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Bent bow eye?

 
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mutski



Joined: 16 Apr 2022
Posts: 74
City/Region: Homer
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Just Us
Photos: Just Us
PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2022 1:13 pm    Post subject: Bent bow eye? Reply with quote

I brought our new C-dory home yesterday and noticed the bow eye is bent to one side. I am totally baffled... I know I haven't hit anything! The only thing I can think of is I haven't gotten the boat snug to the roller on the trailer winch post because the bow pulls away when the stern settles onto the trailer. If the stem is six inches back from the roller on the winch post, could the boat bounce hard enough on the highway to bend the bow eye? Or did I just not notice the bent eye when I bought the boat? If the stem has to be snug against against the winch post, I'm thinking don't put the trailer as far down the ramp and winch the boat up rather than float it. Then the stern won't settle as far. We have a steep launch ramp because the tidal range is 25-30 feet.
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ssobol



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3362
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2022 1:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Bent bow eye? Reply with quote

mutski wrote:
I brought our new C-dory home yesterday and noticed the bow eye is bent to one side. I am totally baffled... I know I haven't hit anything! The only thing I can think of is I haven't gotten the boat snug to the roller on the trailer winch post because the bow pulls away when the stern settles onto the trailer. If the stem is six inches back from the roller on the winch post, could the boat bounce hard enough on the highway to bend the bow eye? Or did I just not notice the bent eye when I bought the boat? If the stem has to be snug against against the winch post, I'm thinking don't put the trailer as far down the ramp and winch the boat up rather than float it. Then the stern won't settle as far. We have a steep launch ramp because the tidal range is 25-30 feet.


Depends on how far it is bent. However, the force required to bend the bow eye to the side via the winch strap would probably require a fairly high deflection of the boat from the normal trailering position. It would require a pretty big bounce and the boat landing at a decent angle to the trailer. FWIW, pull my boat up until the bow eye is right at the winch post roller and I use a strap from the bow eye vertically down to the trailer frame that eliminates the bow bouncing when trailering. My trailer has a welded ring on the frame at the base of the winch post for this purpose.

I would guess that someone ran your boat into something. It is possible that the eye was bent if the boat was pulled hard via the eye from the side. I bent one of my stern eyes a bit when towing a tube that whipped hard to one side.
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T.R. Bauer



Joined: 17 Nov 2007
Posts: 1726
City/Region: Wasilla
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 1993
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Whisperer
PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2022 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think anyone will know the answer for sure, but the bow does need to be snug to the winch post roller. I launch in Homer all the time and winch the boat up the last 3 or so feet tight to the winch post roller. Our roads are terrible....I strap down the bow and the stern as the boats can move around a lot. And a moving around boat becomes a dynamic load that is supposed to be static - things will break with the boat not properly secured and could even be dangerous. As a side note, I'm the guy really slowing down on the stupid frost heaves. Anyway....just what I do Smile
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mutski



Joined: 16 Apr 2022
Posts: 74
City/Region: Homer
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Just Us
Photos: Just Us
PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2022 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I couldn't buy a new U-bolt for the bow eye here, so I took the bent one to a mechanic who beat it straight for me. He said he has replaced a lot of them and confirmed that a good bounce on the trailer will bend one.
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mutski



Joined: 16 Apr 2022
Posts: 74
City/Region: Homer
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Just Us
Photos: Just Us
PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bent, removed, straightened, replaced. I added a ratchet strap from the trailer to the bow eye to prevent bouncing that might bend it again. Thanks for the suggestion, TR Bauer!











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ssobol



Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Posts: 3362
City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mutski wrote:
Bent, removed, straightened, replaced. I added a ratchet strap from the trailer to the bow eye to prevent bouncing that might bend it again. Thanks for the suggestion, TR Bauer!

...


Couple of things.

Based on the amount of bending (mostly the sharpness) and bending back, you may have weakened the bow eye a bit (although SS does work harden, this can lead to brittleness).

Based on the pictures, it looks like you may not be pulling the boat up far enough. IME, the bow eye should be up to the winch post roller. This helps with the bouncing.
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C-Wolfe



Joined: 16 Sep 2020
Posts: 241
City/Region: Anchorage
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2006
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Wolfe
Photos: C-Wolfe
PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 12:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is how I do my forward strap, so if something was to happen to the bow eye, the front of the boat is still held tight. The strap go aft of the forward deck cleat and attach to trailer frame.
Not the best picture but it's the only one I have showing the strap.


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Stephan B.
C-Wolfe 22 C-Dory cruiser 2020- present
No Name; Bayliner explorer 26 2012-2015
sparkle; Ericson 25 CB 2008-2012
Sculpin; Drascombe Drifter 2005-2008
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mutski



Joined: 16 Apr 2022
Posts: 74
City/Region: Homer
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Just Us
Photos: Just Us
PostPosted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pretty boat! Thanks for sharing.
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