen again? I think some of the fiberglass holding the bottom in is gone.

 

[highangle]

Re: Bow Eye Problem

I had the same problem. Wood block inside the hull was completely rotten, so when I snugged it up, any movement would cause it to collapse again.

Pulled the eye, removed all rotten wood and built it back up with marinetex. Make sure you have a pretty good measurement of the angle/original location of the hole so you can drill the new hole. I would suggest that you drill from the outside in, as it is REALLY hard to hit a point on the tip of the bow from the inside.....

 

[gcboat]

Re: Bow Eye Problem

I think what you'll probably need to do is remove it, redo the inside with some Marine Tex and rebolt using bigger flat washers and a new set of locking nuts. Make certain all is stainless steel.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Bow Eye Problem

Well, I did some shopping at Lowe's tonight,and I think I came up with a solution.

Why couldn't I just reinforce the inside with 1/2" thick aluminum that is cut to around 1 1/2 " wide? The flimsy little bracket that came with the Bow Eye looks like one that you'd use for all purpose hardware use. Also I could cut it into a 4" strip, and that would add extra width and thickness to the application.

Another thing is .... what can I use to fill the fiberglass damage cause by the previous bracket breaking through the existing fiberglass? Fortunately it didn't do any damage to my gelcoat .... yet. Can I use Marinetex for that? To fill a void left by damage? How well does it hold up?

 

[gcboat]

Re: Bow Eye Problem

Sounds like an excellent plan, and yes - Marine Tex for that repair would be a very acceptable product. Actually, it's probably the best. Make sure you get the white, not the gray. Scuff up what needs repairing with some 80# paper, wipe down with some acetone and you'll be good to go.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Bow Eye Problem

I spoke to the dealer repairman this morning, and he suggested I replace the damaged area with more fiberglass. He said all I have to do is soak it in resin and reapply it. Would this be more sturdy than Marinetex?