[fire831]

I need some ideas for mounting a eyelet in the front of my 12' v-bottom aluminum boat to hook my winch to. I currently run the winch strap over the top of the front roller on hook to a handel on top of the bow. I would like to be able to run the strap under the front roller and hook to the boat. Thanks for any help.

[AndyL]

Without seeing the actual construction of your boat it would be difficult to give a definitive answer. However, since you will presumably be exerting a fair degree of strain on the eye I would suggest that you need to fit some sort of heavy guage,suitably sized, aluminium doubling plate inside the hull where you expect the eye to go. This will distribute the force over a larger area and be less likely that you will suffer hull distortion or the eye pulling out.If you cannot get a suitable piece of aluminium I would have thought a well shaped 20mm piece of ply or hardwood glued in place would probably be a good enough substitute to spread the load.Andy

[crab bait]

take a piece of hardwood,,mohogany,teak,white oak ,BUT NOT RED OAK..even doug fir or spruce.. 6 inches long .. widdle it down to a vee to fit.. overnite epoxy it in place.. clamp it somehow,, a stick wedged back to the bench seat or somethin' ..just so it holds it there .. or duct tape the heck-out-of-it.. go to a marine store ,,get a boat eye ,,bore your hole & install..

[Dman]

Maybe I'm a simple guy but here's what I did. Purchased an eye-bolt from Menards, Drilled hole to size of the bolt, Put bolt in, use large fender washers to distribute the weight, tighten nut on bolt and the fender washers will bend flush with the boat. Done. This is one a 14 ft aluminum. It has held for the last 3 years with abosolutly no problems. For a 12ft it should be fine too.Dman

[Lark40]

I also like the simple approach, but think that the bow eye bolt should have the load distributed over a bigger area than just using fender washers.Either bend some stock aluminum to serve as a backing plate, or use the glass-over-hardwood ideas mentioned above. Six inch load area sounds good.

[Bond-o]

crab bait has the right Idea... Except, I'd prefit the whole thing, Then use the eyebolt to clamp it for the epoxy....That will bond the eyebolt, wood,+ boat All Together....

[fire831]

Thanks for all the info. I think I had the right idea just not the right materials. This forum is great.

[sloopy]

I would like to add some tips. Mostly because I have had 1) an eyelet snap when winching my boat up. 2) I have had an eyelet pull it self out of the hull.Here is what to do:1. don't use a plywood backing plate on an open boat like yours, even on closed boats plywood is a bad idea. it will rot out and the eye will pull it self out. use an alum. ot st. backing plate.2. Get a wichard eyelet or some eyelet that YOU CAN NOT BUY FROM A SORTING GOOD STORE.3. get some 3m 5200 and use that to seal the holes.4. if you must use plywood, use marine ply, (or starboard thats great stuff!) and varnish the plywood or paint it with a water proof paint.GOOD LUCK!REMEMBER TO SEAL THE HOLES WITH 5200 IF YOU DON'T WATER WILL LEAK IN WHYLE YOU ARE USING THE BOAT.

[CalicoKid]

Yeah, spend a couple of bucks and get a good hardened eyelet, stainless, a U-shaped one instead of an eyebolt. That way you have two studs through the hull, two nuts etc. Might sound excessive but I've broken the hardware store variety eyebolts off my old boat too.

[fire831]

I have a piece of 2" angle iron 1/8" thick. Would this be ok to put in with the angle in the V after painting with rustolium and also 5200 sealer. I can drill the holes in the angle iron with my drillpress and then put a piece of flat steele on the backside so my nut and washers will have a flat area to tighten against. I also like the hardwood and sealer idea. Thanks

[crab bait]

the 'angle' of the angle iron is to great/steep.. it wouldn't seat rite again the hull to suck up the stress.. imho..custom widdled wood ,,,,would... imho

[CalicoKid]

Sloopy mentioned Starboard. That's the white polyethylene that cutting boards are made of. You can work it like wood. It has no weakness of grain. Never rots. It's really tough stuff. You wouldn't need more than a scrap.How about a chunk cut out of an old tire with some fender washers behind it??

[fire831]

I never thought about the angle on the steele. I think i'll go with the hardwood and widdleing. Thanks for all the help. Crab Bait, how thick of a piece of wood will I need. I got the 6" length but how thick by how thick. Thanks alot again everbody.

[billy-bobby]

I totally agree with calicokid:you should use a U-Bolt.

[miloman]

I remember doing this years back I bought ss steel eye bolt and 2 rubber gaskets with a metal gasket wedged between them siliconed the hole front and back tightened the bolt through the hull and I never had any problems

[DS-3]

Eyebolt @washers are OK for that small a boat. Just rember boat trailers carry boats and not all your camping gear.