Problem With My Bow Hook!!

[l008com]

So I found this little problem today while I was scrubbing my boat down. The hook seems to be pulling right out from the hull. Obviously this is a big problem since that hook is the only thing keeping this boat on the trailer when I drive it to the lake. The other picture shows the bow of the boat, and how it's almost impossible to get up in there and see whats going on, on the inside.
It is a 1984 thundercraft.

Any ideas what I should do with this?

 

[danond]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

That sucks. Based on the design, it looks like you'll need to disconnect and lift the cap and replace the wood behind the hook/keel.

 

[gcboat]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but you're just gonna' have to find a way to get to those interior bolts. If - and when - you get there you might just want to replace that eye with a new one - or at the least beef up the backing plate. If for some reason the eye wallowed out the holes in the bow then some 4200 or similiar Life Caulk should be used to seal it all up.
Sorry -

 

[danond]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

In the meantime, seal it up with some marine sealant, and run a rope from the port bow cleat, down around the winch, over to the starboard cleat. That should keep'er on the trailer.

Drive slow.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Now would be a good time to install an access hatch, get one big enough so you can get in there. Use the grinder and cut it open.
It would make for a nice anchor compartment anyway.
I'm looking at the vertical backrest for the front seat.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Bad news for sure. Had the same problem on my last boat and it was a major PITA. Ended up carefully cutting a section (10" x 10") out of the top deck above the bow eye. The cavity was filled with foam so that all had to come out, then I could get at the eye. Working blind most of the time in a small space up to my elbows was not fun.

Replaced the eye and installed a new backing plate then filled the cavity with 2-part foam. Carved it flush to the back side of the fiberglass then epoxied the cutout piece of glass (10" x 10") onto the foam. Filled the gap with glass reinforced marine bondo, feathered the joint nicely then gel coated the complete nose section of the bow along a natural contour. Could not tell a repair had been done other than the gelcoat was a slightly different shade of white than the rest of the boat. Held up for the 5 years I kept it then I sold the boat.

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Yeah theres no way I'm going to do that much work. Or even that I'm capable of that kind of work. First I'm going to stick a camera in there and see what exactly the problem is. And once I do that, I'll try to come up with some sort of plan.

 

[redfury]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Yeah theres no way I'm going to do that much work. Or even that I'm capable of that kind of work. First I'm going to stick a camera in there and see what exactly the problem is. And once I do that, I'll try to come up with some sort of plan.

Stick a camera in where? If you can get a camera in there, you can get an arm in there right?

Otherwise, I'd do exactly as suggested...install an access plate....super easy to do, and relatively cheap, considering the alternative....

http://www.iboats.com/Seadog_Watert...37370712--**********.359678788--view_id.39787

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Stick a camera in where? If you can get a camera in there, you can get an arm in there right?

Otherwise, I'd do exactly as suggested...install an access plate....super easy to do, and relatively cheap, considering the alternative....

http://www.iboats.com/Seadog_Watert...37370712--**********.359678788--view_id.39787

He's probably talking about reaching up under the cushions toward the front of the bow. Chances are though it's filled with foam and you won't see much.

Myself, looking at the shape of the hull and thinking about my options, I'd probably cut into the hull on the back side of that area, then make up a removable panel to fill the hole, and maybe extend the bow cushions around overtop the access hole?

Chances are that the factory either used a wood block, or piece of angle iron and steel plate to back up that bow eye. It's either a matter of the wood being split or rotted, or the steel rusted through. I replaced the backing on my one boat with a piece of angle iron, flattened slightly to match the bow angle, then a heavy piece of flat plate welded over top and drilled to hold the bow eye. It will no doubt outlive me.

Since your deck had molded in shapes, cutting it there wouldn't work if you wished to put in an access panel or anchor box. Either way, if the bow eye is loose, you have no other choice.
The only other option is stripping the boat down, removing the top section or cap, fixing the bow eye and re-assemble.

 

[J. Mark]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

The bow eye has nuts on it. Take a wrench and tighten them down and see if the eye snugs up tightly. If not you have to fix it.

On the other hand, if the nuts have vibrated loose over the years and the backing is sound, tightening it up from the front will keep it from wobbling and moving and loosening further.

Only you can judge whether the backing is sound or not as I can't turn your wrench. Snug it up and see where you are.

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

OK so if you look at the way the Vhull is, and the step on the inside. . . basically even if you stick your head in the compartments under the seat, you still can't even SEE the hook in there. So I'm kind of at a loss. I might just strap on to the top cleats this year and cut a hole in the top of the bow next year. Unless anyone has any other ideas?

 

[Truefire]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Keep looking around on various mechanical apparatus type websites. I have used in the past a type of expandable nut that is typically used in fabricated holes in metal. If you could possibly locate some type of expandable nut type apparatus and such you may be able to fix this problem with an eyebolt on a single threaded portion instead of the type of u shaped eyebolt that you have in place now.

In regards to removing the top halve of your boat to get to 2 little 3/8" nuts, i don't think that is what you should do. I think you can find some type of expandable type compression nut or some beefy type blind hole repair kit that you can utilize with a single 3/8" or larger eyebolt to insert into your newly acquired hole.

Then repair the old existing holes with a fiberglass patch kit.

there is a way to repair it, just keep brainstorming on it, but my I don't believe i would remove the top to get in there. Or simply cut you an access door like my man stated that you could place a door into and utilize later for storage.

Take care,
Chris

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

At this point I'm leaning towards the access ports route. Since I can't even get in close enough to SEE what the problem is. I saw 6" portals at west marine for $10. Thats not bad, but A) how do you cut a perfect round hole? Whatever tool you use, I'm sure I don't have it. And B) there were no screws or bolts or O rings or any kind of sealant in the kit.

And actually, on more thing. This hole would have to be at the very tip of the bow, where everyone steps to get out of the boat. Would this weaken the fiberglass too much. Would people eventually start falling through?

 

[YN2(SS)]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Maybe remove the nav light (a couple of screws?). See if you can look down through there. If so, but you can't reach it, put you access plate under the nav light. Surely most of your pax wouldn't step on your light?

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

No thats what I mean, that IS where people step. Directly behind the Nav light. Also I have a feeling there isn't a bit of foam at all behind this thing, just hollow fiberglass.

 

[redfury]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

http://www.iboats.com/Sure_Seal_Acc...8858465--**********.799494843--view_id.237693Why not put a horizontal hatch right where the front of the boat comes down to the seating area? You'd have a place to store life jackets also, and you don't have to worry about doing any structural damage or have people stepping on it. You should have enough room to get your arm and shoulder up to the bow to put a nut on the U bolt...you are going to need someones help anyway unless you strap the u bolt against the hull so you can do it yourself. The access plate is going to be a little more expensive, but still worth it. You don't want to end up repairing the fiberglass there if the U bolt RIPS out of the hull the next time you retrieve the boat from the lake.

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

With a hatch there, i have the same fear. That people using the step will put pressure on the hatch. What used to be solid fiberglass will be a hole that will yank the screws through the fiber glass and break.

 

[eli_lilly]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

I'm with that guy above, it looks like the nut on the outside has just loosened. Tighten it back up and you're done. One of my boats does that all the time.

-E

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

OK Here are two new pictures. A slightly different angle of the hook, and the inside of the bow. You can't see much from the inside because apparently the floor of the boat is above where the hook bolts through. So even if you could get under the seats to fix it, you'd also have to cut a whole in the floor. I had to put my camera on a 2 second delay, put it on the end of a tripod, and shove it way under the seats just to get these pictures.

So what is your take on this? Is it just the outside bolt that's lose, or is something inside that's lose? Because if it's an inside thing, it's not getting fixed, ever. I'll have to do what someone suggested early on and put a strap through the cleats on top.

But if it's just the outside bolts you can see, I'll just tighten them and be on my way.

[OK apparently imageshack's codes are totally ****ed up right now so you'll have to click on these links to see the two pictures]

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2024/img0046r.jpg

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/4124/dscn0950.jpg

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Ok I just went out and checked it yet again, it is definitely pulling out. If I crank the winch on teh trailer even a little, it yanks that hook right out. And as you can see form the other pic, you can't even see the back of the hook, it's below the floor. SO my only option is those two top cleats. What can I use to connect those to the hook on the trailer? I don't trust my knot-tying abilities for something this big, do I have other options?