SO37 SF37 Deck Cleats

[busytown]

On my 2003 SF37 I have deck cleats 2 on the stern and 2 on the bow.  I really could use additional cleats midships or elsewhere.  Wondering if the aluminum toe rail is strong enough to support a snap shackle or other item for docking etc...

Has anyone added a cleats else where?

[Charlie-Bravo]

Good to see you have a midships fairlead, even if no cleat, a great asset for mooring to a jetty, midships technique.

I would resist adding a cleat to the toe rail , they are quite strong but not really mooring proof, a deck mounted cleat would be stronger and not all that difficult to add, four holes, a backing plate to spread the load and some sealant , access is just a partial headlining removal.
With a little forward planning … having everything to hand, it’s less than a days work, but even if you are not speedy it’s achievable on a weekend.
Place them close to the toe rail or they can present a trip hazard.

I have seen folk use a strop from the shroud base instead of a cleat, it works, but not as tidy or easy to use as a nice cleat, but an option.

CB

[rene460]

Hi Busytown,

I am one who uses the strops already referred to as a substitute centre cleat. The idea was to be temporary until I received an answer from Jeanneau about whether the centre cleat could be installed. Eventually the answer was yes, I could drill holes in the deck and install the cleat with load spreading washers below, preferably close the the edge where the deck and hull mouldings overlap. But by then, the rope strops had proven so effective that I decided not to drill the holes for a cleat. After all, why drill holes in a perfectly waterproof hull if it is not absolutely necessary? By the way, CB and I are in opposite hemispheres so mine is an additional example to the ones he has seen. Obviously I was not as original as I thought. I am comfortable with knot tying, so have no issues with removing the strops when I am away from the boat, and replacing them as part of opening up for the next trip. Saves UV degradation of the rope and eye.

My wife threads the mooring line through the nylon eye on the loop of the strop, and back to the winch. When we arrive at the dock, she drops the loop in the end of the mooring loop over a post about the centre of where we want to be, and then I snug up the rope on the winch, using the handle if necessary to bring the centre of the boat back in. (Sometimes necessary if the wind blows us off before I cleat the winch, for example. A small boat can move surprisingly quickly when you don’t want it to.)

Definitely worth a try before you commit to something more permanent, but I am sure you will be convinced once you try it. Very easy to do when your toe rail already has a centre fairlead.

I would also caution against using the toe rail for mooring loads, especially horizontal loads at right angles to the rail. The enormous snatch loads occur if a wave, or even slop from a passing boat, causes the mooring line to slacken then suddenly tighten, especially with a short mooring line. A longer mooring line, has some length to stretch, which reduces the snatch load. Best is to use the centre line to quickly hold you close and parallel to the jetty, then rig normal bow and stern lines and spring lines with some near horizontal length, as this helps to prevent those snatch loads. Then slacken the centre line.

That’s a long winded way of saying I believe the toe rail is not strong enough for mooring loads. If you want to instal a cleat, choose the location carefully to avoid the trip hazard as already mentioned, remove some internal lining so you can see the under side before you drill, and use a large backing plate, bedded in with generous quantity of sealant of fibreglass body bog to spread the load over the fibreglass, and seal the bolts in with more sealant. Then it makes a great place to tie off the end of your spring lines when you slacken the centre line.

Rene460

[Quiddle]

I fitted these

www.svb24.com/en/pfeiffer-midrail-cleat-for-32-x-6-mm-track-with-thread-end-piece.html

to my SO36i.
I slid them to the fwd end of the track when ot in use. I was a bit concerned that the genoa track may not be up to the forces but it survived a storm which caused two 14mm mooring lines to part.