Cooper Lapinski Posted October 19, 2022 Report Share Posted October 19, 2022 1997 Vintage Mirage II acquired and restoring. Don't have access to the area below the front cleat. Was looking to hang the boat on a davit using the cleat but can't see if it has a backing plate or hardware connecting it to the bow eye. Can anybody clue me in before I rip off my foredeck? Your help is bigly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeviam Posted October 19, 2022 Report Share Posted October 19, 2022 Post some pictures of the cleat. Maybe someone will recognize it and chime in. IMO, if you cannot see what kind of support the cleat has - assume it has none and don't hang from it. Just curious - are you planning to leave the boat hanging on davits for extended periods? The only way I would use davits would be to lift the skiff up to rest on a cradle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooper Lapinski Posted October 20, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2022 Agreed. Thinking I need to cut a hole to get at both the cleat and the pop up running light (it’s loose). At the risk of sounding obnoxious, the lift is filled with a Pathfinder 22 I got out of salvage and totally rebuilt. Was planning on hanging the Maverick for extended periods. So your thought is appreciated. If It’s going to hang I probably need a strong hardware connection between cleat and bow eye to tie in together. The 22 Pathfinder hung for a couple of years without issue BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilemaker Posted October 20, 2022 Report Share Posted October 20, 2022 It may sound strange but the bow eye will determine where the cleat ends up. The threaded stainless steel rod needs to go straight 90 degrees up to the cleat. Many systems will have a turnbuckle so you can keep it tight. If at an angle the cleat will pull from the deck. All weight should be on the bow eye and screws on the cleat simply keep it sealed to the deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footloose Posted October 20, 2022 Report Share Posted October 20, 2022 If you take out the bow light there is access through that hole. If the screws are loose drill off heads and remove light ,use captured nuts from bottom to replace machine screws. This worked for me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooper Lapinski Posted October 21, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2022 Great input. Smile maker: the angle from bow eye makes since. If it’s not straight it will torque the cleat and cause undue stress. Will look at the lineup but can’t imagine it’s a straight run. Footloose: the light was held in by bolts. One was spinning and I pulled it out by hand. The other two, while loose, seemed to have bolts attached. Stopped and punted as 1. I may not be able to loosen the other two 2. No way to replace the bolts with zero access. Could screw it in if I get it off but that is cheesy. Guys, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooper Lapinski Posted October 21, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2022 Footloose: you are saying remove the light cap and bulb with the two screws? I was only dealing with the mounting connections. I see the two screws and will remove and see what we have. Knowledge is power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footloose Posted October 21, 2022 Report Share Posted October 21, 2022 Remove the three screws the hold the light base and you can get access with the light removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooper Lapinski Posted October 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2022 And we got all the foredeck hardware off. And no lifting hardware at all for those of you who may be thinking about hanging your boat. It must have been a special order addition during build. Accon Marine in Clearwater has some off the shelf items to investigate. They stipple the lifting hardware to be straight. It can be off 10% they say, but prefers a Straight connection to avoid torque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Posted October 25, 2022 Report Share Posted October 25, 2022 The Accon lifting bow cleat was optional back then.. I like a bow strap and spreader bars for the stern rings. Then be careful about weight in the boat when lifting.. MM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooper Lapinski Posted October 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2022 Thank you. Spoke with Accon today and going by their shop soon. And yes, spreader bar for stern is smart. The standard stern rings set in the transom I am thinking should be fine. Lifted my Pathfinder 22 using them with zero issues, it came with lifting tackle connection up front. It will all come down to the hardware alignment as I would prefer to not drill new holes in the hull. Could, but not ideal. The one thing I keep telling myself is this is a 725 lbs. hull with a 90 hp 2 stroke. 987 lbs. plus fuel and of course my hair dryer and wardrobe options (not). Say 400 lbs. on each load connection would seem manageable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Posted October 25, 2022 Report Share Posted October 25, 2022 If you are experienced with the davits, then you should be good. Do you set the boat on foam blocks ? The cracks come when you lift a small boat with people in it along with coolers and they bounce around the interior. A buddy lifted his Sailfish boat loaded one time and got gelcoat cracks on the liner and cap near the middle.. MM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polliwog Posted November 7, 2022 Report Share Posted November 7, 2022 I don't have the same boat ,but my maverick HPX 15fter was outfitted with 2 pad eyes drilled and bolted to the over hang on the gunnel. They are stainless and look very normal there. The spot is about where the forward hatch is and is quite strong. I'll take a picture when I get to the boat this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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