Insecure mooring cleats?

[Quandary]

Following on from the marina damage discussion-
Up here the Canal have been busy refurbishing many of their pontoons, they are determined to replace the timber decking boards with that white recycled grp grid stuff that is so popular these days. They have bolted the old, substantial looking, cast mooring cleats to the decking panels, but each deck panel is held in place by a few small and light stainless steel clips. The old decking had timber rails under to which the boards were screwed. I have already seen one motor boat in the basin with a cleat and a decking panel hanging from its stern line after a not too windy night. If you stand on the panel and try lifting the cleat, of course it stays firmly in place. I have mentioned the problem to the management but they seem to be still doing it the same way, though to be fair I have not looked at every pontoon.
It occurs to me that they may not be the only ones doing this and in a more exposed location the chunky cleat may give a false sense of security, perhaps worth checking if you have a similar arrangement?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Following on from the marina damage discussion-
Up here the Canal have been busy refurbishing many of their pontoons, they are determined to replace the timber decking boards with that white recycled grp grid stuff that is so popular these days. They have bolted the old, substantial looking, cast mooring cleats to the decking panels, but each deck panel is held in place by a few small and light stainless steel clips. The old decking had timber rails under to which the boards were screwed. I have already seen one motor boat in the basin with a cleat and a decking panel hanging from its stern line after a not too windy night. If you stand on the panel and try lifting the cleat, of course it stays firmly in place. I have mentioned the problem to the management but they seem to be still doing it the same way, though to be fair I have not looked at every pontoon.
It occurs to me that they may not be the only ones doing this and in a more exposed location the chunky cleat may give a false sense of security, perhaps worth checking if you have a similar arrangement?

We have the GRP grid pontoon decking; it's great unless you want to kneel on it

Ours are through bolted to whatever is below them - it looks like a steel framework. I think the cleats are independently bolted to the frame.

 

[Quandary]

I owe the canal an apology, the dog and I went round and did a check after I posted and the majority of the cleats in question have been modified since and are now bolted to steel angles under cut outs in the panels, there are a few which sit on top but most in the basin at least have been dealt with.

 

[Seajet]

Antarticpilot

with your background I'm surprised you haven't checked yourself ?

At Emsworth marina they are just beginning to introduce finger pontoons suitable for 21ist Century humans, in the meantime it's like a round of ' It's A Knockout ' !

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Antarticpilot

with your background I'm surprised you haven't checked yourself ?

At Emsworth marina they are just beginning to introduce finger pontoons suitable for 21ist Century humans, in the meantime it's like a round of ' It's A Knockout ' !

Very late reply, but I've just been up to the boat and checked on the attachment of the cleats - they are bolted down to dirty great I girders!