Cleat or not

O

Owyn in Barnsley

New Member
I have the mainsheet cleats on the side deck of my boat, I rarely if ever use them but do tend to sit on them quite often which tends to rip the bum out of my hikers.

What is the general concensus, do you have cleats or not.

Am I missing out on a major performance advantage by not using them?
 
Been sailing Lasers for 10+ years with no mainsheet cleat. I worked hard to build arm muscle so I didn't need them, and found they just got in the way when moving forward in light air. Some people do use them momentarily to hold the sheet while they crank on an extra amount of vang.

Personally, I would take them off your boat.
 
I used to think I didn't need cleats, until I had a long, wet, windy 2 mile beat back to shore at the weekend. I was glad I had them!!
 
Surely if it's windy enough to be pulling your arms off you need to be doing some pretty rapid triming and don't want to be having the sheet stuck in a cleat.
 
i was beating back in from the finish of a race, so rapid trimming was not necessary and almost impossible after three races in 30kts!!
 
installed them on my new boat.

When you are cruising around after a race, getting a drink, eating a powerbar, it's way easier to cleat than just tie a knot, or hold the sheet.

also, if you need to quickly fix something (daggerboard rides up, control lines dragging on leeward side and can't reach) quick cleat, grab, and back to trimming.

Finally, I'm 135lbs, and in 15kts, if there are bigger gusts, I will ease the mainsheet before the puff, cleat it, and then hike with both hands at least at my neck. Or the trimming hand will go over my head.

Not pretty, but I got to work my tail off to get the boat at all flat.
 
As an alternative to cleats, for those that whose arms get tired, try moving up in ratchet block size. The holding power of the big Harken is 50% more then the smaller ratchet. It's really easy to feel the difference.

IMHO, this is one area where copying those who are sailing and training a lot doesn't make sense for the weekend warrior.
 
I have to say I did miss having cleats this weekend in a regatta. Blowing 25 knots'ish, arms tired, cold water blah blah blah. But I'm not sure if I'd put them on yet. The idea of sitting on them isn't a pleasing thought. My old boat has them and I am constantly sitting on them when I use that boat. I tend not to sail in big winds like that to often. So having them just isn't worth it for me to put them on the new one.

Cheers
Mark
 
I do not sail with cleats on my boat. As a kid I was always told it was bad practice and a capsize waiting to happen. I honestly think its a personal preference, I know some really good sailors who actually use cleats.
 
ive always been taught not to cleat. a cleat doesnt let u play the main/ prepare for a gust / dump wind/ sudden tacks. if u need to adjust vang or something like that just put it in your other hand with your tiller extention. to help train ur arm in light enoufgh wind turn ur rachet off and it will help build ur arm.
 
Personally, I can't stand cleats.

I just hate the feeling of not having total control, which using cleats causes. I'm constantly adjusting my mainsheet, so using cleats simply end up poking me and getting caught on things.
 
49208 said:
As an alternative to cleats, for those that whose arms get tired, try moving up in ratchet block size. The holding power of the big Harken is 50% more then the smaller ratchet. It's really easy to feel the difference.

IMHO, this is one area where copying those who are sailing and training a lot doesn't make sense for the weekend warrior.
Click to expand...

Will using the larger block slow down the ability to ease the main in light winds. Is it class legal. Which harken block do you recommend.
 
175085 said:
Will using the larger block slow down the ability to ease the main in light winds. Is it class legal. Which harken block do you recommend.
Click to expand...

Most of the blocks have an on/off control for the ratchet, so if you think the big block is hindering easing the sheet in light air, you can turn it off. (The autoratchets usually have an adjustable setting on the amount of tension turn off/on based on that)

Bigger ratchets are legal. The standard in the US before the little hexaratchet came out was the Harken Hexaratchet II+2 (Part # H007) This is a 3" block which is ~ the same as a 75mm block (which other manufacturers besides Harken offer)

The II+2 is the one with 50% more holding due to the bigger surface area of the block against the mainsheet.
 
I have the tiny ronstan ones on my boat. Sitting on them isn't all that bad, and you never know when you will need them, fixing something, vang, etc stuff that was mentioned above
 
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