Bow eye for a Spindrift 10N?

[djmeaney]

Working on finishing my Spindrift and getting close. What are folks using for a bow eye to attach a painter to?

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

[Alan Stewart]

For a simple painter that adds no weight, one way is to simply drill a hole through the stem just above the foredeck and epoxy bush it. Then pass your painter through and put a stopper knot on the inside. This method is shown on the Interior Construction plan sheet.  I like that method for a dinghy for sure and you can do them in the stern too if you want all 3 corners to have a 6 or 8ft painter always there. Just coil them up inside the boat. If you're towing the boat from a mothership in the ocean a bow eye low down is preferable but I remember Graham saying he towed from the pass through painter many miles without issue. The bow eye requires waterproofing with a sealant and access to the forward compartment for installing nuts of course. I haven't seen anyone just drill a hole and tie the line through like they do on a kayak but potentially a lighter weight way to put a painter lower down with no hardware. Requires adding some material inside and epoxy bushing of course. 

[Oyster]

For many of my previous painter holes in the tops of the stems I have used copper tubing , sometimes even flared on both sides and sit in thickened epoxy after drilling out the hole a bit oversized. It does take a bit of prefitting of course. 

[Steve W]

I was skeptical of the plans painter, as described by Alan above, but it's been excellent and while the Suzie J hasn't got much use, in the past couple of years, a one point it did and shows no sign of wear.  

[Hirilonde]

I towed my Spindrift for years behind my Renegade using a hole that was flaired forward. Epoxied the hole as I did the whole boat. The line was almost the same diameter. No wear at all.