Jamming Cleat

[Refueler]

Going round the short horn helps with tailing off the winch. Being fairly smooth one can hold the line where one needs it ready to cleat clear of the handle. Then for speed it just needs a nip under the long horn.
if one has the cleat the other way round one has to hold the sheet in the hand the same way but when stopping winching, find the cleat & hook it.
It also matters if one is left or right handed which side of the winch the cleat is placed. One hand on the handle & the sheet in the other round the back of the cleat. It works well that way if 2 people are doing it, The tailer is a bit clear of the wincher. Once the sheet is in the wincher can take the tail & just flip it under the long horn or the tailer can as the wincher removes the handle.
When trimming the sail it is better to release the sail from the long horn & still have a bit of friction from the short horn & still have the sheet on the cleat. The other way round the sheet has to come right off the cleat & one might lose it.
It really comes down to preference & a matter of technique.

The old adage ... 2 turns on winch is hard ... 3 is good ....

If keep to 3 turns then cleat is not needed to tail the line ...

 

[Daydream believer]

I have one of these cleats on the thwart of my launch. I bring the dinghy alongside & reach over & flip the painter over the short horn. Then I pull the end to pull the dinghy in tight to the side of the launch. Once in place I hook the rest of the painter under the long horn to jam it. I get aboard & transfer the dinghy to the stern Bollard.
Another reason for smooth end first.

 

[Daydream believer]

The old adage ... 2 turns on winch is hard ... 3 is good ....

If keep to 3 turns then cleat is not needed to tail the line ...

Bet I can tack faster than you can

 

[Refueler]

Bet I can tack faster than you can

You are welcome to come over here and try !!

Honest - I reckon we'd end up downing a few pints and our sense of humour would prevail. Serious - Invitation to come over ..
You might be surprised once you meet me !!

 

[andsarkit]

All Contessa 26s have 6 of these for jib sheets, spinnaker sheets and mainsheet. They are fixed with the long jamming end towards the winch at a slight angle away from the incoming sheet. They work perfectly and are very quick to secure and release. Mine are original teak ones some of which have broken after 50 years and are now being replaced by the nylon variety. I would never contemplate removing them as they work so well but they are placed on the backrest of the cockpit seats and are very uncomfortable if you sit down in a hurry

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Oh dear.....here is someone else who got it wrong:
Force 4 Aluminium Jamming Cleat 160mm

Aluminium doesn't look right in between two stainless winches. Trust me I spent a long time considering the options. At least they know the correct way to use them

 

[Poignard]

 

[Buck Turgidson]

if you go round the long horn first you run the risk of jamming the line and you are putting vertical load on the cleat. The normal way is long horn pointing to the direction of the load whether that is a winch or the top of the mast when used for halyards. You can find some with a ground plate under the long arm with a fixed radius on the post designed to exert just enough clamping force but they are then restricted to specific line diameters.
It is possible to get bronze ones from Davey and co and have them chromed but the price was a bit too rich even for me.

 

[Gixer]

I think I have the same boat as you, sorry this is the best photo I can find. I’m saving up for self tailing winches…..
Never found the position or anything a problem

 

[Gixer]

Found a better image

 

[iamtjc]

Thanks everyone for your contributions. Particular thanks to Gixer for the photos of his Hunter which show the exact setup I have but with the cleats the other way round.
I will be reversing mine as a first step and may move them further from the winches if that seems necessary.

 

[steveeasy]

Oh I had this conversation with the Twister Guro for quite some time when I was fitting a long horn cleat. He had no idea!!. Its obvious to me the long horn points towards the winch. You run the sheet round the short horn then jam it under the long horn. Now clearly everyone has a different opinion , but if you dont have self Tailing winches and your single handed your soon work out what works best.

 

[Daydream believer]

Oh I had this conversation with the Twister Guro for quite some time when I was fitting a long horn cleat. He had no idea!!. Its obvious to me the long horn points towards the winch. You run the sheet round the short horn then jam it under the long horn. Now clearly everyone has a different opinion , but if you dont have self Tailing winches and your single handed your soon work out what works best.

View attachment 172690

If that winch is carrying a load it needs 3 turns on the winch

 

[steveeasy]

If that winch is carrying a load it needs 3 turns on the winch

Not again. . Its tied up on a mooring. They look rather small though dont they. Nice though, always quite liked them. Quite a small genoa so they were fine.

Steveeasy

 

[Daydream believer]

Not again. . Its tied up on a mooring. They look rather small though dont they. Nice though, always quite liked them. Quite a small genoa so they were fine.

Steveeasy

Were you the boy that played cats cradle with the girls when you were at school

 

[thinwater]

Replace it with a cam cleat, as is now done. Much better, problem solved. Note that it is NOT placed on the combing but below the winch.
(I have had this arrangement on 3 boats, and I have it on both the self-tailing primaries and non-tailing secondaries on this boat.]

 

[steveeasy]

Were you the boy that played cats cradle with the girls when you were at school

Oh Yes, Absolutely.

Steveeasy

 

[MontyMariner]

It strikes me that with this type of cleat which way round to fit it is dependent on the job you're using it for.
If it's from a winch then the winch is doing all the tensioning and the cleat is there just to hold the sheet in place, so the cleat needs to have the long pointy end facing away from the winch to jam the sheet.
If the cleat is being used to tension a rope, say a halyard, then you need to turn the rope around the round end and pull to tension, then lock the rope under the long pointy end, so the cleat needs to have the long pointy end facing upward.