Replacing Bow Handle

Utterman

New Member
I have a '78 AMF Sunfish and the bow handle has gotten pulled out. Does anyone know if there is a metal backing plate, or if it's wood? I don't feel anything inside that would be a wooden block. I purchased a new handle - just attempt to screw it back in? Do I add adhesive or caulk to the area before screwing in?
Thanks,
Marty
Houston, TX
 
Depending... :rolleyes:

You could use an adhesive, but it would only be as strong as the deck's finish. (gelcoat, better...paint, bad). Grind the contact surfaces to increase surface area; therefore, grind the bow handle and deck. Use longer replacement screws, but check that the screw threads are the same pitch as the original.

Below, I bolted a small stainless steel plate to the wood plate. The third photo shows the wood backing plate, still good after 41 years. :)

"Arthrosopic Surgery" on Sunfish

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If you pulled out the original wood screws it was screwed into a wood block.
There's a chance the block has fallen into the bottom of the hull or is
more likely is dry-rotted with age.
I'm willing to bet the short answer fix and say go with 3M 5200. The should
make it a attachment good enough to pull up on the beach. For more serious
things like tie-downs and lifting it's going to take a bit more effort to repair.
 
If the wood block is gone then I would be very careful about reattaching the handle without. If they thought the handle/deck could withstand the stress of being pulled on over and over then why would they add the block? I say take you medicine now and repair it properly so you won’t have to worry about it later. If you don’t you are guaranteed that it will eventually come loose at the worst possible time.
 
I have a '78 AMF Sunfish and the bow handle has gotten pulled out. Does anyone know if there is a metal backing plate, or if it's wood? I don't feel anything inside that would be a wooden block. I purchased a new handle - just attempt to screw it back in? Do I add adhesive or caulk to the area before screwing in? Thanks, Marty Houston, TX
My '77 can be seen to have a wooden backing plate. Now that I've re-read that your bow handle has pulled out:eek:my advice to replace with longer screws (coupled with an adhesive) would be a temporary measure. :oops: If the wood block has been lost, a temporary (but quick/cheap) measure would be to use plastic ¼-inch drywall anchors (after drilling ¼-inch holes).

I'd recommend not replacing the handle with a four-bolt cleat :eek: that some of my five other Sunfish arrived with. Installed anywhere on a Sunfish, they'll tangle with every move! :confused:

As a "permanent" measure, the bow handle location can be re-drilled (gently) about -inch back, so the old holes (forward) can be covered by the metal of the bow handle. Evidence that the backing plate is still there would be wood chips coming up with the drill bit. The old holes in the deck should be filled against water intrusion: I suggest Marine Tex, as a silicone sealer would resist paint for decades. :oops:

Replacement plates can be made of aluminum, stainless steel, plastic cutting board, or hardwood (i.e., oak, teak, cypress*, mahogany). Depending on the method of replacement, I'd go with s/s bolts and nuts. If a replacement backing plate is to be installed, remember that "hand-space" is very tight below the handle. :(

For those reading this, who don't have a replacement handle, and the old handle has evidence of corrosion, now is a good opportunity to replace it. (Check eBay weekly, as the auction offerings disappear—prices will change). I've paid as little as $8 for a Perko®-embossed bow handle. I'd pay $50 for one made of brass, but I've yet to be convinced a brass factory-style bow handle exists! (Though the one bolted to my now-sold Porpoise II may have been brass).





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The backer is wood. It was held in by a blob of adhesive and also a fiberglass strip. Probe around in the hole with a paper clip or awl, see if you can feel a block on there. As mentioned, you can drill a small hole nearby to see if wood chips come out. If they do, toothpick/dowel and epoxy/waterproof glue new wood into the old holes, let it dry then put the screws back in. No need for sealant. If you can't see or feel it, it either fell off or rotted. You might hear it rattling around if you roll the boat over.

The factory repair method is to split the deck/hull seam and replace the backer block, few folks are going to do that. We just did it on our 1978, and repaired other seam leaks along the way.


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Cheers,
Kent and Skipper
 

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