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Installing the bow eye

PostPosted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 1:40 pm
by SMHolmans
Hi all. Greetings from the UK.
I am about to install the bow eye and I am wondering how much 3M 5200 to use and where. I can easily see how to apply it on the outside of the stem, to cement the fitting to the hull, but what about the inside? Is it necessary or wise to cover the bolt eye threads and nuts in sealant?
Views very welcome.

Re: Installing the bow eye

PostPosted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 10:11 pm
by Dmitriy
Hi, Steve!
I haven't installed the boweye yet, but the holes are already prepared. I find it helpful to fill the holes with sealant when installing.

Re: Installing the bow eye

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2023 4:38 am
by Hooky
G'Day Steve,
I installed the bow eye earlier than the manual suggested and due to it being a highly loaded component I beefed up the install a bit.
A full description in my blog, check it out, it's under the September 2022 post called "Bow eye installation".
Cheers
Terry from down under

https://hookypocketship.blogspot.com

Re: Installing the bow eye

PostPosted: Fri Apr 21, 2023 1:01 pm
SMHolmans wrote:Hi all. Greetings from the UK.
I am about to install the bow eye and I am wondering how much 3M 5200 to use and where. I can easily see how to apply it on the outside of the stem, to cement the fitting to the hull, but what about the inside? Is it necessary or wise to cover the bolt eye threads and nuts in sealant?
Views very welcome.


I thought I used plenty of sealant on my bow eye, but halfway through last summer I noticed seawater in the bow compartment, and the
next time I was sailing I observed drops of water seeping in through the bow eye. I let it dry, removed the backing plate,
gobbed more sealant around the bolt threads, and put even more on top of the nuts and backing plate. That cured the problem.

The bow eye gets yanked around a lot, so the sealant is under a lot of stress.

Doug

Re: Installing the bow eye

PostPosted: Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:21 am
by SMHolmans
Thanks Doug and Terry. I can see that it would be good to use plenty of sealant inside as well as outside the hull, so that's what I will do!
Steve

Re: Installing the bow eye

PostPosted: Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:15 am
by Creekboater
I think Brent had a good idea for a mod that should help the boweye’s seating. He used thickened epoxy to ‘build up’ an area on the stem where the eye goes. Otherwise, the eye just has purchase on the narrow stem and I can see where tugging back and forth could eventually result in a leak. Who knows, but it’s an easy mod.