Side retracting cleats

[Yannis]

Last year I changed the 2 aft cleats with bigger ones. It has proven very useful in that they now can accomodate thicker rope, or more than one ropes, if need be.
Next is the change of the two bow cleats.

What I want to know is if anybody has any experience with retractable cleats (there are various models) for the sides.
We use them usually when docking is complicated, or, when there's side winds, so they have to be serious cleats, not just to look nice. Which type is sturdier, the one that folds to the side, or the one that completely retracts inside the gunnel and pops-up?
It's a pain to always stumble, or hit the little toe during each anchor visit.

[Tony Meola]

http://bertram31.com/newbb/viewtopic.ph ... ats#p79008

Yannis

This is a good discussion on pop up cleats.

[Yannis]

Thanks Tony,

What I've learned from this thread, is to avoid the ones with the button, because the spring goes bad after a while.
I'll see what my inox guy has and will come back.
I also saw that what I had thought would be toy cleats, I'm referring to the slide down ones, are indeed proposed by many of you.
Oh, I shouldn't forget that those side cleats, especially the stb one, is over where I sleep, so there should absolutely be no water dripping; I guess this leads me to folding cleats rather than pull ups, no?
I also didn't know they were so expensive !

[Tommy]

Gemlux 10" pop-up cleat; I've had them and they are perfect. They stow low enough in the flush position not to trip you, but they are beefy enough to handle the dock line for a 31 Bertram. Obviously installation with adequate backing plate is essential.

[Yannis]

Thanx Tommy.

[Waytooslow]

I used the folding Accorn 8" cleat on a 25' only because I did not want to make the larger holes/ openings that the popup cleat requires (some are a slot and others are 4 holes IIRC). I also did not want to worry about water getting inside around the cleat somehow. The fold-down cleats are two holes just like a standard deck cleat. I also used aluminum backing plates. None of them are cheap in the larger sizes especially when buying several. Todd

http://shop.acconmarine.com/products/23 ... cleat.aspx

Note that they have drip cups for the pop up cleats which they also make. They also have rod holder popup cleats which might be interesting

http://shop.acconmarine.com/category/3-cleats.aspx

[Yannis]

Thanks Todd.

Hoooooly cow, $150-170 for a cleat ?

[Carl]

Thanks Todd.

Hoooooly cow, $150-170 for a cleat ?

Is that too cheap???


LOL...boats, if you can't waste all your money on em...its time to move up to a larger size!

[Yannis]

Carl, I like your approach !!

After having read your various comments everybody, I conclude that the most important drawback of the pop up cleats is the huge hole that needs to be drilled, followed by the leaking element, and the spring, wherever it exists, that might, sorry, WILL go bad after a while.
So, I suppose I should look into the folding ones more thoroughly.

[Whaler1777]

http://flattopcleats.com

[Yannis]

John, looks nice and sturdy.
Did you see the weight? 6 kg for a cleat ?
Anyway, this one is almost completely flush which translates into a very big drill hole, someting I want to avoid.
I'll probably go with folding cleats, as oposed to pop ups or pull ups, but they will probably have a 2-3 cm profile so as to avoid my Berty's gunwale trauma !
I dont see bigger than 10' though.

[Pete Fallon]

Yannis,
The pull up cleats without the spring is what you want. Either Accorn or GEM makes a good stainless steel cleat, I used them when we built the Legend 34 back in the early 2000's. The cleat with the spring only lasts a few years before the salt eats the spring away. Granted they are expensive but no more stubbing your toes on the cleats especially the spring cleats. The cleats come with a template that gives the cut out profile and the hole is not that large.They come with or as a added part a plastic drain cup that fits under the cleat body then you can attach a drain tube to keep the water out of your V berth and spring cleat areas. They are well worth the expense, people wonder why boats are so expensive even as a builder 6 pull up 10" cleats cost me over $600 and that was 17 years ago.
Pete Fallon

[Yannis]

Thank you Pete.

[conchy joe]

Any chance you would donate one of your old bow cleats to my project? I would pay for shipping.

[Yannis]

Troy,

I would do that with pleasure.

HOWEVER, last time I tried to send some cleats and related material to the US, my parcel was opened from the US authorities (probably because it was a bit heavy and the contents were all metal, so they thought I was sending bomb parts or something), they put a sealing sticker that said that the parcel was opened by them alright, BUT, as the parcel for unknown reasons came back to me, there were a few things missing from it !! Being a few thousand kilometers away from where this happened, I didn't want to start a whole investigation for a cleat, a couple of rod holders and a battery switch stolen from the package. Perhaps I should.

Anyway, I first have to find what remains of them that might take up some time.
What is it exactly that you want?