CONTINUOUSWAVE

A friend just noticed that the attachment point, where the trailer clips to the front of the boat, is rusted through at the bolt. I am not near the boat as I type this. Is that piece through-hulled to the lifting eye on the other side? If so, can I buy replacement pieces to fix it and if so, how difficult of a fix is it? Is marinepartdepot the best place for the part? Thanks to all in advance.

Will--for OEM quality, the bow eye can be sourced via the Parts Department of your local Whaler dealer.

If they are not helpful, contact Sue Lodel, Parts Manager at Twin Cities Marine. They are a Whaler dealer in Wisconsin that provide great parts service to members all over the world.

http://www.beacontcm.com
slodel@beaconmarinellc.com

Yes, I believe the bow eye and the lifting eye are connected.

If I did not have a Whaler dealer close by I would call Sue at the following.

https://www.beacontcm.com/service---parts

Con

If I were in need of a replacement part for the bow eye, I would try to get an OEM part from Boston Whaler.

The backside of that part is usually bolted with a EYE NUT that can be used as a lifting point. Check in the anchor locker to see the other side of the part. You should see something like the ones seen in the link below:

https://www.google.com/search?q=eye+nut+images

Thank You All

As for the difficulty of replacement, I can only guess, as I have not replaced one. I suspect that once you remove the retaining nuts in the anchor locker, you will probably have to drive the U-bolt out as it was most likely bedded in place with some sealant.

I would plan to put a piece of scrap lumber on the threaded ends of the U-bolt, then hammer on the lumber to drive out the U-bolt. I would do this not so much to protect the threads from damage--since you will discarding the old U-bolt, but to keep the two halves aligned as they are driven out. I do note that in your case, since the U-bolt has failed, you can drive one half of it out at a time, as they are no longer a one-piece assembly.

Once you have the U-bolt out of the hull, inspect the holes through the hull. If they are enlarged from movement of the U-bolt, you could consider using some epoxy resin mixed with a filler to strengthen and re-fill the perimeter of the holes, reducing their diameter. Then re-drill the holes to the proper diameter to accommodate the new U-bolt.

When installing the new U-bolt, I would consider adding some stainless steel washers to bear on the bow stem area to spread the loading of the U-bolt over a wider area of the bow stem on the outer side of the hull. Also, I would be generous with sealant as the U-bolt is tapped into place.

When threading the nuts onto the U-bolt, consider using some anti-galling compound to prevent the stainless steel threads from becoming damaged. Note that the two nuts used on the external side look like specialty nuts; they are very low profile. You want to preserve them for re-use.

The hull stem in the photograph looks like it has survived without any stress cracks. That is a good sign. On my hull there are a couple stress cracks radiating from the U-bolt holes, but the bolt itself is in good shape and there is no movement in the hull.

Also, I see you are using a second strap from the bow eye at a downward pull angle. I also use a second strap to pull downward on the bow eye. It keeps the bow stem firmly in contact with the bow stem roller on the trailer while on the road.