Center Cleat

[ifoxwell]

Ok I'll start by apologizing, I'm sure this has been done to death but I'm new on here so please forgive me.

Center cleats.

Best mounted in the middle or at the widest point?

and

Just buying a 2004 Sun Fast 32 and I'm thinking I'll take the easy way out and mount them to the toe rail... worked ok on our 32ft Beneteau with no sign of straining or damage to the rail or joint. Will this work ok on the Sun Fast or do people have any horror stories I should know about?

Thanks for your help

Ian

 

[nigelmercier]

Center cleats. Best mounted in the middle or at the widest point?

Yes.

 

[greenalien]

With your boat in the water, run a line from the forward cleats to the aft cleats, then use a sliding line at 90 degrees to attemps to pull the boat sideways. If the bow comes in, move the line aft. If the stern comes in, move the line forward. Once you find the balance point, that's the ideal location for a centre cleat.
Try to fit it where it won't snag on your foresail sheets - in the toerail is usually good, or you can get a removable type that fits on the foresail sheet track.

 

[ifoxwell]

That makes sense, thanks. Only problem is that the boat is currently sitting on the hard and Id like to get things like this fitted before it goes in the water.

Ian

 

[greenalien]

You could always find a similar model of boat and see where they've fitted theirs - although that's no guarantee they are in the right place! That's the advantage of the removable type, you can adjust the position to where they works best - and, being removable, they won't snag your sheets while sailing.
Something like this - http://www.force4.co.uk/6639/Barton-205mm-Sliding-Cleat---32mm-T-Track.html, although you'd need to check your genoa track size.

 

[pmagowan]

I have mounted one on the genoa rail and they work well and can easily be moved to suit. I also mounted an eye ring here through which I run the springs. It stops them rubbing the toe rail and tidies things up as well as holding the boat in well against the pontoon.

 

[Neil]

I use a genoa track cleat - easy to move it about as required. My new (short!) finger pontoon doesn't have a cleat in the middle, so I moved the track cleat back towards the cockpit: now even easier to throw a loop over the pontoon cleat when I'm single-handing!

 

[Neil]

Snap!

 

[ifoxwell]

It would make sense. The downside is that the cleat is then inboard, harder to reach from the pontoon and the rope then gets rapped around stations when used for springs.

I might just screw one on in a place that looks about right and live with it. Mind you they aren't cheap are they? How do they justify 3,4 times the price for a tow rail cleat over a standard bolt on one ?

Ian

 

[Searush]

It would make sense. The downside is that the cleat is then inboard, harder to reach from the pontoon and the rope then gets rapped around stations when used for springs.

I might just screw one on in a place that looks about right and live with it. Mind you they aren't cheap are they? How do they justify 3,4 times the price for a tow rail cleat over a standard bolt on one ?

Ian

They don't ever attempt to justify anything, they just charge what they think the market will bear. if you want one you will pay. Or, if like me you do without.

 

[KellysEye]

> or you can get a removable type that fits on the foresail sheet track.

That's what we fitted. Also it was designed with a screw so you could move it fore and aft on the track.

 

[Neil]

It would make sense. The downside is that the cleat is then inboard, harder to reach from the pontoon and the rope then gets rapped around stations when used for springs.


Ian

I only use the centre cleat to pin myself to the pontoon; throw a loop made from the centre cleat back to the cleat and thence to the cockpit. Throw the loop over the pontoon cleat and pull myself in from the cockpit and then I can relax and sort out normal bow and stern lines and springs at my leisure. So no problem with any other lines. Leaving, I put the centre cleat loop back on and as I motor away, let the short end pull through my hand.

Easier to draw:

 

[rotrax]

It would make sense. The downside is that the cleat is then inboard, harder to reach from the pontoon and the rope then gets rapped around stations when used for springs.

I might just screw one on in a place that looks about right and live with it. Mind you they aren't cheap are they? How do they justify 3,4 times the price for a tow rail cleat over a standard bolt on one ?

Ian

On our previous boat I purchased a nice pair of standard cleats, bolted them to two pieces of square S/S tube, which was then bolted to the toerail.

The square tube was angled at each end-quite shallow-to stop lines fouling, and this made an easy place to put the toerail bolts.

It worked very well.

Sold the boat very soon afterwards......................................

 

[TonyBuckley]

I have a centre cleat and use it a lot when single handed but never realised a track cleat existed so many thanks to those to have suggested this.

The centre cleat is further forward than I would like when single handed and the wind is blowing me off, and the stern cleat allows the bow to blow off which is OK with good fendering but not pretty.

I like the idea of a half way house!

http://www.seapost.co.uk/barton-cleats-track-sliding-and-track-clamp-on-8724-p.asp

Looks good.