Clip on cleat midships ?

[Refueler]

I have an auto line reever for rings etc - but its really only useful for buoys etc.

The midships line over here can actually be reasonably set for most finger style berths ... they are all a similar length ...

 

[Poignard]

It's fine when there is a cleat with horns at the outer end of the pontoon to drop your loop over.

But if you arrive alongside only to find there is no cleat at all, or a closed cleat,...

That’s when you're glad you invested in a bow fender.

 

[Refueler]

It's fine when there is a cleat with horns at the outer end of the pontoon to drop your loop over.

But if you arrive alongside only to find there is no cleat at all, or a closed cleat,...

That’s when you're glad you invested in a bow fender.

My auto line reever then plays it part ....

Most fingers over here whether the metal rod or the narrow pontoon version - have closed metal rod points ... so the auto reever really helps.

I bought the 'plastic version' and its lasted over 15yrs ..... only part that was iffy ... the sprung plastic clip allowing it to be unclipped from the boat hook ... I just permanently mounted mine ....

Treated reasonably - it does the job ....

I thought about getting an auto-hook that clips onto shore ... but thats limited in use ... this reever gives more possibilities.

With finger pontoon though - the auto hook would be better instead of bringing threaded line back.

Such as this :

 

[RunAgroundHard]

My auto line reever then plays it part ....

That is the same end connection as the Moorfast. Indeed, they work very well,I use mine often on mooring buoys that only have the shackle on top. I rig a very long light line so that come back onboard before the long line is pulled onboard.

RWO Moorfast Hook & Pole Assemble

 

[Refueler]

That is the same end connection as the Moorfast. Indeed, they work very well,I use mine often on mooring buoys that only have the shackle on top. I rig a very long light line so that come back onboard before the long line is pulled onboard.

RWO Moorfast Hook & Pole Assemble

Cannot remember full name - but think mine is called "Happy Hooker" !! (Those old enough may smile !). It certainly wasn't 45 odd quid at all ... less than half that if I recall. But it did not have its own pole ... it was designed to have base part screwed to existing boat pole.

I have considered removing it from the wooden boat pole I have and fitting to a 'painters' telescopic pole as separate item. Then the light reeving line is not in the way when using usual pole ...

Two versions ... metal and plastic.

 

[doug748]

It's fine when there is a cleat with horns at the outer end of the pontoon to drop your loop over.

But if you arrive alongside only to find there is no cleat at all, or a closed cleat,...

That’s when you're glad you invested in a bow fender.

Indeed, Refueler's berth here is a good example of the wild card you sometimes draw:

 

[dunedin]

Indeed, Refueler's berth here is a good example of the wild card you sometimes draw:

View attachment 164380

But in the Baltic a lot of people carry a special extra long hook for securing to stern mooring buoys - which would make that end loop a cinch to connect on to!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Indeed, Refueler's berth here is a good example of the wild card you sometimes draw:

View attachment 164380

Not confined to overseas - the pontoons at Titchmarsh marina in deepest Essex have loops, not cleats. OK if you have dock lines rigged; not OK if you're coming alongside and expected a cleat!

 

[srm]

then apply power to spring in towards the pier. I have also been known to use the winch to bring said midships line in once secured dockside

When I helped manage a marina it was always a surprise to see a yacht using a midship spring and power to hold position as they berthed. While standard practice for small working boats it seems almost unknown amongst the leisure community.

 

[srm]

Not confined to overseas - the pontoons at Titchmarsh marina in deepest Essex have loops, not cleats. OK if you have dock lines rigged; not OK if you're coming alongside and expected a cleat!

Probably supplied by a Norwegian or Scandinavian company. All the marinas in Orkney and the one I used in Shetland came from there and had loops. Scandinavian mooring lines are usually doubled back to the boat.
They are very good as long as you have a mooring hook on a pole, or suchlike, but a pain for the unsuspecting visitor.

 

[Refueler]

Not confined to overseas - the pontoons at Titchmarsh marina in deepest Essex have loops, not cleats. OK if you have dock lines rigged; not OK if you're coming alongside and expected a cleat!

Many of the mooring pontoons here are imported or licenced production : Marintek. Same as many in UK and around Europe.

I would bet on I could measure finger length here and it would be similar to most other forumites who have such ... ie HYCO are same as I know - I had set lines there ... they worked same here ...

 

[Refueler]

When I helped manage a marina it was always a surprise to see a yacht using a midship spring and power to hold position as they berthed. While standard practice for small working boats it seems almost unknown amongst the leisure community.

Because for some strange reason - many 'leisure' boats don't have midships cleats from builders ....

Memories .....

Ryde harbour .... solo job ... I'm getting ready to depart ... boat is alongside the deep inner pontoon along the wall. I have engine running ... I let go head and stern lines .... have just that midships line looped back to me .... so I can feed as needed ...

Woman thinking she's helping bends down and throws the line of the cleat ! Just as I engage astern to get arse out and not hit boat aft or ahead of me ...
I put neutral ... jump up on deck to put line back (I have about 3ft each end to the other boats .....) .... as I get to drop the line over again - I catch my ankle and twist it ...

Woman is confused ... I say thank you ... get back to helm and depart.

That ankle took weeks to sort out ...

TIP : When using a doubled back line to control a boat s then - NEVER have an eye in the end that is going to be let go and pulled through cleat and back on board ... make sure its a plain end .... If not - one day that eye will catch the cleat and then what do you do ??

 

[Tomaret]

Getting back to the original question, I fitted midship cleats to the toe rail of my 30’ Gibsea - not the most robustly built of vessels - and always used them to secure the boat alongside before putting on bow and stern lines and springs. Never had a problem or any signs that the toe rails were being stressed. The bolt on cleats were ridiculously expensive, I thought.

 

[john_morris_uk]

When I helped manage a marina it was always a surprise to see a yacht using a midship spring and power to hold position as they berthed. While standard practice for small working boats it seems almost unknown amongst the leisure community.

Sorry to hear that. I teach it and we use the technique all the time.

 

[Refueler]

The toe-rail as mentioned is an alloy affair bolted down ...

I've just ordered a couple of 316 Stainless folding cleats ... hoping I can bolt to the toe-rail (with insulating pads of course) to provide something midships.



I'm not expecting them to be capable of holding in a gale !! But at least to be able to have a line from midships

Interested to hear from anyone who may have used same ?


The other possibility of course is if I could obtain similar to the cleats on the foredeck ... they are of same material as toe-rail .. are serious block down onto the deck part of the toe-rail - using longer bolts to secure. But my feeling is then they would be catching sheets / lines and become a pain. Reason I went for the folders. I can fix to the outside of the toe-rail and they fold down out of the way.

 

[Supertramp]

I have the same toerail and recently fitted one of these.
It bolts to the toe rail, not through the deck, and I added it to use for pole downhauls and gybe preventer. The load is parallel to the toe rail.

I already have one of these. It is bolted through the toerail and is very robust and used for springs and in this shot anchor bridle.
The toe rail structure is strong but I can detect some tiny flexing when I lean on the stanchions which attach to it. I would definitely bolt through the toerail or deck to mount a cleat I wanted to moor with. My main cleat (2nd photo) has a separate alloy platform through bolted in between the toerail bolts. The cleat then bolts onto the platform. Ropes do not foul them - they are usually concentrating on the anchor winch!

 

[Refueler]

Your 2nd photo is basically what I have up at the foredeck ... mine have 2 bolts through deck..... you can just see in my photo.

The boat is setup as a typical Swedish island hopper ... only about half the cleating I would want !!

My Brit built smaller boat - has the midships cleats and I love them ... makes coming alongside an absolute doddle singlehanded.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I have the same toerail and recently fitted one of these.View attachment 178190
It bolts to the toe rail, not through the deck, and I added it to use for pole downhauls and gybe preventer. The load is parallel to the toe rail.

I have two of these, and they are immensely strong, easily taking the strain of stopping the boat using a spring. I'd happily use them to attach a towing bridle. But on my Moody, the toerail is part of the deck to hull joint, so it's far stronger than bolting through the deck, especially for fore and aft forces. Of course these cleats are as strong as the toerail, so their strength will depend entirely on the strength of the toerail.

 

[Supertramp]

I have two of these, and they are immensely strong, easily taking the strain of stopping the boat using a spring. I'd happily use them to attach a towing bridle. But on my Moody, the toerail is part of the deck to hull joint, so it's far stronger than bolting through the deck, especially for fore and aft forces. Of course these cleats are as strong as the toerail, so their strength will depend entirely on the strength of the toerail.

My toerail is also through the hull deck join and you reassure me that they should be fine for fore and aft spring use. As should Refueler's folding cleat.

 

[Refueler]

Another idea I had was whether to create a hardwood block inside the toe-rail - then mount a standard cleat to the wood - this keeps dissimilar metals separated....

I found this which is basically what I was considering :

http://www.watkinsowners.com/howto/cleat.pdf