My front cleat is slightly loose and I can't figure out a way to tighten it. There's no way to get under it. Does anybody else have this problem?

There is a small hole where my front nav light is and it's close to the cleat, but the hole is the size of a quater and is too small to get my hand (or just a wrench) in there to tighten the bolt on the backside.

Any idea's?

Find a friend with long skinny arms.

Might have to take apart some interior and possible cut in a access

Is there a speaker or something that can come out to access it?

No speakers there. But now I'm thinking about putting some in.

Isn't it just SS screws? Take it out and fill the hole with 3M 5200 and put it back in.

deepv, the cleats are "thru" bolted. Obviously these bolts were tightened before the top-half was place onto the hull.

Does everybody else have access to these bolts? Is this an oversight by Larson.

Can you remove any of the panels? You could try going from underneath the seat cushions.

Bank, I looked at that and the reach is way too far. I think I need that stretchy guy from Fantastic 4.

My bad. Now that I recall, mine are through bolted... And easy to get to.

How big is your bow light ? Can you remove it and reach under ?

Plan B - getting rid of the crappy little nylon cleat was the reason I opted for the Pop Up Bow light - added a little Bling and got access to the cleat Don't ask the price

Scott, I did remove the bow light and the whole was about the size of a quarter.

I remember your post on your light replacement. Pretty cool what you did. I suppose I could do that too and create a bigger whole. But I think I'll add speakers to the bow which should get me closer with bigger wholes to the cleat... I think.

It just surprises me that I can't tighten this thing without putting wholes nearby. Oops on Larson design.

No anchor locker up there to gain access. Other than that, remove interior panels and go in that way. New speaker holes might provide the best, fixing a problem and upgrading the tunes.

Here's a pic to show my dilemma. Underneath the front cushion is continued glass (built in cooler that's never used). As you can see... no access.

New speakers is likely the only way.

The side cushion probably comes off using automotive style clips that hold door panels on. But, it can take some prying and I am not big on that.

Let us know how the speaker install goes.

WW,

Food for thought about the front speakers - if you can remove a grill from the ones you have - or ones that you plan to use, see how they lay againts the bow's radius.

You would want to see that they lay flat. Up close to the cleat looks to have a pretty sharp radius and may lead to the grills being unable to seat properly. Too far back and you may not be able to get your hand up the the base of the cleat to tighten the nuts.

Good Luck

You should be able to reach the interior nuts withour drilling any new holes. I had to tighten mine, and it was a royal PITA as well as getting itchy fiberglass arms.

I have to first go in and remove the nuts that held the upholstery on the side, then go into the area behind the upholstery and tighten the bolts. But then, mine's a Chap, yours may differ. Just assume that somebody had to be able to reach it originally, so it will somehow be accessible.

Troop,

you know boats have a wide range of accessability. On our Cobalt, I think you can get to most everything. At most you remove a panel or two. Remember, when it was tightened on the boat was in two halves so it was definitely accessable. They figure it will never need service so no reason to make sure you can get to it. I guarantee the side panels come off somehow. Not likely bolted on. Most likely two sided upholstry clips. But prying on stuff makes me nervous.

Perhaps a call to the mfg is in order.

Just an idea... What if.. just under where your front cleat is, inside the bow seating area. you drill a smallish hole,enough to get your tool to tighten things up with. Then go to a upholstery shop to have another bolster to cover the hole, like the ones that are on the sides.. Then you could have a sort of head rest at the front of the bow...You're not going to get a speaker there, unless you mfg something to take up that curve. I don't think you're going to like that look.

Can you take out the ice chest and with a couple of extensions work something up the front to get to the bottom of the cleat???

What if you can get a tool that is kinda bent inside where the bow light is ??? I've seen em at Sears or from like Matco trucks or the other guys. Again, maybe an extension in there also..????

Whew... all those gave me a headache.. good luck.. let us know what you did..............

What about drilling up through the hull from the bottom?

(That was meant to be sarcastic, but on second thought -- do you have docking lights? Could you reach the cleat from outside the hull by removing one of them?)

The picture looks like access will be a challenge.

Perhaps you may have to ask the dealer and/or Larson tech support how to gain access.

I would imagine that some dis-assembly of the side cushions in the bow may be required.

I had a similer issue on a searay bowrider.. Slighly different reason though.. I did not have a front center cleat or a bow roller, and i needed them. I got a 3" stainless steel round vent, put a hole in the center of the bow (where you back would be if you were seated facing backwards), slighly smaller then the vent.. added both roller and cleat, then contoured the SS vent to the shape of the fiberglass, and bolted it up. I got the smallest cover i could find that i could fit my hand through.. I wrapped my arm tight in wide sticky tape (so i dont get fiberglass cuts when jamming my arm through the hole as far as it can go).. and bingo..

now looks looks it came that way from the manufacturer..

WW, that's configured a bit like mine, as far as the seat and bolster are concerned. If you lift the seat up you should be able to reach up inside and feel what the clips that hold the backrest/bolster feel like. Pull off that backrest and you should be able to get a wrench up inside there. Won't be easy if you have fat arms, but it looks like it can be done that way. From the front of the backrest to the cleat looks to be about 12-14". You wont have much room to swing a ratchet and DON'T drop it!