cleat size and strength

[txtowman]

"I was envisioning two guys trying to come along side in the sloppy sea. Tiny production boat stern cleats taking the shock of lines snubbing in the surge, uncontrolled yawing of the disabled boat, a little diesel trying to cope with the extra load. Being close to fish people or other things out of the water if necessary seemed like a good idea as well."

My catalina 22 has 6 inch nylon cleats are they strong?
Or strong enough?

Is stainless or aluminum stronger for the size.

Should mine be bigger?

This is an upgrade that would be economical and a great improvement.

 

[Ross]

For towing the bolts take the stress of the line load. But modern 3/8 inch line is about as strong as 1/4 inch bolts.

 

[txtowman]

thanks Ross for both replies

 

[txtowman]

So if I use a 1/4 buffer line(not hi strength), it should break before I pull out two cleats on a bridle?

 

[txtowman]

When I tow people I usually raft them to my side and go slow unless we are going a long distance.

 

[Joe]

You could always use the primary winches if you're concerned about the cleats not holding.

 

[Roger Long]

What an opening for a wisecrack

I can't imagine an outboard powered boat like a C 22 towing hard enough to need much larger cleats. OTOH from what I've heard about some Catalina construction details, you might check to be sure there are backing blocks inside under the cleats.

If the cleats are aluminum, stainless would look better, be stronger, and stay smoother so as not to chafe lines.

 

[sailaway78]

Backing plates

Don't make much difference how strong the cleats are, if they are not properly backed up and attached with good hardware. Has to be part of a system. The weakest part is always what is gonna break.

 

[Tim R.]

I saw a powerboat last week try to pickup a mooring in high winds break a cleat from the deck. They kept approaching the mooring 90° to the wind. They first bent and destroyed the boat hook. Then they managed to get the pennant with the help of the launch operator and putting the wife at the controls. The husband got the pennant on the cleat and for some reason told her to go forward. She gunned it, the cleat broke loose. The husband started yelling and they just drove away.

All through this we came in and picked up an adjacent mooring. I was going to take the dinghy over to help but my wife thought I would get run over with their questionable piloting skills. I think they must have been new to boating. I also remember seeing them navigating their way into this harbor making lots of 90° turns.

I don't think I have ever seen a properly sized and used cleat break.