Mast cap position

Amfab

Member
I am installing a cleat on my minifish mast.
I just want to confirm that the hole in the mast cap for the halyard should be positioned perpendicular to the length of the hull.
So the cleat installs on the same side of the mast as the hole for the halyard.

Thank you

-Andrew

Like this drawing:

Untitled-1.png
 
I am installing a cleat on my minifish mast.
I just want to confirm that the hole in the mast cap for the halyard should be positioned perpendicular to the length of the hull.
So the cleat installs on the same side of the mast as the hole for the halyard.

Is that a clam cleat you are installing or a traditional cleat (picture below)?
1596769661000.png
 
A note on cam cleats: one side developed a broken internal spring, which made it useless. :oops: It was otherwise a nice French-made cleat, with metal faces. :(

I "McGyvered" it by drilling a hole upwards into the defective side. 'Then put in a pop-rivet to lock the [bad] side in place. The one [good] side holds the mainsheet well, and the repaired cam cleat acts like a clutch when stressed. (Desirable for a Sunfish mainsheet, IMHO).
 
Cam Cleat. I put one on my Minifish and one on my Sunfish. I really like them.
-Andrew
I have not considered putting a cam cleat on a mast. That’s interesting. Do you have a link to the brand and model?
 
A note on cam cleats: one side developed a broken internal spring, which made it useless. :oops: It was otherwise a nice French-made cleat, with metal faces. :(

I "McGyvered" it by drilling a hole upwards into the defective side. 'Then put in a pop-rivet to lock the [bad] side in place. The one [good] side holds the mainsheet well, and the repaired cam cleat acts like a clutch when stressed. (Desirable for a Sunfish mainsheet, IMHO).
I am sorry it was typo, I meant clam cleat, sometimes called a jam cleat.
 
Wavedancer posted a few thoughts on mast cleats a while back:

I am not in favor of c(l)am cleats for the halyard; my recommendation is a simple horn cleat because a c(l)am cleat on the mast

1. doesn't allow you to tie a Jens rig (ever)

2. doesn't allow you to drastically change the diameter of your halyard

3. is probably more expensive

A horn cleat is likely to be more gently on the line.

If you never plan to use a Jens rig, maybe it’s not an issue. Just wanted to pass the thoughts along.
 
I’ve got three masts. Two are race legal and the third with nothing on it right now, but I might try Amfab’s clam cleat on it because it sounds like a very fast way to secure the halyard before going through the process of setting up the boom bang and cleating it to the horn cleat on the deck.
 
I got the Idea from Tag. Some others mentioned that its a racer things to do. I went this route because the Minifish does not have a halyard fairlead or little block like the Sunfish and I heard that someone tore out their cleat from the deck of a Minifish because the halyard pulls straight up on it. I was worried, especially since I planned on putting the Sunfish rig on it at times, which would be even more stress.

When I am down in Mexico I take a few cinderblocks and tie about 20 feet of line to them and put a fishing net float/bouy with a carabiner on the end and keep both boats in about four or five feet of water about 50 feet off shore during the day. That way I can hop on and off either boat really easily throughout the day. If the wind is light I may leave the sails up for convenience, but if it gets a little breezy I drop them while they are out there so nothing gets thrashed. I found the clam cleat makes it much easier to raise the sail and do the little pull-down-the-gooseneck/vang set up while standing in four feet of water. I assume it would make emergency rigging/de-rigging easier in deeper water easier as well.
Anyway, it worked well, so I put one on the Sunfish too.

Moored.jpg
 
Man it is great down there. I only wish I could get down there more often. Right now its like four days every couple of months.
 

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