Quick Halyard Cleat Question....

A2

A2

New Member
What is underneath the deck that this cleat screws into ? Piece of plywood ?

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I'ld like to replace the cleat for now, but worried that if it is just plywood, it's too soft to try screwing into again.

In the future I'm going to do an inspection port, and hopefully replace the cleat with a block, leading the line aft to a clam cleat near cockpit. Can I just back them with Marine Grade Plywood ?.... I probably should just do that now, eh ????

Back story;
Was skipping across Canyon Lake a week ago and powering up after a tack, my Halyard cleat shot out, missing my face by inches, and landed 100 feet away in the lake.
Made it back to campsite, by holding the halyard with teeth and foot, main sheet in one hand and tiller in the other. Awesome.
I say if something isn't breaking, your not sailing hard enough.
 
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It depends on what year your boat was manufactured. They switched to aluminum backer plates in 1986 rather than the teak they used previously. You can probably fix this temporarily by filling the holes with marine tex and re-drilling until you make a more permanent repair with an inspection port. You can find more information about how the sunfish is constructed in the knowledge base on this site.
 
I am not sure marine tex will hold it. If it does not, you sail without it although the solution is a bit unorthodox. Hoist the sail, and tie the halyard to the bow handle. Assuming your sail is not set to be really high, and the gooseneck is in a normal location - 17-20 inches or so, it looks weird, but it works!!! BB
 
Install a (halyard) cleat on the mast to take the major load off the deck cleat. There's a lot of info in other threads on the 'how to'.
 
Yes, the halyard cleat on the mast is the way to go but you still need to secure the tail end of the halyard to the deck so you don't lose the whole rig in the event of a capsize. So if you
install the mast mount cleat you can probably get away with the Marine Tex fix on the deck cleat as there will be very little load on the deck mount cleat.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
Is the bullseye fairlead still OK? That should be taking the vertical load (temporarily tie it off there?). That converts the deck cleat screw load to shear, and M'tex MIGHT hold it. In any case, the cleat on the mast is highly recommended.
 
danpal said:
It depends on what year your boat was manufactured. They switched to aluminum backer plates in 1986 rather than the teak they used previously. You can probably fix this temporarily by filling the holes with marine tex and re-drilling until you make a more permanent repair with an inspection port. You can find more information about how the sunfish is constructed in the knowledge base on this site.
Click to expand...

Remember that the boat he's having a problem with is not actually a Sunfish - it's a similar-looking clone.
 
Aha! I didn't look carefully at the photo. No wonder it pulled out. Mast cleat's the only quick solution to that one. . . keeping AlanG's caution on securing the rig in mind.
 
A mast cleat is quick and easy and solves your problem permanently.

Also, sailing without a deck cleat or bullseye is easy and no need to tie the halyard to the bow handle (which is also prone to breaking). Hoist the sail, and then below the gooseneck tie a half hitch around the mast and then just start wrapping the halyard around the mast a bunch of times. Do it nice and tight and tuck the rope under itself on your last loop and voilà.


Hope that made sense. I did that half of last summer.
 
brianZ71 said:
A mast cleat is quick and easy and solves your problem permanently.

Also, sailing without a deck cleat or bullseye is easy and no need to tie the halyard to the bow handle (which is also prone to breaking). Hoist the sail, and then below the gooseneck tie a half hitch around the mast and then just start wrapping the halyard around the mast a bunch of times. Do it nice and tight and tuck the rope under itself on your last loop and voilà
Click to expand...

Not sure that I follow...what keeps the mast in the step (and the rig seated on the boat) if you capsize?
 
minifish2 said:
Not sure that I follow...what keeps the mast in the step (and the rig seated on the boat) if you capsize?
Click to expand...
ah yes, I forgot that. Tie the tail of the hailyard to the deck cleat/bullseye/bow handle/any fitting that's not broken off your ghetto boat :D
 
Can't thank y'all enough for the advice.
1. never thought of tying it off to the bow handle. I'll remember that one.
2. Preparing for a capsize is also great advice, as I can guarantee I will be capsizing.

If any of y'all are ever around Canyon Lake, post up. I'ld like to thank ya personally over a stiff breeze or a cold beer.
 
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