Have a C30 and need to install a bow eye. Need to know how long of shank I need on the bow eye and the proper location on the bow.
Bow eye installation
- Thread starter Brian Dail
- Start date
The West catalog has "bow eyes" and "U-bolts" as "bow eyes" but makes no mention of "Tow Eyes". Nomenclature, please. I put a bow eye on my B323, mainly to secure a line from bow to stern to control the dighy when waxing the hull. Also for attaching a second anchor if necessary or a spinnaker tack line or the dinghy when in a circle raft. They are not just for towing, Toto.
The OP should get the 1/2 dia, longest one he can find. I will put an eye nut on the anchor locker end to secure the rode to. If not planning to tow with it, can you get by with an eye NUT?
The OP should get the 1/2 dia, longest one he can find. I will put an eye nut on the anchor locker end to secure the rode to. If not planning to tow with it, can you get by with an eye NUT?
What I meant by bow eye/bow hook is being able to attach a winch cable on the bow to winch the boat snug against a v block when loading to the trailer. We don’t have the luxury of a lift and have to do a float on float off launching and retrevial.
@Brian Dail take a look at the way the Tow Bow would attach. It has 4 bolts that you can place two backing plates in a strong place on your bow. This would give you a good place to attach a cable and apply a winch to pull the boat.
The typical U bolt would not be as strong.
Your Catalina is a heavy boat.
The typical U bolt would not be as strong.
Your Catalina is a heavy boat.
Sailboats are not winched unto a trailer but are floated on. The bow eye is used to guide the boat to the bunks and to secure the boat to the trailer for road travel. If the boat cannot be floated on it is likely that the ramp is too shallow and the trailer may require a tongue extension. If the bow does not align with the V Bow Stop then the ramp's angle is too shallow or too steep and the recommended solution is to reposition the stop. Have seen and heard of bow eyes pulled out of boats trying to winch them on. There are two schools one feels that a backing plate should be used and the other to just use the screws and nuts, I guess the logic is that in the eventuality of damage a couple of small holes would be better than a whole chunk. Most OEM installed bow eyes I have seen on boats do not have backing plates. Hopes this gives you some ideas.