Bow repair on 26D

[Isabelle]

Tow hook pulled out of bow while being towed in choppy seas. I need recommendations on how to repair and boat yards or individuals who do this work in Orange County, CA area. Thanks.

[RobertB]

Details
Did you just loose the metal fitting or was there damage to the fiberglass hull? If hull damaged, how much?
If it is just the fitting or even if the fiberglass damage is minor, a new fitting with a solid metal backing plate and some repair/fill of the fiberglass could work.

[Isabelle]

Yes, there is damage to the fiberglas hull where the tow hook pulled out that has to be repaired and a new tow hook put in. It is 6 inches above the water line and its a very narrow place to try to work in. The boat is a 1988 26D. I need bids for insurance purposes and to decide where to take it or if I should use an individual who does this type of work.

[Steve K]

Isabelle,

If you could post a couple photos, it would really help with damage assessment.

This is a fairly easy repair. Robert B's suggestion of having a metal backing plate installed, would be an excellent idea.

On the D boat, it is much easier if a hole is made in the front of the V berth (6 to 8 inches diameter minimum) , to allow access to the back of this area and the nuts on the back of the bow eye. A previous owner may have already done this, so check it out.

I can provide better insight with some pictures of the damage.
I'll be away from my computer for a couple days, but will catch up to you Thursday, if you like.
However, I think most fiberglass boat repair shops will be able to fix it and it should not cost a lot.

If I worked on other people's boats, I would charge around $300 for this repair, but I have no idea what going prices in the industry would be. Haven't done it in years, except for my own boats.

Best Breezes,
Steve K.
Mac 26D (also a 1988)

[Detlef10]

A couple years ago, the bow eye on my M26D was getting very loose to the point I was concerned about winching it up onto the trailer. Also was becoming a source of water in the boat when sailing. Was a one-afternoon project to repair. Basically I cut a hole in the inner liner at the front of the v-berth to access the area. Opening it up, I found the Mac only had nuts (maybe washers? - small ones) retaining the U-bolt. They had pulled into the f-glass and was almost all the way through. Took out the old U-bolt and bought a somewhat heavier SS one, with backing plate. Also bought the "fiber" type f-glass repair material. Inserted the new U-bolt, packed the area with the f-glass repair material, backing plate, washers and nuts, and let it all set for a day. Fabricated a wooden cover for the hole, stained and sealed it, then installed over the hole. Looks neat and clean. And is solid as a rock. No concerns at all about using it to winch up the boat. Wish I had done it sooner instead of the risk of pulling it out on some ramp.

Thought I had pix of the project somewhere, but cannot find them. But as has been posted, it really is that easy.

Regards,

- Detlef