Clip on cleat midships ?

[MontyMariner]

GFN ? The typical black 'plastic' cleats are often Glass Filled Nylon ... a very strong form of nylon ...

Obviously I've seen smaller ones for sale but do they make them large enough to take a decent size docking line?

 

[Refueler]

Obviously I've seen smaller ones for sale but do they make them large enough to take a decent size docking line?

Yes they do actually ....

It all depends on whether you think you are mooring the Queen Mary or a boat !

The seller of my latest boat handed over mooring lines that were just WOW !! Must be nigh on 20mm .... for a 38ft 5 ton boat. When inspected - the outer sheath on near all was abraded away ... mainly because of their size and failure to 'work' in the small fairleads.

I do not like relying on single lines ... and especially when just doubled back. I prefer 2 or more separate lines for each bow / stern job. Comes from mooring ships ! Springs I can live with singles.

My 25ft boat has Plastic cleats fore - mid - aft .... and they all take 10mm easily.

See midships on toe-rail ... may look small - but its all I need to aid coming alongside - stop boat ranging along pontoon etc.

 

[Refueler]

Just looking around and this came up :

2x Boat Accessories - Folding Cleat - Boat Cleat - Marine Boat Hardware 316 Stainless Steel | eBay

Folding cleat .... in a suitable size - fitted to outside of that alloy toe-rail ... open to use ... close to keep a flush line to the boat ...

Question is - how much stress could such put up with ?

 

[rogerthebodger]

Just looking around and this came up :

2x Boat Accessories - Folding Cleat - Boat Cleat - Marine Boat Hardware 316 Stainless Steel | eBay

Folding cleat .... in a suitable size - fitted to outside of that alloy toe-rail ... open to use ... close to keep a flush line to the boat ...

Question is - how much stress could such put up with ?

Being stainless steel the strength would be the strength of the mounting.

Ifmounting on aluminium toe rail you would need to use an insulating base to reduce the aluminium corrosion

 

[Refueler]

Being stainless steel the strength would be the strength of the mounting.

Ifmounting on aluminium toe rail you would need to use an insulating base to reduce the aluminium corrosion

I realise about the dissimilar metals .... its why I was looking at nylon versions.

 

[Boathook]

I realise about the dissimilar metals .... its why I was looking at nylon versions.

I assume that you are going to use s/s bolts. A bit of plastic milk bottle under the base will reduce corrosion plus sleeve the bolts, nylon washers, etc.

 

[Refueler]

I assume that you are going to use s/s bolts. A bit of plastic milk bottle under the base will reduce corrosion plus sleeve the bolts, nylon washers, etc.

I am considering asking a pal who is a Metal Fabricator .... he has plenty of scrap Dural from aero projects .....

Nylon (GFN) cleat ... dural bolts / nuts .... dural plate to spread load

 

[B27]

We have some centre cleats.
They are a bit small, we find them very handy for coming alongside, we keep a certain docking line for use on that cleat, it's not too long or heavy, it's a different colour from the others.
We don't use those cleats for long term mooring , or springing off etc.
Toe rail is quite strong in some directions, not so strong against being levered outwards (or bashed inwards). Bent toe rail is ugly and hard to repair.

One could consider cleats further inboard, maybe inline with the shrouds.
If you need to run a line over the toe rail, some plastic waste pipe slit along its length will snap over the toe rail quite nicely.

 

[Refueler]

We have some centre cleats.
They are a bit small, we find them very handy for coming alongside, we keep a certain docking line for use on that cleat, it's not too long or heavy, it's a different colour from the others.
We don't use those cleats for long term mooring , or springing off etc.
Toe rail is quite strong in some directions, not so strong against being levered outwards (or bashed inwards). Bent toe rail is ugly and hard to repair.

One could consider cleats further inboard, maybe inline with the shrouds.
If you need to run a line over the toe rail, some plastic waste pipe slit along its length will snap over the toe rail quite nicely.

Your use is the main idea I have .... my 25ftr has midships cleats and is a godsend for single handed use.

The 38 has typical plenty of gear for sail use - but mooring seems to be afterthought.

I am surprised you say not used for long term mooring or springing off. My use would be to have the line as a back-up to stop boat riding fwd or aft but not as a main mooring line.
My 38 about 3 weeks ago chafed a spring line and she rode fwd in strong winds - butting the pontoon. The bow now has chipped gelcoat and pontoon has splintered wood facing. If I had that backup line - it would not have led to such. It is one of the reasons I have started this quest.
Springing off is usually done by a fwd or aft line to get max effect.

 

[srm]

I regularly used my midship cleat with an aft spring motoring ahead and steering in to the pier. I would happily use anything from fast tick over to full power depending on the wind to hold the boat while setting the rest of the mooring lines. Its a common practice with smaller commercial vessels making short stops to hold the boat with a single line from amidships and engine while transferring loads or passenges on a pier.

 

[B27]

I don't use my mid cleats for heavy use because they are small. They work well with small ropes which are good for 'first contact' with a pontoon etc. Such small ropes would chafe quickly, so not for long term mooring. I doubt the mountings are strong enough for 'enthusiastic' springing off, (they are only '2 hole' cleats, so not so strong for side loads!) so I use the bigger bow and stern cleats for that.
The mid cleats are also dead handy for mooring the tender to.
Being inline with the shrouds they don't clutter the side deck much, which is good.

 

[fisherman]

Just looking around and this came up :

2x Boat Accessories - Folding Cleat - Boat Cleat - Marine Boat Hardware 316 Stainless Steel | eBay

Folding cleat .... in a suitable size - fitted to outside of that alloy toe-rail ... open to use ... close to keep a flush line to the boat ...

Question is - how much stress could such put up with ?

That's the £64 one I mentioned

 

[fisherman]

I've mentioned before, I don't know why you guys don't keep a hook rope handy. I used to have several. Obs daily use for me. Just a standard hook or bent SS bar with thimble and hefty rope, so when you come alongside a ladder/pontoon/otherboat/steps/mooring buoy you just hook on and make fast, until you complete your gyrations. Useful for lowering gear off the quay, you become adept at flicking the hook out from above.
In the OP case, he would attach the hook into any handy hole on the rail, as and when.
Also used to have several small grapnels to throw at anything out of reach, or grope for stuff dropped overboard. Throw it at a mooring, get the chain. Get a rope in the prop, grapple it up. One of these pulled me up when we were heading for the Penlee L/B midships and found the gear cable had fractured two hours before, stuck in ahead. Son threw it over the pontoon. Gael Force do a rudimentary mild steel one. £12. Bit too big.
Gael Force Grappling Hook Gael Force Marine

 

[srm]

The mid-ship cleat is no use for "springing off" as the geometry is wrong, but is ideal if not essential for "springing on". As I mentioned earlier I have always fitted my cleats securely on deck, preferably through the deck/hull flange if that type of joint. I think any deck cleat should be securely fitted as if there is a cleat then at some time it is going to get used in anger and have to take the full load. It's usually possible to locate them beside a shroud so they are out of the way and not a trip hazard.

I did once see a cleat on someone else's boat accidentally take an unexpected high load. It was bolted through the deck with just washers as backing. It left four neat holes as it was pulled out.

 

[john_morris_uk]

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.

You’ve saved me attempting to describe that. Two carved blocks and a bit of bungy. Works very well.

 

[fredrussell]

Gael Force Grappling Hook Gael Force Marine

I’ve sometimes thought a grappling hook might be a useful thing to have as a last ditch attempt to stop your engine-failed boat crashing into summat expensive.

Also useful for getting into a beautiful woman’s house prior to inexplicably leaving a box of chocs and buggering off again.

 

[Refueler]

I've mentioned before, I don't know why you guys don't keep a hook rope handy. I used to have several. Obs daily use for me. Just a standard hook or bent SS bar with thimble and hefty rope, so when you come alongside a ladder/pontoon/otherboat/steps/mooring buoy you just hook on and make fast, until you complete your gyrations. Useful for lowering gear off the quay, you become adept at flicking the hook out from above.
In the OP case, he would attach the hook into any handy hole on the rail, as and when.
Also used to have several small grapnels to throw at anything out of reach, or grope for stuff dropped overboard. Throw it at a mooring, get the chain. Get a rope in the prop, grapple it up. One of these pulled me up when we were heading for the Penlee L/B midships and found the gear cable had fractured two hours before, stuck in ahead. Son threw it over the pontoon. Gael Force do a rudimentary mild steel one. £12. Bit too big.
Gael Force Grappling Hook Gael Force Marine

It did cross my mind to use a truckers hook .... similar to what is on end of a tensioning strap. Basically a metal bar doubled and bent into a U ...

I actually have some black plastic covered strap hooks - where straps have worn out ....

mmmmmmm

 

[dunedin]

In terms of coming alongside, I guess the solutions depend on whether you are the “jump off onto the pontoon” type or “secure first then step off” type.
With a small boat with low freeboard and light weight, the former is fine, even when solo.
With bigger boats, higher freeboard and more mass, stepping jumping off a moving boat can be a bad idea - particularly when solo. (And one time you will leave the boat still in gear in reverse, which gets very awkward, holding a reversing boat on one rope!)
Using a fixed rope on a cleat or hook is fine for the jump off technique. But for the secure first technique, unless it is the home berth then the key thing is able to adjust the stern spring length after looping on - hence threaded through centre of mid cleat (or pulley) back to genoa winch.
When on home berth we use a pre sized rope attached to end cleat (or eye) on finger and loop ready to grab on pole. Lift off with boathook, put on mid cleat and then power on, knowing will stop just before bow hits! But doesn’t work with visitor berths.
Can’t see how a hook would help.

 

[fisherman]

It did cross my mind to use a truckers hook .... similar to what is on end of a tensioning strap. Basically a metal bar doubled and bent into a U ...

I actually have some black plastic covered strap hooks - where straps have worn out ....

mmmmmmm

They aren't big enough, you need a long one that won't jiggle out, four inch shank at least. Insert from outside and turn over so it has to go the long way round to release. The only downside is you can't release under tension, with a cleat you can. 10mm SS bar is ideal., might need a blacksmith to bend the eye. Either of these can be bought online.

 

[Refueler]

I make it very clear to anyone who come on my boats :

NEVER jump onto a quay / pontoon etc. STEP off when boat is close to ...

All I need at the helm is a raised hand indicating I am close enough - then see person STEP off ..

I rather bang the boat than have person in the water ...