Mid ship cleats

[Lisa G.]

Was really surprised to find the CD 30c I am buying has no mid ship cleats. Was this standard? Who has added them? If you have , is it easy to access underneath to put a backing plate or is that not necessary?

Thanks,

Lisa

[psjanker]

My 30B has them...I use them for Spring lines.

Pete

[Steve Laume]

This is what Raven and a lot of Cape Dories have. http://ariel-cd36.org/projects_midshipcleat.html I believe they must have been optional. Some people have added them later as they are still available from Spartan Marine. While they are very elegant; I find them marginal for one line and certainly too small for two. There may not be a prettier arangement but there could certainly be a better one, Steve.

[Lisa G.]

This is what Raven and a lot of Cape Dories have. http://ariel-cd36.org/projects_midshipcleat.html I believe they must have been optional. Some people have added them later as they are still available from Spartan Marine. While they are very elegant; I find them marginal for one line and certainly too small for two. There may not be a prettier arangement but there could certainly be a better one, Steve.

Certainly very "shippy" looking, which I love, but can also see how small they are. Looks like solving this problem is going to take a little thought.

Lisa

[Jim Walsh]

They're not exactly tiny and they will easily accommodate a couple 1/2 lines. I find it easiest in my slip to just drop a couple eyes over the midship cleat since I'm on a floating dock and don't have to adjust my lines. I find they are of sufficient size but not larger than routinely needed.

[nessie]

On our 1984 CD30C, I have the same things the others posted pictures of. Sometimes I wish for more to tie up to at the beam, but then I think if I had a fairlead (through the toe rail) and a deck cleat there, I would either stub my toes or trip and go overboard on the cleat.

Best of luck on your new purchase!

We are happy with ours.

[Ron M.]

Barlow makes a cleat,(or used to ) that fits the aluminum track of your sheet cars. Not a perfect solution but they help for spring lines etc.

[Bill Goldsmith]

They may have been optional on the smaller models, my 1980 27 didn't come with them, but I added a pair and loved them. My current 32 came with them from the factory. I use them for spring lines and breast lines, and when springing for a storm they can also be used as hawseholes to run a long line forward and astern to a stronger point.

[David van den Burgh]

Our Spartan midship cleats are one of the best improvements we've made to Ariel. Not only are they functional, but they're attractive. I'd install them all over again. The only other similar addition I'd recommend are track-mounted cleats farther aft. One can never have too many secure points for attaching docklines. We have a nice Schaefer brand cleat on one side, and a knock-off something on the other side. The Schaefer is a nice piece of hardware, albeit pricey.

The Spartan cleats are a little small for line bigger than 9/16". It's certainly possible to cleat two lines - one atop the other - on the midship cleat, but the horns are just a tad short. Sometimes with larger line it's necessary to throw loops over the cleats and tie off on the dock.

[Paul D.]

On sale now at Defender.

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?pa ... 020&id=598

I am thinking of one of these for our 33. Right now I have an old track mounted cleat on the rail and while it works nicely it is a bit small for 1/2" dock lines. My brother has one of these and it should be large enough. Also, we've found that placing them on the rail aft of amidships works better than the factory mounted ones that are located more forward on the rail. The boat pulls into the dock more parallel, not bow in, as you take up the strain. Good when you come in a little hot and solo.

[jen1722terry]

Hello again, Lisa,
We have the factory Sparten midship cleats on our 31. We like them and find them just large enough to hold two dock lines (usually our spring lines). They not only look rather elegant on our over-outfitted 31, but avoid a toe-stubbing hazard on sections of the side decks that that are frequently traversed by (sometimes) bare feet.

Jim's observation that they are big enough for two, 1/2" lines reflects our experience.

Jenn and Terry

[Neil Gordon]

I have an adjustable cleat on the starboard genoa track, which I find particularly useful in docking. With just a spring line, if I power forward and put the helm hard over to starboard, the boat holds fast to the dock. It took a bit of experimentation with the location of the cleat.

[Steve Laume]

It seems like there are quite a few who are ready to defend their cleats.

I often attach two lines to the cleat but that doesn't mean it is really big enough. You can drop a spliced eye or two over the cleat but that is not how I would like them to function. I can maybe tie one proper hitch on if I am careful. Certainly not two. If I am attaching two lines, I usually end up using half hitches like the cleat was some little post with ears. Cape Dory and Spartan did a great job with bow and stern cleats and chocks. I am sorry but I still don't think the mid ship cleats are big enough to do a proper job of what a cleat is meant to do.

And then they only put one stern cleat on the Typhoon as if you wouldn't want to tie up both sides in a slip. I have very few criticisms of our boats and certainly no others about the Spartan hardware but those horns on the midship cleats are just a wee bit small, Steve.

[Neil Gordon]

>>You can drop a spliced eye or two over the cleat but that is not how I would like them to function.<<

Okay, here we go. Welcome to Fall and the unresolved (so far) "Which end of the line goes on the dock?" question/discussion.

Traditionally, you toss lines ashore, one at a time, eye end first, and a handy line handler slips the eye over the cleat you want it on. On board, crew can ease a line, take up slack, or hold a line, using a convenient on board attachment point. It works well if you have (i) someone ashore, and (ii) crew on board. It works less well if you are docking alone, and taking your own lines from boat to dock.

By the way, leaving the dock without assistance on shore, dock lines cleated on board can be set up so that they can be released from cleats on the dock, even under strain, and then be brought on board. With the eye on board, a line under strain perhaps can't be released at all, and in any case, there's no way the line can then be brought on board.

One additional thought: Two eyes can share a cleat, and either can be released without disturbing the other. Not true for two lines cleated off one over the other. It matters less on small boats, but as forces increase, it's good to keep in mind.

[tjr818]

Not having a midship cleat, we drop the eye over the genoa winch, it work well for us and I would imagine you could drop more eyes than you would ever need over those winches.