The latest project - bow cleats with line to hull protectors

M

matt_unique

New member
I keep my boat in a mooring and I needed to decide between cleats and chocks. I decided cleats would be more secure. I would hate for the pennant line to jump a chock then lean on my windlass. (To use chocks would need using the cleat just aft of the windlass).

I had some extra stainless steel kicking around from another project and decided to give it a go. It came out nice - not perfect in terms of the bending - but the SS is sanded smooth and shiny and it will prevent my pennant lines from chafing against the tip of the bow. I added a picture in my album.

Interestingly, the bow is filled with high density foam. I used a shortened allen wrench head to undercut the top/bottom fiberglass deck. As I was packing the epoxy paste into one hole it would bubble out of the other holes. This tells me there were considerable voids in there. I just kept packing in the paste into no more would go in. I would then use the end of a zip tie to pock into and around each hole to make sure there were no air bubbles. About an hour later the paste settled a little farther into the hole so I packed a little more in to top off the holes. No matter what, that area is stronger now than it was before and I have bow cleats.
 
Wow that last post was riddled with typos...ha ha...as you guys know this stuff is pretty hard work. I have invested many hours in fabricating metal and stainless steel for my various custom fittings. I'm scheduled to splash next Saturday so I'm just bulling through the checklist. I'm taking my time to make sure everything is done right but I am exhausted.

Tomorrow's project (weather permitting) is to raise the paint line. The dealer painted too low (below the chine) and it needs to be about 3/4's of the way to the top of the scupper. I taped everything off but I need to dewax, apply epoxy, then bottom paint.
 
Well the boat splashed yesterday and I tied her up to the mooring for the first time. The bow cleats/chafe worked great BUT to do again I would have placed them farther apart. This would mean putting them on the other side of the nearby stanchions. I did not have the anchor on the bow roller when I measured and set them up, one of those brain cramps, never occurred to me it would be an issue. When the boat moves in the wind (I use two lines) the "outside" line will rub against the end of my Delta anchor :\ Not a heavy force but enough that I would be concerned about line chafe. I either have to remove the anchor when I'm done or put chafe guards on the line near where it may touch the anchor. (I'm not going to move the bow cleats). I'm leaning toward chafe guards so I don't have to lug the 22lb anchor back and forth each time I use the boat.

Otherwise they worked as advertised. The bow cleats are necessary for mooring and will make anchoring much easier.
 
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