If pulling a boat off the sand bar (facing away from shore) which point it best to attach the tow rope?
Bow cleat or Stainless U-bolt where trailer winch cable attaches? BTW, the bow cleat is also used to lift front of boat with a crane.

U bolt

X 2
Ubolt.

ZZ28ZZ,

Why not both? Tie each end of the rope to each of your anchor points, with the rope through your tow, and let them share the load. Normally I would agree with the two above suggestions, the bow eye, but you indicated the bow cleat is a structural hardpoint, so....

Thanks. Brad.

Thx for the replies. I suspected the u-bolt was the best but wound up using the bow cleat (long story). This was a first for me since there's not normally any sand bars where I boat but with lake being low, now there's one and I found it on a very dark night. Bow cleat worked but after being pulled to open water, noticed the cleat had rotated abt 15 degs. Once I took it apart I found the 2 little screws that appear to hold it in place are just there to prevent it from turning. The cleat is internally threaded and connects to the metal structure where the u-bolt (bow eye) attaches via ~3/4" threaded rod. Very beefy in regards to lifting but doesn't work that well for towing. The 2 little screws pulled out and the threaded rod dug into the fiberglass but not too bad, maybe 1/4". Made a new plywood doubler and epoxied it inside so the little screws would have something to bit into.

Feeling very fortunate that only the bow cleat and aftermarket speedometer pitot tube were the only things damaged (both from the recovery efforts) and both were easily repaired. Live and learn.. BTW, this was on my 27/29 Fountain.