Clip on cleat midships ?

Refueler · 17 Sep 2023

My new acquisition has no midships cleats and I really miss them. My other boat has them and they are godsent item for single handing.

Some people I know have fitted midships cleats using the alloy toe rail ...

My boat has a bolted alloy toerail with typical freeing port holes in ....

I am always reluctant to put stress on an item not really designed for it ....

Comments from those who have fitted cleats that mount to the toerail such as mine ??

Rappey · 17 Sep 2023

Ive seen many boats with cleats ,pulley blocks for sails and all sorts of things bolted through the holes of the toerail.
Wouldnt the load be spread along the toerail ?

Boathook · 17 Sep 2023

What about bolting a cleat to the deck and then making some covers to stop ropes catching the ends / horns ?

NormanS · 17 Sep 2023

Iif your toe rail is anything like ours, and bolted down with a multitude of substantial bolts, you could easily do as I did, and mount a cleat on a short length of alloy angle, bolted through the upstand of the rail.

Plum · 17 Sep 2023

Refueler said:
My new acquisition has no midships cleats and I really miss them. My other boat has them and they are godsent item for single handing.

Some people I know have fitted midships cleats using the alloy toe rail ...

My boat has a bolted alloy toerail with typical freeing port holes in ....

I am always reluctant to put stress on an item not really designed for it ....

Comments from those who have fitted cleats that mount to the toerail such as mine ??

Nice boat. Why not just replicate your bow cleats?

Pompette · 17 Sep 2023

I have a midships clip fitted to the toe rail on my 30ft boat and it's been in place for a number of years without any issues.

I find it very useful when coming alongside single handed (which is most of the time) as once you're secured on the centre cleat the boat is going nowhere and you can then sort out fore & aft lines at your leisure. As I tend to use bow, mid & stern cleats when mooring, there is no real undue stress on just the midships cleat

MontyMariner · 17 Sep 2023

NormanS said:
you could easily do as I did, and mount a cleat on a short length of alloy angle, bolted through the upstand of the rail.

Would box section be better than alloy angle?

MontyMariner · 17 Sep 2023

Boathook said:
making some covers to stop ropes catching the ends / horns ?

I saw an article where two blocks of shaped wood held together with bungy cord were wedged under the horns.
Sounded like a neat solution.

srm · 17 Sep 2023

My approach would be / has been to add a pair of cleats to the deck, obviously with substantial backing plates. Unless, of course the deck is cored. In which case the toe rails are probably a reasonable alternative.
Incidentally, I bed backing plates with car body filler to ensure 100% contact between the surfaces to spread the load.

Poignard · 17 Sep 2023

MontyMariner said:
I saw an article where two blocks of shaped wood held together with bungy cord were wedged under the horns.
Sounded like a neat solution.

I think that's also illustrated in one of dick Everitt's excellent series: 'Boat Owner's Sketch Book'.

dunedin · 17 Sep 2023

MontyMariner said:
I saw an article where two blocks of shaped wood held together with bungy cord were wedged under the horns.
Sounded like a neat solution.

A bit like these then, been around for decades ….. Osculati Cleat Boot for Preventing Sheets from Snagging Cleats 200-300mm

dunedin · 17 Sep 2023

Refueler said:
My new acquisition has no midships cleats and I really miss them. My other boat has them and they are godsent item for single handing.

Some people I know have fitted midships cleats using the alloy toe rail ...

My boat has a bolted alloy toerail with typical freeing port holes in ....

I am always reluctant to put stress on an item not really designed for it ....

Comments from those who have fitted cleats that mount to the toerail such as mine ??

Until you get a permanent solution, a pulley attached to the toerail would be perfect for solo berthing.
Rig the middle rope (with large bowline lop on end, ideally threaded through a bit of water pipe to keep open) through pulley and back to genoa winch. This allows the loop to be dropped on a cleat whilst still on board, then the spring to be shortened tensioned from the cockpit before putting the power on to pin in.
Pop the kettle on, have a cuppa - then step ashore and rig the other ropes

Poignard · 17 Sep 2023

dunedin said:
Until you get a permanent solution, a pulley attached to the toerail would be perfect for solo berthing.
Rig the middle rope (with large bowline lop on end, ideally threaded through a bit of water pipe to keep open) through pulley and back to genoa winch. This allows the loop to be dropped on a cleat whilst still on board, then the spring to be shortened tensioned from the cockpit before putting the power on to pin in.
Pop the kettle on, have a cuppa - then step ashore and rig the other ropes

fisherman · 17 Sep 2023

Surely that rail is robust enough to stop you, sliding towards the briny? Is snagging a problem? How about a made up bridle with two ends having carabiners to go fore and aft on the rail and one long end to take ashore. Rig it before arrival alongside and have the end in hand. It would load the rail for/aft rather than abeam.
There's a folding cleat at my local chandlers but it's £94.

capnsensible · 17 Sep 2023

I fitted those to the aluminium toerail when I first had my live on it yacht. 22 years later, in fairly constant use, no problem.

rogerthebodger · 17 Sep 2023

Lots of toe rail mounted cleats or even a stanchion mounted cleat

toe rail mounted cleats - Google Suche

Refueler · 17 Sep 2023

At present I am using the self tacker leg .... its substantially mounted ....

I have considered rigging an attachment to the toe rail ...

"There's a folding cleat at my local chandlers but it's £94."

Only one I found online was 134 quid + postage !! Not folding - but designed to bolt to toerail

rogerthebodger · 17 Sep 2023

Refueler said:
At present I am using the self tacker leg .... its substantially mounted ....

I have considered rigging an attachment to the toe rail ...

"There's a folding cleat at my local chandlers but it's £94."

Only one I found online was 134 quid + postage !! Not folding - but designed to bolt to toerail

How much that s arip off I an sure some one can beny one up from 8 mm stainless rod and make a folding clip to bold to youe toe rail.

I made all of mine not folding but mainly twin bollards bolted to stainless steel welded to deck.

You need to through bolt then but they could be simply bolted to the toe rail

https://flic.kr/p/231P6r1

https://flic.kr/p/WonHwm

Daverw · 17 Sep 2023

We fitted ours to the toe ail using short section of stainless box bolted to the rail and then normal cleat mounted on the top, this lifts it above the fail heigh, this is used consistently as we lock in and out and need to hold mid ships

fredrussell · 17 Sep 2023

NormanS said:
Iif your toe rail is anything like ours, and bolted down with a multitude of substantial bolts, you could easily do as I did, and mount a cleat on a short length of alloy angle, bolted through the upstand of the rail.

Same as mine - plenty strong enough.

PS - Sweet looking boat but if you don’t mind me saying she’s crying out for white or light grey deck paint! To each their own, obvs.

Clip on cleat midships ?

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