Broken bow ring on Venture 23

[Richie_TheSailor]

The ring that is attached to the bow on my Venture 23 broke off. There is a chain that attaches from the bowsprit to the ring. Does anyone know the best course of action to repair or replace this.

[WinSome]

In short you’re going to replace the bow ring which appears to have rusted off. You’re going to dive deep into your interior and find the inside nuts (likely going to be very rusty as well) Take a flashlight,good wrench or socket -perhaps 9/16”- and hope you can get your wrench on the nut. May need to hammer it on.
Then turning counter-clockwise turn off the nut. ( it’s likely rusted on and will have to wrenched until it breaks the bolt. That’s ok ). When the two nuts are off, punch out the remaining pieces.
Use the pieces as sample to replace the bow ring. Installation will be the reverse -but easier. You’ll need marine sealant for under the ring, tighten up, let set overnight. Go use it.

[Richie_TheSailor]

Is this the right type of ring?

[Be Free]

Based on your first pictures it appears to be the right type but make sure that the diameter and distance between the ends of the u-bolt match the diameter and distance between the holes in your boat.

[topcat0399]

once upon a time long ago and far away my bow eye had a hunk of wood slathered in fiberglass that supported my bow eye legs.
that wood has long since melted away leaving a hollow glass box behind that eventually shattered making for a very jiggly bow eye
that did not instill confidence on rustic boat ramps during recovery.

some of us do something like this to improve the bow eye strength greatly:





the new bow eye legs need to be longer to accommodate this......

[Be Free]

Same here. First one I replace (about 50 years ago) was a triangular piece of wood soaked in resin with a small strip of matting over it.

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

Our ring has a somewhat nice feature…
On each threaded leg of the U bolt there is a nut and washer on the outside face that allows us to periodically tighten up this ring.
On the interior of the bow our Mac26X has access caps that can with some dexterity can be removed to access the interior nuts.

If we ever get to replacing the ring I’d like to up grade it to a larger diameter cross section and larger diameter opening to make it easier to use. (Though we probably won’t be getting to that anytime soon…) At the same time we’d like to add some sort of a bow bumper to protect it from (minor) collisions with the dock at our slip… winds and currents tend to push us in.

I like the tubular reinforcement idea that conforms to the interior V nicely!

Best Regards
Over Easy

[michaelaskew]

Once upon a time, in a distant era and a faraway place, my boat's bow eye was accompanied by a solid piece of wood coated in layers of fiberglass. This wooden foundation, over time, gradually dissolved, leaving behind an empty chamber of fiberglass that eventually fractured, resulting in an unstable bow eye. This unsettling situation significantly eroded my confidence when navigating rustic boat ramps during the retrieval process.

[topcat0399]

Once upon a time, in a distant era and a faraway place, my boat's bow eye was accompanied by a solid piece of wood coated in layers of fiberglass. This wooden foundation, over time, gradually dissolved, leaving behind an empty chamber of fiberglass that eventually fractured, resulting in an unstable bow eye. This unsettling situation significantly eroded my confidence when navigating rustic boat ramps during the retrieval process.

hmmm, that sounds really really familiar!

meat lovers please, extra onions, delivered....

[Richie_TheSailor]

In short you’re going to replace the bow ring which appears to have rusted off. You’re going to dive deep into your interior and find the inside nuts (likely going to be very rusty as well) Take a flashlight,good wrench or socket -perhaps 9/16”- and hope you can get your wrench on the nut. May need to hammer it on.
Then turning counter-clockwise turn off the nut. ( it’s likely rusted on and will have to wrenched until it breaks the bolt. That’s ok ). When the two nuts are off, punch out the remaining pieces.
Use the pieces as sample to replace the bow ring. Installation will be the reverse -but easier. You’ll need marine sealant for under the ring, tighten up, let set overnight. Go use it.

I just have a question about the sealant, do I put it in the holes where the legs go through or do I put it on the flat metal piece that sits on the outside of the hull?

[Jimmyt]

You will probably get differing answers on this. If it was mine, I’d slather it with 4200, including the threaded portion going through the hull.

Stainless is great stuff, but if you get a little salt water on it in a relatively oxygen free environment, it can corrode pretty dramatically.

I would still try to hermetically seal it where it goes through the hull. It will likely outlast your relationship with that boat. Besides, I’ve seen those fall apart because water got in and stayed trapped behind the inboard nuts and washers. So, in my opinion, it’s better to do everything you can to keep the water out.

[Richie_TheSailor]

How am I supposed to access the bolts on the interior of the boat. It is blocked off by the interior wall and there is not enough space for me to get in there to get the bolts off

[Wyb2]

I took care of that problem with one of these

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-1 ... /320052118

(Different brand, but you get the idea)

Then I cut a piece of plywood and screwed it to cover the new, larger opening. Looks like I don't have a picture of that. Just as well, I did it in a rush and it came out crooked.

IMG_1956.jpeg

[Richie_TheSailor]

Is there any other way to get to it other than there since I don’t want to have to cut out parts of my boat. I will if I have to but I would prefer not to. Also, (just to make it clear, I know very little about working on boats so please forgive me); wouldn’t cutting out a piece like that damage the structural integrity of the boat?

[topcat0399]

i would do it like Wyb2's picture shows, and then cut a piece of something to cover it.

what you would be cutting here is the boat LINER not the actual hull,
and in this place the liner wouldn't provide any meaningful structural support.

It is scary to cut into your boat the first time, been there, now i have no qualms whatsoever.
If I want to change something, I cut it up and build it like I want.

If you are going to be a boat owner, you might want to become a bit of a handy man,
otherwise you are at the mercy of others, time, and $$$$ when things need to be done.

No one should know your boat better than you in my opinion.
I know and have become intimately familiar with every inch of me ole scow....