Problem With My Bow Hook!!

[J. Mark]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

If you are 100% sure the bow hook is shot, cut it off with a hack saw and drive the stubs through to where you took that picture. Drill two holes in a piece of 1/4 steel, and stick a new bow hook on slide the steel over the ends you should now be able to see (Gluie the backing plate to a piece of wood if you need to to get it into place) Take a long extension or two and use wobbles if necessary to get nuts on and fix the bow hook.

Looking at the picture of the inside I suspect your going to see that the piece of wood at the top is the backing brace and it is soft. The bolts likely will come through just above where your picture stops.

 

[danond]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Use a tie-down/winch strap to strap the boat by the cleats and hook the strap ends to the trailer (or wrap it around the winch block). Not pretty, but it'll work.

 

[redfury]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

problem is, how do you get the boat all the way onto the trailer? You need to get a new bow hook on her somehow, that part is obvious.

The only other option is to pull the rub rail off and separate the hull and lift the front of the cap up for access.

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Even with the cap gone, Id also have to tear the floor apart. Neither of those things is going to happen.

And if I connect the strap to the winch, I should be able to pull the boat all the way on to the trailer. Or, I can do what my dad used to do The boat has a motor, THATs how you get it all the way on the trailer

 

[danond]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

It's not a big boat. Getting it to the bow stop shouldn't be a big deal. Dunk the trailer a little deeper and you should be fine. Definitely strap it down, though.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Why don't you cut a hole in the vertical bulkhead in this photo and make the repair. A hatch or access plate can cover the hole. People stepping on the bow where the treads are won't cause the bulkhead to bend. Use a 6" hole saw and put in a 6" access plate.

 

[skargo]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Why don't you cut a hole in the vertical bulkhead in this photo and make the repair. A hatch or access plate can cover the hole. People stepping on the bow where the treads are won't cause the bulkhead to bend. Use a 6" hole saw and put in a 6" access plate.

Or put a deck plate right on top, no biggie if people step on it, I mean, people including myself step on mine all the time I have two right in the middle of my deck.

Hell, I have a cooler and a deck plate in this pic, they get stepped on all the time.

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

OK but even if the deck plate would work, like I said, the back of the hook is below the floor. I'd have to literally tear the entire boat completely apart.

 

[bitterboater]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Your making a mountain out of a mole hill. As my father the mechanic says all the time, take it one step at a time.

Determine the problem.

Examine solutions.

Decide on a solution.

As was previously posted the wood piece in the second picture is most likely the backing block for the bow hook. You will only have to gain access to a small portion of the deck area against the bow. This can be solved with, as again previously posted, access ports that can be stepped on and look good as well (color match).
As for the majority of the solution, you already have the hole drilled for the hook, place a piece of 1"x 1"x 3" long angle iron with holes drilled at the correct distance apart and reassemble. Taking care to seal from the inside and outside with an appropriate caulk.

Or take it to a boat mechanic and let him deal with it.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Ok, I didn't realize it was below the deck. If you don't want to cut into the deck, then you could do this:

- Cut off the old bow eye from the outside and fill the holes with thickened poly resin, sand and paint some gel over it. Not a big deal.

- Get an access hatch to go in the bulkhead and install a new bow eye at a higher location. Use a large access hatch to make use of the space as an anchor storage or the like.

- Raise the winch on the winch post to a higher location to work with the raised bow eye.

It looks like your winch post can be adjusted on the trailer tongue front to rear. Thats good in case raising the winch causes interference with the bow as its cranked on. The winch support looks like its bolted to the winch post, so it should be able to be raised up to work with the new bow eye location. Generally speaking, the winch strap goes under the bow stop, so it must be mounted higher than the bow eye to crank the boat all the way up to the bow stop.

So with the exception of filling the old holes, everything else is cut and bolt on. No real fiberglassing, extensive sanding, etc. Plus if you use a large access hatch, there is the added benefit of additional storage.

That might be more of a project than you want to get into, but it should be do-able with basic home owner tools (hack saw, sabre saw for hatch, wrenches, cordless drill).

There are a few ways to support a bow eye. Either a wood block epoxied in place or use the glass reinforced resin to make a large mount and put a 1/4" piece of plate steel or aluminum behind it to spread the load.

In fact, you don't have to use epoxy, plain poly resin will work because the stress is all pull.

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

My uncle does this kind of stuff for a living. Unfortunately, he's in Florida and I'm in Boston. Mark42's solution sounds like the best one so far. Well, aside from getting a huge winch strap, which is my plan for this year at least. Maybe next year I'll think about putting a new hook in. I still have to get this boat painted and started and IN the fricken water.

 

[J. Mark]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Let me say something that you might get some benefit from.

Throughout my restore there have been numerous steps that intimidated me. What I did was to just knuckle down and do them. Each one seemed far more daunting until I just did them.

Today I chased electrical issues and slowly but surely I managed to find everything and figured out all of the wiring with the exception of having to run wires for the bow light due to the fact that I was never able to locate them under the dash (I'm going to give it one more shot, but running two wires is so simple I am not going to waste hours on a job I can do in ten minutes.) I had to use a meter and my brains much more than anything else, but I have never used an electrical meter much. I'm still no wiz, but I understand how to check continuity and polarity and to read the basic circuits far better than I expected.

What I've learned is that most things are easier than anticipated and if I just get started, I find the solution.

Your solution will come to you when you get to working on the problem instead of trying to figure it out here.

 

[skargo]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Great post J. Mark. I've had quite a few vehicular projects over the past few years, and what you say is very true!

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Gentleman, behold:
My new bow hook

The strap looks a little thin but it is a 2000 lb rated strap. I doubt my boat weighs that much, and even if it does, i'm not hanging the boat by the strap, I'm just keeping it strapped to the trailer. The strap is hooked to an i hook I bolted through one of the many holes on the pillar. 3 nuts and 4 washer holding that i hook in place. I only hope it's not a cheap bolt and that it doesn't split in half under the pressure of the nuts squeezing it. I also hope I don't eventually yank the cleats out of the top of the boat. But barring that, this little setup should be a fine solution until I feel like fixing the real bow hook. Which may be never. I'd love to get rid of this old thing and get a NEW boat. Or at least a boat thats not as old as me.

 

[skargo]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't feel safe with that setup. The forces put on those straps in an emergency maneuver would be pretty high.

 

[109jb]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

If it were me, I would fix the bow hook now. The bow hook doesn't just pull the boat on the trailer. It also serves to prevent the boat from "climbing" the winch post in the event of a quick stop while being towed. Do you want the boat sitting on top of your car if you have to make a panic stop because some numbnuts pulls out in front of you??

That strap you have has a STATIC breaking strength of 2000 pounds. This does not take into account the additional forces due to deceleration, acceleration, etc. I wouldn't trust that strap you have. Also, the way you have it rigged, the strap will not provide enough protection from the boat climbing the winch post that I mentioned earlier.

 

[l008com]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Keep in mind the real bow hook is loose, not gone completely. It's still there, and attached. So I'll have both.

 

[Zetman]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

cut into it and fix it right there are plenty of people here to help along the way if you get stuck or do something worse..I have been helped with the simplest of jobs to the most stubborn to what I thought was the worst. Sorry its not a brand new or classic boat from the pictures I seen (with no disrespect) use this as an advantaged of a first project before owning a new boat or whatever. My .02 for what its worth..JUst do it. Zet

 

[Mark42]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Ummm.... Ummm........ Time to fix the bow eye.

 

[skargo]

Re: Problem With My Bow Hook!!

Why in the hell are you so hell bent on not fixing this correctly? You are going to hurt yourself, or even worse, someone else.