My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

[reeldreamer]

I was driving back from the lake and hit a pretty big bump that ripped the bow eye from the front of the hull straight out. It was a clean rip. I am not too sure how I am going to fix this but it honestly really sucks as I just finally got my boat going after a few months. So if anyone can help chime in on where I should start that would be great. BTW it is a 1983 ProCraft 1750v.

I'll post a few pics in a bit.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

without pictures it would be very hard to access the damage and recommend fix procedure. Post picx as soon as you can

 

[friderday]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

hmmmm???I can't wait to see pics & a better explanation of this one. I have fished in the ocean all my life, in 14' aluminum boats up to big open fisherman, been in some pretty hairy seas, but never would I think my bow eye would be in jeapordy of being ripped off(unless one of the refugees that seem to flock to South Florida shores from distant wastelands/islands grab on without me knowing)

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

This Bass boat has some fairly large forward hatches but I'm not sure if you can get access to the eye from them. The way your eye is attached to the bow and then to the trailer winch I can easily see how if it had a bit of slack in it allowing it to bounce a large bump could yank it out of the hull especially if the factory did not put much of a backer on it which they probably didn't. Pics will tell the tale. Worst case scenario...You'll have to cut a hole in the deck to gain access to the hull and do some minor glass work to put the eye back in with a much better and stronger back plate. We can/will show you how to "Git er Dun!!!!!"

 

[jigngrub]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

I was driving back from the lake and hit a pretty big bump that ripped the bow eye from the front of the hull straight out. It was a clean rip. I am not too sure how I am going to fix this but it honestly really sucks as I just finally got my boat going after a few months. So if anyone can help chime in on where I should start that would be great. BTW it is a 1983 ProCraft 1750v.

I'll post a few pics in a bit.

I suspect a severe case of boat rot, bow eyes don't rip out of good solid boats.

 

[reeldreamer]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

I'll post them tomorrow. It's too dark outside to take pictures at this point. Hopefully this will be figured out.

 

[reeldreamer]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

Here are the pictures:

 

[old islander]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

Was that eye just glued in there? Where's the nuts and backing plate that were on the inside? Only thing I can think of is it was just glued in, or the nuts vibrated loose and fell inside the boat. Bow eyes allways have a backing plate on them. Can you see where it was bolted inside the bow? If you can get to the inside I would suggest using nylon/stainless locking nuts on the inside.

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

It's definitely missing some hardware from the inside. Doesn't look like there is much damage to the hull but will have to see what things look like inside. It could be the nuts were plain steel and rusted away. I see remnants of something on the longer thread section of the bow eye in the second picture

 

[alldodge]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

Here are the pictures:

View attachment 222255

Corrosion, and low grade stainless, probably 304 and not 316. I would guess the remnants of the nuts and backing plate is in the boat. It appears there is metal in the area where the nut would have been, only left threads behind.

 

[redneck joe]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

minimal/no damage to the boat - that's a good thing.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

Yup, minimal damage to the hull, so check for access thru the hatches to the inside. If not then as I stated previously you'll need to cut a hole in the deck to gain access and then replace the eye with a new one and make sure its High Grade stainless with a good quality backup plate. I'd also coat the threads and nuts with a rust preventive coating like Boeshield T-9 or similar

 

[redneck joe]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

if you do have to cut use one of these to 'repair' the hole.

 

[reeldreamer]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

Now, I don't have to really worry about fixing the hull? Basically just need the new hardware (higher quality nuts and U-Bolt). I'll take pictures from the inside in a few minutes and get them on here. If somebody could explain their process in steps on the matter that would be extremely helpful.

Thanks for all the input so far.
-Christian

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

You need to know the dimensions of the eye necessary too fit the existing holes in the hull, and have enough length to allow you to put the keeper nuts & backer plate on the inside. YOU SHOULD NOT be reusing the old eye.

Iboats and other online retailers sell them.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

Now, I don't have to really worry about fixing the hull? Basically just need the new hardware (higher quality nuts and U-Bolt). I'll take pictures from the inside in a few minutes and get them on here. If somebody could explain their process in steps on the matter that would be extremely helpful.

Thanks for all the input so far.
-Christian

yes, from the picture you posted, there is no damage - on the outside at least - to be fixed.
Mask the hull around your work area and cover wherever you don't want the sealer to get to.
Get new hardware and insert it from outside the boat first.
When it is about 1/2 an inch or so above the hull, apply 4200 (removable) or 5200 (perminant) 3M marine sealer.

Tip:
Don't apply the sealer before you insert the U-Bolt in. The threads will be covered with sealer and it will make tighting the nuts from inside very hard specially if it start setting.

From the inside, and assuming no damage of any kind happened to the fiberglass - apply sealet and insert the backing plate and tighten the nuts.

 

[reeldreamer]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

Okay sounds easy enough. For a backing plate what would you guys recommend I use?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: My Bow eye ripped off while driving!

I'd buy an eye that has a small plate for each side, like the style I posted. There should be a block of some sort on the inside of the bow, like the one in this pix:

Is that block still present, and in serviceable shape?