Want to add stern eyes... How?

[acdc96]

I want to add some stern eyes to my 14ft jon boat so i can tow other boats and my kayak. i dont have any cleats. i have a tow harnness from my old boat for pulling skiers or tubers. i dont want to add a ski eye. something like this [ LINK ]. i know i just cant bolt it their.. i need some sort of backing plate. what should I do?

 

[Tnstratofam]

I'm confused do you mean you don't want the eye like in the link? Or you don't want to reuse your old ski tow harness?

If you are wanting something like what you have in the link you could use a backer like I put on my Starcraft when I redid the transom. I used some aluminum backing plates like these.



Here they are installed.

 

[acdc96]

No Title

Oh... I ment pylon instead of eye. I'll post a pic of my 21 ft with the pylon. On my old boat (in the background) I use to pull tuber with a harness that went around the outboard. I want to use that again to pull other things with my boat.

How thick is that piece of aluminum?

 

[Tnstratofam]

That aluminum piece is about 1/4 of an inch thick. I got it as one long (8 foot) piece and cut off (4) 4 inch square pieces. Two for the towing eyes and two for the motor bolts.

 

[JimS123]

A 1/4" aluminum backing plate will be fine. HOWEVER, the stern eye and backing plate must be installed on the wooden part of the transom. Don't try to mount it where all you have is just an aluminum transom.

Also, NEVER tow with a deck cleat, no matter how well it is mounted.

Furthermore, I also have a 14' Sea Nymph. It might pull an empty kayak at idle speed. but its not suitable for pulling anything bigger than that.

 

[alldodge]

So you want to add an eye on your Jon boat to tow a kayak behind your boat off the ski eye. If I got the right, installing an eye like you mentioned should be plenty for a kayak.

Boat towing a Jon Boat, towing a Kayak