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Bow connector for forestay?

4K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  jimgo 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello -

I have the following situation on the bow of my V17 (see image). The forward eyelet is used to attach the forestay to the deck. I think the previous owner put this in, and he used it for a number of years by the looks of it.

It works fine, but my concern is that this eyelet isn't sturdy enough to hold the forestay. I'd like to replace it with something that comes up through the deck and has a backplate underneath. Since I'm currently restoring all of the woodwork on the boat, I thought this might be a good time to replace this eyelet, as well, with something more sturdy (since I have to remove the piece of wood anyway).

My question is - what are these pieces of hardware that attach to forestays called? I can't seem to find anything that works for what I need it. Does anyone have recommendations for what might work better for a forestay connection point? What should I be aware of when installing it?

BTW - The connector just to the aft of it is used to connect to the jib tack. I assume there is some formula for the best place to connect the tack of the jib in relation to where the forestay meets the deck, but my intuition tells me that the previous owner simply eyeballed it. So, any advice on how to place that would be helpful, as well.

I intend to replace the same bow wood piece (I'm not sure what it's called - like an above-board mini bowsprit?) with one that is very similar, but restored, and possibly more intricate in its woodwork. So, if my guess is wrong, and the eyelet will work fine, then I can simply replace it on the new piece of teak I'm going to install.

Thanks!

~Scott
 

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#4 ·
Thanks, Jim.

Wow. That second one is super pricey. :)

Would the first one you posted be placed on the deck, or is it a through-deck setup? I could back it with a backing plate underneath the deck in the ceiling of the v berth, but I wonder if it's actually necessary.
 
#5 ·
Well, you DID say you wanted something beefier! :)

I'd call Catalina Direct (they have an excellent reputation and their customer service people are supposed to be great) and ask them about mounting. I suspect that, if that block of wood is in good shape and is properly attached to the deck, some beefy screws would probably be OK, but if you want to be super anal then there's always the backing plate option. Even fender washers and acorn nuts would probably do, but I'll defer to others who have more experience on that.
 
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