Bow/Stern Eye-Security Loop

A stainless bow eye is a threaded eye bolt that passes right through the bow or stern of a boat and is secured with nuts on the inside. It is the strongest attachment point you can put on a kayak, because the load goes through the hull rather than into a few screws in its surface.

A Stainless Bow Eye Goes Through, Not On

This is the distinction that matters. A pad eye or a deck fitting is screwed to the outside of the hull and its strength is limited by how well those screws hold in the plastic. A bow eye goes through — a 3/8" shank passes through a drilled hole and adjustable finish nuts clamp it from inside.

That is why a stainless bow eye is the fitting for a painter line, a tow point, a bow tie-down to a roof rack, or a winch strap on a trailer. Those are the loads that pull fittings out of decks.

Stainless Bow Eye Specification

• Machined 304 stainless, rolled threads

• 3/8" diameter shank, about 1-1/2" long

• 3/8" NC thread

• Eye inside diameter about 1-1/16"

• About 2-7/8" overall

• Adjustable finish nuts included

Rolled threads rather than cut ones are stronger and less prone to starting a crack, which is worth knowing on a fitting whose whole job is taking a hard pull.

Fitting It

You need access to the inside of the bow, which on many kayaks means going in through a hatch with long arms and patience. Drill the hole square to the surface, bed the shank generously in marine sealant, and use a large backing washer or a moulded backing plate inside so the nuts do not pull through the plastic.

Do not over-tighten. You are clamping polyethylene, and plastic compressed too hard will creep and go loose within a season.

Details

• Through-hull bow eye, machined 304 stainless

• 3/8" NC thread, 1-1/2" shank

• Eye ID about 1-1/16", overall about 2-7/8"

• Adjustable finish nuts included

Bring the boat to our Clearwater shop and we will look at the access before you drill anything.