A question about spinlocks on the h260

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Aug 10, 2010
178
Catalina 25 The mountains
I've never played with spinlocks so I don't know how far up or down you move the sheet to lock or unlock the spinlocks.
I found spinlocks where the base is made to replace jam cleats. If I use those to replace the jam cleats for the jib, I wonder if there's enough room to pull down on the sheet to lock or unlock the spinlock between the deck and the spinlock?
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
While I am unfamiliar with where the jam cleats are on your boat, I can tell you I used the Spinlock PXR as a jib sheet cleat on my '87 Catalina 22. It doesn't take a ton of vertical sheet movement to lock or unlock. I like them in this application with some caveats.

I will tell you that you want to buy the Spinlock cleats where the line is on the low end of the cleat's line range. For all Spinlock cleats and clutches you buy them based on the size of youir line for the intended application. If your jib sheets are in the upper range of the cleat's working range, you will find that the sheet will be harder to let out on a tack; sometimes it just doesn't run out smoothly, this from experience. I ended up moving down from the stock 1/2" jib sheet to 3/8" when I installed the PXR cleats, and I ended up making up new jib sheets from 5/16" to replace the 3/8" sheets after findind the 3/8" sheets would not tack easily in light breezes, requiring they be stripped from the cleat manually.

You may find that you cannot find a proper Spinlock cleat for the working load and line size on your larger jib, so keep that in mind. The largest Spinlock cleat accepts 8 - 10 mm line, (5/16" - 3/8") http://www.spinlock.co.uk/en-US/cle...-360-degree-precision-control-of-lines-8-10mm and I have a feeling you are using larger line for your jib sheets. Based on experience I would not run 3/8" through them.
 

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Aug 10, 2010
178
Catalina 25 The mountains
While I am unfamiliar with where the jam cleats are on your boat, I can tell you I used the Spinlock PXR as a jib sheet cleat on my '87 Catalina 22. It doesn't take a ton of vertical sheet movement to lock or unlock. I like them in this application with some caveats.

I will tell you that you want to buy the Spinlock cleats where the line is on the low end of the cleat's line range. For all Spinlock cleats and clutches you buy them based on the size of youir line for the intended application. If your jib sheets are in the upper range of the cleat's working range, you will find that the sheet will be harder to let out on a tack; sometimes it just doesn't run out smoothly, this from experience. I ended up moving down from the stock 1/2" jib sheet to 3/8" when I installed the PXR cleats, and I ended up making up new jib sheets from 5/16" to replace the 3/8" sheets after findind the 3/8" sheets would not tack easily in light breezes, requiring they be stripped from the cleat manually.

You may find that you cannot find a proper Spinlock cleat for the working load and line size on your larger jib, so keep that in mind. The largest Spinlock cleat accepts 8 - 10 mm line, (5/16" - 3/8") http://www.spinlock.co.uk/en-US/cle...-360-degree-precision-control-of-lines-8-10mm and I have a feeling you are using larger line for your jib sheets. Based on experience I would not run 3/8" through them.
I've got 3/8" lines.

I was planning on trying out single handing with the jam cleats anyway. I might run the line around the winch and then back to the stern cleats if the jam cleats don't work.
FWIW, here's a picture of where the jam cleat is located.
 

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Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
I've got 3/8" lines.

I was planning on trying out single handing with the jam cleats anyway. I might run the line around the winch and then back to the stern cleats if the jam cleats don't work.
FWIW, here's a picture of where the jam cleat is located.

What is the line going through the clutch back to the cleat?

I see a cam cleat next to the clutch; to me that seems the logical choice for cleating off a sheet, but I need to study the boat more; I will go look at some pics online. However, based on your pic, It doesn't look like you would be able to simply replace the jam cleat with the Spinlock piece unless you installed a wedge base to lift the aft end of the Spinlock cleat. Otherwise, it does not appear that there will be enough travel downward to lock the Spinlock cleat....

My brain is unclouding, and I recall that Hunter jib management is cabin rooftop, away from the helm; I understand a need for a solution...


****EDIT****

I have looked at a few 260 examples online. Now I understand that the wall of the cabin trunk is just aft of the cleat in the pic you attached. To me, you would have a workable solution with the PX or PXR cleats IF you were to simply add them as far aft on the cabin roof top as possible, maybe making a lopsided triangle defined by the jam cleat, the winch and the Spinlock cleat.

What you will want to avoid is accidentally locking your jib sheet in the cam cleat up there forward next to the clutch. If that happened, you would release the Spinlock cleat and the jib sheet would not be free.... Were you to try the Spinlock cleats, you might somehow remove or disable the cam cleat...

Other than that, I see that the PX or PXR cleats can be of benefit when single-handing your boat, being mindful of what I shared regarding line sizing. You might want to size-down to 5/16" line for your sheets if you can find line that will work for your load, (which I believe you can). It will be a little rougher on your hands, being smaller diameter, but it will move easier through the cleat than the 3/8" sheet(s).
 
Aug 10, 2010
178
Catalina 25 The mountains
What is the line going through the clutch back to the cleat?

I see a cam cleat next to the clutch; to me that seems the logical choice for cleating off a sheet, but I need to study the boat more; I will go look at some pics online. However, based on your pic, It doesn't look like you would be able to simply replace the jam cleat with the Spinlock piece unless you installed a wedge base to lift the aft end of the Spinlock cleat. Otherwise, it does not appear that there will be enough travel downward to lock the Spinlock cleat....

My brain is unclouding, and I recall that Hunter jib management is cabin rooftop, away from the helm; I understand a need for a solution...


****EDIT****

I have looked at a few 260 examples online. Now I understand that the wall of the cabin trunk is just aft of the cleat in the pic you attached. To me, you would have a workable solution with the PX or PXR cleats IF you were to simply add them as far aft on the cabin roof top as possible, maybe making a lopsided triangle defined by the jam cleat, the winch and the Spinlock cleat.

What you will want to avoid is accidentally locking your jib sheet in the cam cleat up there forward next to the clutch. If that happened, you would release the Spinlock cleat and the jib sheet would not be free.... Were you to try the Spinlock cleats, you might somehow remove or disable the cam cleat...

Other than that, I see that the PX or PXR cleats can be of benefit when single-handing your boat, being mindful of what I shared regarding line sizing. You might want to size-down to 5/16" line for your sheets if you can find line that will work for your load, (which I believe you can). It will be a little rougher on your hands, being smaller diameter, but it will move easier through the cleat than the 3/8" sheet(s).
The line going through the clutch is the main halyard.

I'll find a workable solution. I'm trying to avoid drilling holes. Others have replaced the horn cleats with spinlocks. The older spinlocks had holes which matched the horn cleats but that has changed.

I've got long enough lines. I think I'll try using the stern cleat for now.
 

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Aug 9, 2005
825
Hunter 260 Sarasota,FL
Phil has it right. We have spinlocks on our jib sheets and they work well. Ours don't have swivel bases but simply bolted to the deck. don't be afraid to drill and tap new holes if some inadequate hardware had been there, it's a very simple process to tap a new bolt into the existing embedded aluminum plate(or better yet just get long screws and through bolt it).

Here's a pic of our deck layout, on starboard the blue line in the clutch is for our main halyard, the blue fleck line in the cam cleat is for the single line main reef, and the spinlock handles the jib sheets. Green sheets are for the gennaker. The spinlocks work so well my crew is always happy....see;)

Good luck, Mike
 

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Aug 10, 2010
178
Catalina 25 The mountains
Phil has it right. We have spinlocks on our jib sheets and they work well. Ours don't have swivel bases but simply bolted to the deck. don't be afraid to drill and tap new holes if some inadequate hardware had been there, it's a very simple process to tap a new bolt into the existing embedded aluminum plate(or better yet just get long screws and through bolt it).

Here's a pic of our deck layout, on starboard the blue line in the clutch is for our main halyard, the blue fleck line in the cam cleat is for the single line main reef, and the spinlock handles the jib sheets. Green sheets are for the gennaker. The spinlocks work so well my crew is always happy....see;)

Good luck, Mike

It could be that beautiful blue water too. :D Sheesh, I need to move!
 
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