Deck Cleats??
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Kratos
Member
No cleats.
jeffers
Active Member
I tried cleats on my very first Laser but found them a pain in the ar*e in light winds (literally). Pain in the leg when hiking and the main tends to cleat itself as you lean out.
I took them off pretty quickly, the sheet loads in a Laser are not that high.
Do remember that when they are at the front of the cockpit there is a re-inforcing pad under the deck. If you move them too far you may not have anything to screw in to.
I took them off pretty quickly, the sheet loads in a Laser are not that high.
Do remember that when they are at the front of the cockpit there is a re-inforcing pad under the deck. If you move them too far you may not have anything to screw in to.
Sailorchick
Member
I need cleats on the deck. I never thought I used them that much until borrowed another boat that didn't have them and was lost without them.
LooserLu
LooserLu
I am 100% on your side, too. Even the pro racing Laser that I bought from a former Team GER member came with deck cleats. The motto for deck cleats is: "The smaller the better."
torrid
Just sailing
Many years ago I just bit the bullet at went to the gym to build up my arm muscles. Besides being in the way when sitting forward in light air, I never found deck-mounted cleats to be conveniently located for use as a cleat I constantly trimming in and out, so they are of no use to me.
When I sold my old boat, the buyer said he was going to put cleats on it. I sailed it for almost ten years without deck cleats, but it was now his boat and he was free to do with it as he wished.
When I sold my old boat, the buyer said he was going to put cleats on it. I sailed it for almost ten years without deck cleats, but it was now his boat and he was free to do with it as he wished.
Sean
Member
You may be strong enough to hold the mainsheet for a whole race without cleating it once but that isn't what deck cleats on a laser are used for. They aren't meant to be a "pull the sheet on and forget it" kind of fitting. You should be trimming the main all the time even if you have cleats fitted.
The main use of a deck cleat is to act as a extra hand for those times when you need to make adjustments. You can make adjustments to sail etc much more smoothly and easily if you just cleat off the mainsheet for a second.
Once you give them a try , you will wonder why you waited so long to do it.
The main use of a deck cleat is to act as a extra hand for those times when you need to make adjustments. You can make adjustments to sail etc much more smoothly and easily if you just cleat off the mainsheet for a second.
Once you give them a try , you will wonder why you waited so long to do it.
Kratos
Member
And tear up your butt.
A large number of competitors at this year's Worlds must be missing out, then. They even went through the extra trouble of removing them.
Kratos
Member
That could result in some pricey dentistry...
I've always preferred and had success with the "switch main sheet temporarily to hand holding tiller" method.
Sean
Member
You would know more about that than I Shatty. I am a midfleeter (on a good day!) who speaks from the perspective of the nonathletic and the unskilled.
Cleats are useful for me at least, as a middle aged, midfleet, mid-everything sailor. I aspire to mediocrity Shatty. As Heller said in Catch22: "Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them."
I am sure the top guns at the laser worlds could probably remove their ratchet blocks, tillers and vangs and beat us both. Well me at least.
Kratos
Member
Take it easy, brah.
Any mild/light hearted form of disagreement on this board turns into a major offense.
I know because I was there as a volunteer, not competitor and had the chance to closely look at boat set ups.
Are you mad because I refuted your inaccurate post regarding squats?
You've definitely mastered the art of internet sarcasm, though. I must say congrats on that, as it can be a hard thing to achieve.
Any mild/light hearted form of disagreement on this board turns into a major offense.
I know because I was there as a volunteer, not competitor and had the chance to closely look at boat set ups.
Are you mad because I refuted your inaccurate post regarding squats?
You've definitely mastered the art of internet sarcasm, though. I must say congrats on that, as it can be a hard thing to achieve.
Sean
Member
No sarcasm intended Shatty. I am sorry that you read that and just saw sarcasm..
Is your detector not functioning correctly perhaps?
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Kratos
Member
Well, in that case, you should aspire to more, even if you achieve less.
If you aspire to mediocrity, how do you expect to exceed it?
sidewinder
Member
My boat had them on when I bought it. I used them a lot at first, but sailed a few times on a boat without them. Now I rarely use them except for cruising.
for what it's worth, i took them off, and have found that an interesting side effect is that it forces me to sail properly, i.e. depower the rig to make the boat sailable. If the sheet loads are too high to sustain, the rig's overpowered.
i've gone noticably quicker since taking them off... takes a little getting used to though - but i certainly don't miss sitting on them!
i've gone noticably quicker since taking them off... takes a little getting used to though - but i certainly don't miss sitting on them!
Sailorchick
Member
I need them.
They are not used for cleating the main whilst racing, only for when I need a free hand to adjust something then I might cleat briefly. Probably cleated for less than 1% of any race but I like having the option.
Their other big benefit is when you have been on the water for 6 hours, sailed 3 races and have a long sail home and are knackered. Then I will happily cleat the main and cruise home.
They are not used for cleating the main whilst racing, only for when I need a free hand to adjust something then I might cleat briefly. Probably cleated for less than 1% of any race but I like having the option.
Their other big benefit is when you have been on the water for 6 hours, sailed 3 races and have a long sail home and are knackered. Then I will happily cleat the main and cruise home.
torrid
Just sailing
That's when you use a foot cleat or a butt cleat.
Kratos
Member
Slip knots!
I agree, I find them useful for the quick adjustment here and there. I'm quite happy with mine - i guess it's one of those never ending debates....
^^ this... I have a boat with cleats and a boat without. I think the cleats are less offensive than the holes left behind be removing them.
I occasionally take breaks while sailing to do some 12 oz aluminum calisthenics. If I'm in the boat with the cleats I use them. If I'm in the boat without the cleats I tie a half assed fisherman's knot abot the ratchet block and set the then 'lazy' end of the main within arms reach... if a big puff comes along I can either uncleat or pull out the knot with one hand.
Dennis
Member
Here's a Laser with little cleats:
Doesn't look they he uses them much!
Dennis
Tomales Bay,
CA
Doesn't look they he uses them much!
Dennis
Tomales Bay,
CA