I had the same problem when I bought #92 in 2005.

My question to the group and the the responses are here - http://express27.org/msgs/?f=1&m=1278#Message and here - http://express27.org/msgs/?t=561&m=1283#Message

Our solution: A bridle is looped around the forward legs of the bow pulpit. The bridle is prevented from sliding up the tube by 1/4" rod welded between tube and base. An aluminum plate was added under the deck for reinforcement of the base screws.

Two 1/2" lines come from the mooring to the boat. One line has a large caribiner snap hook on the boat end. The other is plain line with no fitting on the boat end.

When we come to the mooring, the snap hook is snapped over the bridle loop on the pulpit and we are safely attached to the mooring. Later, the other line is loosely tied with a bowline (rubber bands or ball bungees retain the loose end) to the forestay fitting as a backup. A 5/16" rod loop was added to the stem fitting to accommodate the safety line (the jib tack loop might also be used for this).

The first bridle was a continuous loop of high quality 7/16" New England Ropes 3 strand nylon which lasted 7 too short Wisconsin summers. Last year it was replaced with a single loop of 5/8" nylon braid which frayed from the snap hook sliding over it in just a few months. This year we are going back to 3 strand. There's almost no chafing where the loop crosses the hull/deck edge.

We are in an exposed to the north anchorage where northwest summer storms blow across a twenty mile fetch. https://www.google.com/maps/@45.1584592,-87.1779456,3267m/data=!3... No problems so far.

John - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

:: I keep the express in the water for 4 months a year. The
:: stern of the boat has cleats and easy to tie up. However
:: the bow has always been a challenge. How do people tie
:: ropes to the bow?
::
:: I had made a loop of rope through the toe rail but over
:: time the toe rail wears through the rope.
::
:: thanks!