Need to move Bow Eye, E-25

Hi - just brought my new old '74 E25 (#137) home and I'm in the process of getting it ready for the water.

I'm moving up from a Hunter 23 (it's for sale btw) and so far I'm impressed by the increased quality of the Ericson. Seems like a much stronger boat with better quality of finish. Reading your posts prior to buying the boat was the deciding factor.

Anyway, first question. I'd like to move the bow eye about three inches so it better matches the trailer winch. Moving the eye would be much easier than moving the winch. Filling the two holes doesn't present an issue as there is much body work to do on the hull anyway.

Jerry

Jerry,
I hope that you do mind that I made your thread title more precise. This helps a lot when any member does searches on the site.
Moving the eye should be easy, in theory. In practice, you will need to get at it on the inside... sometimes it gets rather crowded forward in that part of yours or any other boat.

Remove the nuts, knock the old eye out (sounds gross, when you put it that way...), and then grind it to chamfer the edge on the outside and inside. Lay several layers of heavy cloth in epoxy resin on the inside.
The outside might well do to have some layers of light cloth layed in, also. Are you planning to paint the hull anyway? Plan B is to fair the repair from the outside and gel coat over the repair.
Then, I would lay in some extra cloth on the inside where the new holes will be drilled. and install the new (or reused) ss eye with sealant.
Where I use the word "cloth" for the inside it would be good in these modern times to use bi-axial tape.

Welcome to the wonderful world of upgrades, repair, and "boat therapy."



Loren