Mount stern cleats, w/hawse pipes, w/out nuts on outside??

[SaltH2OHokie]

Is there any reasonable (or borderline unreasonable) manner in which I could retain the current hawse pipe setup for the stern cleats on my 19-6 without having bolts protruding through the transom?  Perhaps by though bolting to one piece of material which is then fastened to the transom using some method other than through bolting?  Or should I just get over it, cut the bolts to a good length and use acorn nuts?

Haven't put stern cleats back on since transom replacement due to this aversion to bolts hanging through that pretty new transom, so she only has a bow cleat (removed the spring cleats from their rotten perches, also and glassed over the holes).

Yesterday my wife, while making a valiant effort at wrangling the boat against the wind with only one line...fell in the water at the ramp while I was pulling the truck up...giant pink hat, flip-flops and a sun-dress...into the drink.  Scraped her arm and her leg on a nice barnacle encrusted piling.  She was very tickled.  

Stern cleats must go on, posthaste.  

[seabob4]

Ryan, isn't the use of hawes pipes with the cleats below in the inwales supposed to negate the need for stern cleats on top of the gunnels?

Just sayin'...

[SaltH2OHokie]

Yeah, they were previously mounted to the transom, on the inside, with acorn nuts on the outside (of the transom...which is where I drag my happy-a$$ into the boat, so I prefer not to drag nuts across nuts  :tongue: )

The 4 acorn nuts per side is what I'm trying to avoid in the new transom, but I like the cleats not being on the gunwale (or I reckon "deck"...to be nautically proper), so I'd like to somehow mount them in a location similar to their original:  

[SaltH2OHokie]

If you squint you can see the original port cleat:

[kaptainkoz]

My first thought is Tee Nuts. You can get them spiked or unspiked. I think if you get the unspiked you can leave them visible as is or if you really want to get crazy you could recess them and gel coat over them. Yes, they come in stainless steel. The photo is an unspiked one. I think its called a round based tee nut. The photo to the right shows the guy installing the 3 lock down screws. They are optional as you can use the tee nut without them especially if you plan on gel coating them over. You may never get them back out after a few years as salt fuses them as one but luckily a cleat may be something you never remove anyway.

[CLM65]

I'm not a fan of any unnecessary protuberances on the back of the transom either.  I believe you have 1-1/2" of coosa for your transom, correct?  That is supposed to hold a screw quite well.  You may be able to just screw the cleat directly to the inside of the transom, using screws that are slightly shorter than the thickness of the transom.  The cleats shouldn't be used for any heavy loads - like towing or anything that will put excessive strain on them.  They should only be used for tying up to the dock or helping load it on the trailer.

If you go the "thru-bolt the cleat to a board and mount the board to the transom" route, you can use the stern eye bolts to help hold the board at the top, and then screws and resin elsewhere.  You may need to get creative to get a nice clean appearance.

[Callyb]

protuberances...  

I'm just sayin....

Btw, I agree with Craig.

[gran398]

I like that word too Carl!

And the cool thing is, now we know how to spell it! Thanks Craig!

Ry, getting back on topic... we had the same though process rigging Miss D.

Some thinking to chew on:

Although factory originals catch nets and leach rust...it was good engineering. Harder the load pulled off those cleats....given the hawse pipe, it pulled the transom to the hull.

You want to be able to put a load on the stern cleats. Pulling an anchor ball....pulling skiers...towing boats....stern cleats are the workhorse of any boat.

They need to be through bolted to something, facing forward.  On ours, we built small boxes on each side of the transom, heavily tabbed and glassed to the transom and hull sides. The cleats then mounted with backing plates on the front of the boxes.... yet aft of the hawse pipes, giving the same angle of pull as original.

The idea would be to have the strength of thru-bolting the transom....without the visual nasty. Even if you were to bury the stainless in the transom....it will eventually stain and leach through the gel.

Hang tight... we'll figure this out. Ten heads are better than one

[seabob4]

Scotty, the stainless will pose the issues you just brought IF...it's exposed to the elements.  Try this.  Locate the cleats and drill, then counterbore the transom so that the nuts are recessed (proper length bolts here are crucial, just long enough to protrude out the ny-lock nut a thread or 2), then fill the recessed hole with Bondo-glass or similar filler, fair and gel.  Yes, the bolt heads will be exposed to the elements, and transfer some of the nasty effects throughout the length of the bolt, but I doubt, over the course of time, no ill effects would be seen on the outside of the transom...

[seabob4]

Keep in mind Ryan, should you want to go the counterbore method, the c'bore needs to be of sufficient diameter so as to get a socket in there to tighten the cleats down.  1/4" flat washers will do you fine, so c'bore to just oversize of the washers...

[gran398]

Scotty, the stainless will pose the issues you just brought IF...it's exposed to the elements.  Try this.  Locate the cleats and drill, then counterbore the transom so that the nuts are recessed (proper length bolts here are crucial, just long enough to protrude out the ny-lock nut a thread or 2), then fill the recessed hole with Bondo-glass or similar filler, fair and gel.  Yes, the bolt heads will be exposed to the elements, and transfer some of the nasty effects throughout the length of the bolt, but I doubt, over the course of time, no ill effects would be seen on the outside of the transom...

Bro, you know, I was thinking exactly the same thing. But I swear, and what dissuades me from recommending this.... Chinese stainless is a crap shoot.
 
We spent good money outfitting baby-doll with the good stuff. Turns out the good stuff is a function of production run.

Remember when you rigged her, and the 316 stainless screws on the rubrail? Every darn screw was replaced this winter with 306 chrome-plated. Seventy percent of ten month old Chinese 316 was browning off/running red to beat the band.

[seabob4]

Yep, I remember all too well.  And it sucks, but what are you going to do?  From what I know/knew in the business, if you can get Thai SS (no, sorry, no US SS), that's a lot better...

[gran398]

An initial thought would be to do as you and Koz are thinking.....countersunk....but not through the transom. Two big blocks heavily glassed to the inside of the transom. Big boy workboat style, like Dave Burr is familiar with on Downeast Maine lobster boats.

[dirtwheelsfl]

Gotta be thrubolted somehow. Countersunk T-nuts would work if there was a solid glass slug embedded in the coosa, otherwise theyd indent the core, loosen up, and so on. Eventually rust will come thru like the guys said and pop that gelcoat covering the nut out, but not for a looong time id imagine.  

If it were me id drill the 1/4" mounting holes all the way thru, then drill a hole a bit larger than the flange of the t-nut (from the outside) just to the inside skin (taking the core out). Tape the outside holes with a lil crack at the top (for air to escape) and pump a milled fiber mix thru the inside holes letting gravity work for ya.

After that id bevel the slugs back enough for a layer of biax over them on the outside of the transom and fair it out. Then drill your holes and get tricky with a paddle bit to sink the t-nut in. Then do your gelcoat work.




Although id be more worried about catching something on that D-ring on the back versus the acorn nuts

[Georgie]

   What about using two, 1/4" thick stainless transom plates drilled and tapped instead of nuts?  You could carefully grind the corners and edges so it's mooth, and then cut/grind the screws flush and buff it smooth once everthing is cinched down.  Wouldn't require any fiberglass work or drilling other than the standard 4 screw holes.