how strong are pop up cleats?

[kashurst]

I could do with an extra pair at the stern for stern springs when moored stern to (as per usual). It would be good to use pop ups on the bathing platform as ropes would go below tender, and be semi flush when not in use to avoid stubbed toes.
boat weighs 18 tons - would popup be OK?

 

[penfold]

Who makes them and what do they say? The only pop-up cleats I'm familiar with are tiddly little things that wouldn't suit anything over 20'.

 

[kashurst]

6" or 8" made by C Quip with big backing plate

 

[penfold]

Their website is not very forthcoming about the cleats strength; I'd be asking them for some figures. Offhand I'd say any 8" cleat is too small for your vessel; springs take a huge load.

 

[Nautorius]

I could do with an extra pair at the stern for stern springs when moored stern to (as per usual). It would be good to use pop ups on the bathing platform as ropes would go below tender, and be semi flush when not in use to avoid stubbed toes.
boat weighs 18 tons - would popup be OK?

Yep,

I had the 8 inch ones on my 20ft Centre console. They were fine for about 12 months then the just ripped out, could not be repaired and consigned to the bin. Good only for fenders and as a back up cleat. No good as a mooring cleat!

The mechanism which stops them pulling out is basic and rubbish.....if you could strenthen that then you would have a winner!

Paul

 

[Ripster]

Yep,

I had the 8 inch ones on my 20ft Centre console. They were fine for about 12 months then the just ripped out, could not be repaired and consigned to the bin. Good only for fenders and as a back up cleat. No good as a mooring cleat!

The mechanism which stops them pulling out is basic and rubbish.....if you could strenthen that then you would have a winner!

Paul

Yep same here. I had these on a Monterey and one centre cleat (the bit that moves) just ripped straight out - it was simply not man enough for the job where the swell was tossing the boat about. If you do go for these, get BIG ones!

 

[kashurst]

thanks for sharing your experiences - I think proper cleats will be better

 

[mjf]

I've seen some recently on the stern platform of a bigish boat - SS or Princess I think

Flush when stowed and the size of mooring cleats

Maybe a hunt around at the SIBS??

 

[MapisM]

I think proper cleats will be better

Well, AOTBE, of course the folding mechanism is an additional complication, and as such it's something you'd rather avoid in a boat, if at all possible.
Otoh, I see good reasons to fit retractable cleats on a swim platform.
Besides, the structural strength actually depends also on the support, not on the cleats alone.
If the platform is strong enough, I could live with some proper retractable cleats, as these, for instance.
But 18T begins to be a demanding weight, I wouldn't trust the usual toy cleats which you see around.

 

[Bajansailor]

I crewed on a delivery on a 78' Maxi sailing yacht a few months ago, and all of her mooring cleats were 'pop-up' - massive aluminium beasts that looked more like pop up bollards rather than cleats.
They are about 14" long, possibly even 16" - the photo below shows the port spring cleat recessed in its socket. I'm sorry, but I have not got any better photos, or a photo of a cleat raised.

The boat was built in Italy, all carbon fibre high-tech, and I think that these bollards are probably Italian.
They would certainly be well capable of working on the OP's swim platform!
(Although she is 78', Idea also displaces approx 18 tonnes, and almost half of this is in the keel)

I have just been googling a bit, and found this Italian supplier - they say that they do anodised aluminium retractable cleats.
http://www.gineicomarine.com/browse.php?cid=489
The cleats on Idea look similar to the one shown in the bottom right, hence these folk might well have supplied her bollards.

 

[Bajansailor]

In case anybody is still looking for 'pop-up' cleats, the Wally folk fit them to their Wally Tender http://www.wally.com/one/

There is one here, and here is a photo of her foredeck :

 

[MrB]

I think the Northshore Southerly 57RS uses flush cleats and i think she is about 27 tons. Worth an e-mail.

 

[Portofino]

There is a bit more to googling, buying ,fitting (with a big backing plate),
especially to a bathing platform which itself is "tacked/glassed on ".
builders reinforce the area -extra wood sometimes alloys in the area where the factory cleats fit .
punter just see,s the thing sticking up be it a normal one or a pop up.
Only add new cleats to your MoBO for light duties ie tender use or fender use ,if you dont want to see the gelcoat "star " or worse it rip out still attached to backing plate +large piece of boat !after a storm .