Bow Eye

[JeffN]

With the storm that came through last night the winds here gusted to 70 mph. I was walking the beach today and there was a Grady Marlin on the beach. I was talking to the guys aboard who were securing things and getting things ready for a refloat tomorrow. Anyway the boat had been on a mooring and they showed me the bow where the eye had ripped out. Not a very large hole where the backing etc. pulled through, maybe a hole an inch and a half in diameter. Anybody ever hear of this happening? It was suprising to me. On my Kingfish there is a piece of stainless threaded rod that goes down from back of the bow cleat and another piece of threaded rod from back of the bow eye meets that and is welded to it. The rod then continues downward to who knows where. I was on a mooring several years and never had a problem. I was curious about this failure and wondered if anyone had heard of it before.

 

[ocnslr]

Not sure I would consider it as much a failure as I would loading beyond what that "towing eye" was intended for.

The arrangement on your Kingfish is referred to as a "lifting eye", so the eye (or cleat) on deck is braced with those threaded rods to the eye on the stem. The boat can then be lifted from that connection on the bow - and the two big eyes on the transom.

I've always seen boats on moorings use a bridle through the two bow chocks to the midship bow cleat, or directly to the two bow cleats mounted on the gunwale. These are mounted on more reinforced areas of the hull, with larger backing as well.

Sorry to hear about the beached Marlin.

Brian

 

[JeffN]

I remember reading at some point that mine was a lifting eye. The bow fitting does look strong enough for lifting but the two stern ones don't look like they are up to that but I did not design the boat. In regard to the Marlin it turns out I know the owner, he just bought the boat. He said he figures the bow eye is still on the mooring pennant. I always used the bow eye as primary when I was on a mooring but would have a line from the shackle below the float to the bow cleat as an extra precaution. I will be curious to check out what his eye was backed with and how it was fastened. He did say that he found a nut and washer up forward. As unlikely as it sounds perhaps the nut just backed off. Maybe owners of these boats might want to check the nut. I see lots of boats in that size range using what you refer to as the towing eye for mooring I would hope that these fittings might be a bit more robust. As to damgae the pulpit is broken, the STB. side is beat up, rub rail loose, the glass just above the rubrail worn through, and after the boat beached the waves were breaking over the motors. The boat broke loose and rode along a pier on the way to the beach. I'll post when I find out more.

 

[lgusto]

Definitely an important topic since I've seen many owners moor their boats using the bow eye. My Grady manual defines the bow eye as "a U-shaped hull fitting used to attached the trailer winch to the boat". In my experience and opinion the best way to securely moor in bad weather is the way Brian described - bridle through the chocks to the bow cleat.

 

[Greatty]

Jeff, I too walked the beach Monday and was sorry to see this boat ashore. Hate to ask, but why didn't he pull the boat? Although that point is now moot, I do wonder how much the bow eyes are rated for. I usually pull my boat (same mooring are) when the the forecast calls for 35+ winds, but wonder when my bow eye would snap (18 grady). :hmm

 

[JeffN]

Good point Greatty. Some of the issue was probably the changing path of the storm, the day before the report was not too bad. I know I was suprised when I got up Sat and listened to the updated weather. I believe there was also some issue with his trailer availability too. I left mine in, with extra lines, but I am in a much better location.

On another note I did get to see the bow eye yesterday, it was still on the mooring. It is the usual U bolt set up with two threaded legs that go into the hull with a flat piece of metal that connects the two legs on the outside of the hull. One of the "legs" was broken right off where the leg enters the hull behind the flat piece. The other appeared to be intact but very bent and twisted. As I noted above he found a nut and washer in the bow of the boat. He said there is a good size backing plate on the inside that was intact. It appears that the nuts on one leg had had backed off. Perhaps the one nut came loose and then the other leg snapped off and things held until the nut backed all the way off in the storm. At any rate the owner said the nut he found was not a locking nut of any kind and would suggest that if you are using the bow eye check the nuts on the inside of the boat. He will probably reinstall with a locking nut and locktite. The boat is very recently new to him so there is not telling what use of abuse the bow eye was subjected to previuosly.

Anyway maybe those backing nuts are worth a check for secutity.

As an aside there were a couple other boats ashore in the same area and both had used a mooring bridle on the bow cleats. Both sides of each bridle were chaffed off at the chock. At least one had chaffing gear on the bridle that failed. No free lunch I guess. Bottom line - out of the water is best