272 Bow Cleats

[Andrew93]

Well the cover is off the boat and I have a bunch of work to do this spring, so I will be posting a lot for assistance. I pulled the injectors to send them out for service and plan on cleaning the O2 sensor this week. One project I need to do is add a bow cleat to either side of the pulpit. I only have one in the center now and the keepers were ripped off a few years back in a storm I guess.

On eBay now there is a listing for GW OEM 8" cleats for $60 each, but might oy be one left. Is this going rate or is there another recommended one that is more economical but same quality. Also I plan on backing the cleat with a piece of heavy plywood and washers or an aluminum plate of I can get my hands on some. The boat will be moored and I plan on tieing a line to each off the mooring ball, so I want to make sure it is secure. My old offshore had a brace from the front center cleat to the bow eye, but it was also a lifting cleat so not sure that is required here.

 

[DennisG01]

I know what the "custom" cleats that Sea Ray uses cost and they're more than $60. Unless what you're looking at is somehow custom and you want to match what's already on the boat, that's probably about right. However, you could simply use hollow-base cleats - at which you can pick-up a good one for about $20.

Forget the plywood - why introduce more wood into a boat? Aluminum plate is easy to get.

Another option... just use the bow eye. The boat would swing less on a mooring if you used a center attaching point, as well.

 

[Andrew93]

I am not too worried about matching anything since I would add one to each side, as long as it looks like it belongs. I saw some people recommending the bow eye as well, but also found on this site when searching about a Marlin that used that and ripped it out during a storm. My mooring location is very protected so even the worst day there is better than the best day in other areas.

I saw a lot of sailfishes with 3 cleats up front, one center and one to each side. Was shocked to see the one I bought was different. Just want to make sure I am tiring off right and where I should be.

 

[DennisG01]

That's very surprising to hear about that bow eye ripping off. Even on a boat of that size, the bow eye and the two stern eyes can be used to lift the boat. I would venture a guess that there were other factors at play there. BUT, even though you said you're in calm area, it's probably something that will always be on your mind (even if doesn't have any true merit) and it might be better to avoid that - simply for peace of mind.

Stainless, 8" or 10" hollow base cleats that use (4) through bolts each are easy to find and more than adequate. If you're not worried about matching things up, that's the way I'd do it.

 

[Andrew93]

I would I imagined the bow hook and the rear hooks would have been the strongest part of the boat as well. I guess what I am worried about is adding two cleats to the top deck and putting backing plates under them and that not be a strong enough spot to tie the boat to. I read an article about making sure to remove the wood coring from underneath before adding hardware such as this to prevent the core from being crushed and allow water in.

I have a bunch of other work to do to the boat as well and I might take your original advice on making a small bridal and using the front eye hook as a primary point of attachment unless I should do otherwise.

The first photo is not my boat, random one off google, but I do not have either of the cleats just behind the marker lights, just the one behind the pulpit. I just thought for a boat this size to have the single front cleat and then nothing until the midship cleats.

The second and third photos are of my boat and shows the single cleat I have and how the mooring line sits now. I wasn't thrilled with how the mooring line went over the side of the boat which is how the previous owner always tied up. I am curious if there are going to be spots if I can look up from the cabin somewhere and see where those cleats should have gone.

 

[ROBERTH]

You can see in my windlass install post, where I added 2 cleats to the edge of the bow deck with aluminum backing plates. They were bedded with 4200 and secured with nylon nuts. You don't have to tighten so much as to crush the deck. They are plenty strong for most all anchoring or mooring scenarios.viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19666&hilit=windlass+Lewmar+profish

I purchased two herreshoff cleats from attwood and they are identical to all the others installed by Grady.

 

[DennisG01]

I can see how, even if you had chocks on the pulpit, they would still probably not keep the lines far enough away from the anchor. Mounting cleats further outboard is a good idea. They could be mounted just forward of the first stanchion, or behind the light as you noted. I would base my decision on which has the best access.

I would have no reservations about mounting cleats to the top deck. A good backer plate and some 4200 or LifeCalk and you're good to go. Be sure to chamfer/bevel the bolt holes to avoid spider cracking.

I keep my Grady on a mooring in coastal Maine. I use a 15', 1/2" line and I splice two loops into the ends. I double it up, pass the center through the mooring ring to create a "loop", then the two ends back through the "loop". The trickiest part, and what sometimes need adjusting after a few days, is making sure both lines are kept at the same length. In fact, all of our boats up there in Maine are kept on mooring this way (some bigger, too) and we've doing that for probably 50 years. Well, I shouldn't say "all" are moored this way - some use a line off the bow eye -- the line we keep permanently attached to the bow eye... we call a "painter".