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Hi all-

I am considering moving the bow eye on my 1968 Nauset from inside the anchor locker to just above it so that it raises the outside eye a foot or so above the waterline and would be easier to reach from inside the boat. I regularly lift the boat with a single point lifting rig attached to the 2 stern lifting eyes and the bow lifting eye.

Does anyone see any issue with moving the bow eye? Is there any difference in the strength of the keel at the waterline and a foot above?

Thanks.

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I have seen a 1970 Katama 16 - Stencil 3A2842 - that had a second bow eyelet installed for exactly the same reason you want to move your existing eyelet. The center chine exterior hull surface is one of the strongest points on the 16 blue hull. You need only drill a hole, preferable starting from the interior hull approximately 1 inch below the norman pin mount area, angled @45 degrees down to the exterior hull. I suggest you use an OE exterior and interior eyelets not an aftermarket eyelet. You will need a shorter threaded stud to finish the installation.

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Thank you Weatherly!

You have confirmed just what I wanted to hear. Shorter I can do. Making the OE stud longer would be tough.

Thanks again.

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Or, you could leave the original in place ready for the day when/if the Nauset my be used with a trailer and simply add another eye higher. That would also eliminate the need to fill a hole in the lower leading edge of the keel.

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Thanks Butch.

That was my first thought. At this point, I don't want to spend the additional $60 for another eye set at Specialty Marine if I don't have to. The old one is out and the original through hull spot needs repair anyway. I am going to hit it with some Totalboat Thixo from Jamestown Marine and some sprayable foam.

I have a jig that will hopefully help me with drilling the new hole. The new spot will still work with my trailer.

Thanks again,
Tom

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Tom: I have a suggestion. First drill a small hole in the blue gelcoat interior location just below the norman pin mount, at a depth of 1/4 to 3/4 inch. This should be sufficient depth to drill through both the gel layer and the fiberglass layer and a tad into the foam core. then drill a small pilot hole through white gelcoat exterior location where you want the exterior eyelet to seat. Drill the same depth, 1/4 to 3/4 inch; the exterior side should be a little deeper than the interior. Then manually remove the small amount of foam located between the two pilot holes you just drilled; a long flat head screw driver should work fine, of smaller diameter than pilot hole. Once you are sure the two pilot holes line up, then drill through with the bigger bit. You can stiffen the internal perimeter of the hole using your thixo product. Let cure; then redrill for correct diameter. Finally, when you install the eyelets, it would be ok to put a nice stainless washer on the interior, just for additional interior bulkhead reinforcement. No need for a washer on the exterior side, as long as the hole is tight. You will need to drill shallow indents for the exterior eyelet nipples. Seal using 4200 fast cure.

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Thanks Weatherly.

I have been struggling with getting the inside and outside drill points where I want them.

Tom

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What am I missing here? The 16/17' Whalers are designed so that the inside of the bow eye threaded rod has a lifting eye bolt on the inside, in the front locker. That is what is supposed to be used for lifting. The outside bow eye is only for trailer winching or towing the boat, and not for lilfting. If you think of the engineering here, and the downward angle of the bolt, it is a direct lift from the inside, not the outside. Same for the transom - the inside ends of the transom bolts are for lifting.

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He wants to be able to reach the outer eyelet from the inside of the boat.
TP

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But as I mentioned, the outer bow eye is not designed for three point lifting of the hull. The three inside eyes are for that purpose.

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Thanks Finnegan.

With the lifting eye in the original position, inside the locker, the outer eye, used also in mooring the boat, is very difficult to reach from inside the boat. I was just curious if there were any issues in moving the eyes so that the inside is just above the locker and below the norman pin, and the outside is a foot or so above the waterline.

I lift the boat with a single lifting point rig that attaches to each of the three inside lifting eyes.

Thanks again.
Tom

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So "thdavidson" is the guy that boat ramp spectators come to watch
when he's trying to unhook the clip from the outer eye.
;)
On ours that clip is just out of reach!
That closer foot would surely help.
i wonder if theres a chunk of wood inbetween the outer and inner layer,
so it doesn't compress under load,
and if so does it extend up a foot.
I'd consider some kind of plug if you hoist it up a bunch.
TP

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Lifting aside…I agree that the outer bow eye can be a pain to hook up to something like a mooring ball from inside the boat. When we moor ours for long weekends, etc, I have a (approx) 5’ rope with appropriate swivels and mooring clips on both ends. Detach from the mooring buoy, leaving the clip and rope still attached to outer bow eye, and wrap free end around the bow chock/light (I actually secure it to the middle vertical bow rail support). When it’s time to hook back up to the mooring ball, approach so that the ball is on your side (either), detach from rail and walk rope to/clip to ball…wind/currents take care of the rest :) It is so much easier to reach the mooring from the side vs over/under the bow

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Thanks TP and Jollyrog,

I'm sure it's amusing watching me hook my foot around something so I can reach over the bow to try and get to the eye and getting soaked in the process.

I have been using an extra length of line that I keep hooked to the eye. I just thought that since I was redoing things, I would move the eye.

Thanks,
TD

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I moved the eye location. The outside eye is about a foot above the waterline, and the inside eye is between the forward locker and the norman pin mound. I added some epoxy in the shape of a wedge on the outside and both the inside and outside fit flush and snug. I had to cut half an inch off the stud. There is plenty of strength in the outside hull for lifting and the outside eye will be much easier to reach from inside the boat. A link showing the new location is below. It looks much better with the eyes in and snugged up.

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/3811/4...4bsuCl.jpg

My next question is about moving the battery to the console. I know there have been many posts on the topic but I saw one sett-up I really liked. Please look for my post in the electrical section.