Trouble Tacking

[casampson]

There are two cleats at the bottom of the mast on my Typhoon. They used to be used for two halyards that had no purpose for me, so I took the halyards off. Perhaps this was a mistake. Very often, when I tack, my sheets get snagged on these cleats. This is a real headache. Fortunately, I can reach them from the cockpit, but it is still annoying and sometimes a little dangerous, especially in a strong wind. Are these cleats standard? Should I take remove them (which I doubt I'll be able to do considering how many years they've been in place). Is there a tacking technique that can help me avoid getting snagged?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Carl Thunberg]

I'll let the Ty owners speak for the original purpose of the halyards you removed and the of the cleat where they were secured. You can always remove an old cleat, no matter how long it has been installed. It may take some heat, or PB Blaster, but you can remove it. Do some research first. Those halyards had a purpose at one time, and you may find a use for them again. I'm thinking one was a spinnaker halyard, and the other was a spinnaker pole topping lift?

[ariasis]

Yeah I know exactly which cleat you are talking about. I use mine for my Spinnaker halyards. When you take the mast down for the winter you may want them for cleating off all your lines. I've considered putting a piece of garden hose or something on it to create a Brush guard but with the halyard here it doesn't get stuck to often.

[Markst95]

Why not tie a section of rope to one and wrap around both covering the "ears" so they wouldn't catch anything? Mine were low enough. I don't remember them being a problem though but I only used a working jib.

[fmueller]

exactly ... just fill the cleats up with a piece of old line ... make as many turns as the cleats will hold

I'mm having some of that with a new high clew jib I had made for my CD27 ... did not anticipate this problem when I had the sail made ... the clew is at just the same level as my main and jib halyard cleats and since its about a 115% sail the clew just perfectly brushes past the mast right where the cleats are ... so I have made extra turns when securing the halyards to the cleats and this seems to take care of it most of the time ...

cheers