Cleat vs bitt for anchoring

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Sailuke

Remember it is a cat 27, with only 6500 displacement. A proper Sampson post would work, but itd be a lot of hassle and wasted space. Wouldn't a properly backed large bitt preform in much the same way as a Sampson post with a boat this light? I also haven't seen the backing plates yet, but it seems that catalina didn't cut short on stainless steel washers and plates on the sanctions and winches.

A 4 bolt large cleat will hold as much as a 4 bolt mooring bitt IMO, but with lower profile. Both will lift the boat I bet.

[Jim Cate]

Re tying to the mast:

The Cat-27 has a deck stepped mast, and the step is none too robust at that. Putting a big load at the base would be a rather bad idea IMO.

Jim

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Re tying to the mast:

The Cat-27 has a deck stepped mast, and the step is none too robust at that. Putting a big load at the base would be a rather bad idea IMO.

Jim

Yep, not too fond of that. Left over notion from the old days when the mast was a tree trunk!

[Stu Jackson]

Do you have an anchor roller? With one or not, Rough's bridle idea is a good one, chain or not.

[neophytecruiser]

Discounting the use of the mast as a strong point for attachment for a towing hawser as 'from the old days' is not an entirely accurate characterization. This strategy was recommended for consideration by Hal Sutphen in a 1997 article published in Cruising World. Even at that point in history, sailboat did not routinely have "tree trunks" for masts. It was recommended in the article (as I mentioned in my post) that this is an alternative for boats with keel stepped masts. The lateral loads placed on most modern keel stepped aluminum spar cross sections by a properly secured hawser should be easily managed.

[HopCar]

When I had my boat built I had the builder put a large bit on the centerline.
I wish I had used two oversize cleats instead.

[Sailuke]

Originally Posted by HopCar

When I had my boat built I had the builder put a large bit on the centerline.
I wish I had used two oversize cleats instead.

why is that?

[CarlF]

I prefer rail mounted cleats as you don't need chocks - with the attendant chafe. Because the line between the chock and the bit stretches with each wave and gust, there is a lot of sawing action at the chock.

I would guess far more boats are lost due to chafe at chocks than cleat failure.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Sailuke

why is that?

I am guessing HopCar will say because they hurt a lot more when you fall on them, and they snag loose sheets and other things a lot more. The PO put two in the deck of my boat and that's what I've found!

[HopCar]

Sailuke, two big cleats would make it easier to handle multiple lines. When I've got two lines on the bit, the one I want to untie is always underneath the other one.

If I was to go with a bit again I'd choose a round one. The one I've got was made by Perko and is square with rounded corners. The corners are not round enough and will eventually chafe a line.

[HopCar]

Don's post brings up something I should have mentioned, my boat is a powerboat and I don't have to deal with all those strings you guys do. So a bit may be a better choice for a sailboat.

If lines fouling on cleats is a common problem, there are some very substantial pop up cleats available now.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Don's post brings up something I should have mentioned, my boat is a powerboat and I don't have to deal with all those strings you guys do. So a bit may be a better choice for a sailboat.

If lines fouling on cleats is a common problem, there are some very substantial pop up cleats available now.

Ahem... strings?

[HopCar]

Don, put me on a sailboat and it looks like a kitten got hold of a ball of yarn and spread it all around. A friend of mine is a cordage distributor. He supplies rope to big ships. I always ask him how the string business is.