Can I do away with this?

[lmannyr]

A the bow in the cabin there is this bar. It attaches to a cleat on top and the eye hook below. I'd like to put in a custom pulpit and windlass. Can I just remove the bar? I'm guessing it just holds the cap to the hull, but thats already done at the rub rail. I'll relocate the 2 cleats to replace the one that the bar is connected to.

Can I do this?

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Can I do away with this?

It's there to provide extra support for that cleat. If you relocate the cleat (and indeed, do anything else there) you'll need to provide more support than just attaching to the top cap. Apparently someone (original designer or not) thought the top cap wouldn't be strong enough to hold the cleat in place.

If you skip the support, you may end up with cracking, or the cleat/pulpit/etc may pull out.

If you want to avoid using more bars like that, you should analyze the strength of the top cap there and reinforce it somehow...

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Can I do away with this?

My guess is that the bar is there only to prevent the cleat from being pulled out under a load. This means that the cap isn't strong enough to take the load and that the bar functions in tension, not in compression. It doesn't hold the deck up and it isn't necessary if the cleat is removed. If, on the other hand, you wish to install a bow pulpit/anchor guide, and want to put a cleat or eyebolt back in place, put the bar back in to provide the support as originally intended. You may be ok on the windlass though because retrieving an anchor doesn't put as much stress on the deck as a towing eye or cleat would.

 

[jomac]

Re: Can I do away with this?

YES The Bar connects your bow eye to a lifting davit (ring) used mainly for 3 point storage and/or lifting at marinas you can remove it if you like, there Not included on most trailer boats

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Can I do away with this?

that is a lifting eye, used in the boat house, to lift the boat out of the water. sure it can come out, then seal the hole on the deck.

 

[lmannyr]

Re: Can I do away with this?

Thank you for the responses.

Ok, maybe I can counter sink a nut/washer when the cleat comes off and put in the pulpit.

How many layers of of what size/type of mat with poly should I use to reinforce this section. I would rather not use wood as core since I'm tired of replacing roten wood already. (wish the boat was built with NO wood darn it :redface The plan is to add 2 cleats ( one to each side of pulpit ) and pulpit with windlass. What is the usual setup with a pulpit?

I'm on the way out the door but my memory thinks that area is about 1/4" thick. Do I need to reinforce to add the the cleats and pulpit?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Can I do away with this?

i would put a piece of 3/4 ply wood under the deck and just thru bolt the cleat or what ever thru them.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Can I do away with this?

Great points by Jomac & TD! I've never seen a boat lifted by anything other than hull straps or a forklift so the true function of the eye/cleat never occurred to me. This is a great site, indeed!