Spindrift cleats

[Greg Luckett]

Where have the Spindrift builders been mounting halyard and deck cleats?

[Hirilonde]

I use a jamb cleat on the mast just above the partner for the halyard.  What is a deck cleat?  Come to think of it, I don't have a deck  :shock:

[Howard]

My plans suggested a metal plate at the base of the mast, with turning blocks back to cleats mounted somewhere amidships where you can get your hands on them while seated aft and manning the tiller. I glued a pad onto my CB trunk to beef it up and mounted mine there:

Mine is a reefing sail, so it has one turning block for the halyard, one for the reefing line and one for the vang. The reefing line shown in the photo was too short, so it's missing at the base of the mast and at the cleats.

I don't have any additional cleats beyond the painter, which is tied to a bow eye. It was suggested that my rigging lines would snag on any additional cleats, so I left them off. If I was going to put a cleat on, it would likely be a foot or so forward of the transom, facing inside and bolted through the gunwhales (countersunk nuts or epoxy bushing poured around a waxed screw to form the threads). I would just use a cleat like that to tie to a dock or to hold the stern to a larger boat when rafted up.

[Greg Luckett]

Howard,

Thanks for the pics and the explanations. I am considering your setup and how I might use ideas from it for my sloop version. Unlike the cat version, the sloop's mast steps are on a foredeck, very close to the same level as the seats.  This is why I am thinking of mounting the cleats on the mast, as is done on a lot of the bigger boats. That minimizes clutter a bit I think.

Your boat is really nice looking. I am envious.

[Howard]

Greg:

The other place I've seen horn cleats mounted was on the vertical bulkhead by the mast partner. I glued a backing block on the inside of that bulkhead for that purpose, but later changed my mind and went with the plans. Putting on on the mast would also work. That's where it is on my big boat (17 footer) and it works fine.

[PeterP]

Here are more pictures - S 10 going on 20 years. Still works great. PeterP