Has anyone with a H26 of H260 added forward port and starboard cleats? This will be my first season with a slip and it seems the single forward cleat may be overwhelmed with two 1/2" dock lines tied off to it. If anyone has some pictures it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you as always
H-26 Forward Boat Cleats
- Thread starter Dfisher
- Start date
I never had an issue with the single cleat in 16 years we owned our 26. That said, look in the hunter 26 modification section. There should be an article on adding a bow roller. The individual installed cleats horizontally on each side of the anchor locker. The single bow cleat is mounted in the sheer plane. The two bow lines actually counteract one another. The cleat should be fine. I never had a leak or any evidence of it pulling out.
bow cleats
Mine came with cast cleats on port and starboard sides with none on the topside. I changed them out to a larger more open stainless cleat for easier dock line handling. Inside the anchor locker the round ports give you access to the backing plates and nuts. The space between the inner and outer shell is filled with foam that needs to be cleaned out to give some mounting and working room. The hull is a little weak in this area so add a backing plate to spread the load.
Mine came with cast cleats on port and starboard sides with none on the topside. I changed them out to a larger more open stainless cleat for easier dock line handling. Inside the anchor locker the round ports give you access to the backing plates and nuts. The space between the inner and outer shell is filled with foam that needs to be cleaned out to give some mounting and working room. The hull is a little weak in this area so add a backing plate to spread the load.
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for a boat that size, you would be much better off with an 8-10" cleat, or samson post mounted in the center of the forward area of the foredeck... with chocks at the sides to run the dock lines thru..
the deck is stronger than where cleats usually get mounted near the sides of the boat, unless the manufacture mounted them there in which case the core will be extended out a bit farther, or some other form of reinforcement has been added.
a center mounted cleat is better if you want to snub the anchor rode to if you have an anchor roller... its a better place to pull from if you should ever need to be towed...
and it will be easier to install and seal correctly...
the deck is stronger than where cleats usually get mounted near the sides of the boat, unless the manufacture mounted them there in which case the core will be extended out a bit farther, or some other form of reinforcement has been added.
a center mounted cleat is better if you want to snub the anchor rode to if you have an anchor roller... its a better place to pull from if you should ever need to be towed...
and it will be easier to install and seal correctly...
Thank you Dewhunter. This is exactly what I'm looking for. Are those access ports added in or original?
I'm glad this thread came up. I have only owned my H26 for one year and have faced issues with the lack of suitable bow cleats. We spent a few weeks in the North Channel where we often rafted up with others and/or used two anchors.
When rafting up I would usually run the bow line (with snubber) across to the cleat on the opposite side of the boat. This way the cleat was not in tension. The downside of this is that it would prevent access to the anchor locker and would cause noises as it rubbed against the anchor locker lid. I would usually place a rag under the rope to prevent chafing.
I don't trust using the side cleats for serious anchoring. I like the idea of mounting a larger deck cleat with chocks(?) however that would interfere with the anchor locker lid as well since the chocks would have to be as near the bow as possible. The central bow cleat as currently installed is too small and is in a awkward location due to the headsail furler.
Dewhunter.... Do you have a better picture of your bow roller installation? I would love to see that.
When rafting up I would usually run the bow line (with snubber) across to the cleat on the opposite side of the boat. This way the cleat was not in tension. The downside of this is that it would prevent access to the anchor locker and would cause noises as it rubbed against the anchor locker lid. I would usually place a rag under the rope to prevent chafing.
I don't trust using the side cleats for serious anchoring. I like the idea of mounting a larger deck cleat with chocks(?) however that would interfere with the anchor locker lid as well since the chocks would have to be as near the bow as possible. The central bow cleat as currently installed is too small and is in a awkward location due to the headsail furler.
Dewhunter.... Do you have a better picture of your bow roller installation? I would love to see that.
lGents, One item to be sure to do, backing plate of sizable proportion that def. is a key. The inspection ports added in the anchor well, may I suggest that the forward berth bulkhead be removed for easier access.
Years ago, Hunter started adding a second drain to the anchor locker in the event that the main drain ever clogged up. The location was up on the side of the larger boats. Never done on the traielrables.
Years ago, Hunter started adding a second drain to the anchor locker in the event that the main drain ever clogged up. The location was up on the side of the larger boats. Never done on the traielrables.
the chocks do not need to be as near the bow as possible.... but the anchor roller should be.
when laying the rode thru a chock, its sometime desirable to have it running off to one side.. this is why anchor bridles were invented.
so you can adjust the boat on the rode to how it rides the best. sometimes the wind comes at a different angle than the waves, and you can get a better motion by adjusting the bridal. but if the wind and the wave dont come at different angles, then it still can give some benefits. some claim this helps to prevent swinging on the anchor...
but at the very least, having the chocks mounted on the sides aft of the anchor locker door doesnt harm anything at all...
and the central bow cleat being too small is the number one reason anyone would look for a different method.... installing a larger cleat in that location is the simplest and best way to accomplish all that a bow cleat can do....
My H260 has a cleat in the anchor locker . As well as a port and starboard one. What I really would like especially for solo docking is mid cleats on either side.
Bow cleat /roller
DFisher: The ports were there when I bought the boat, so I have no idea if it was a factory option. Maybe Crazy Dave knows. The size is 4" and the covers snap into place. Fred: Here are a couple more of the roller. In one pic you can see how hunter addressed the forestay deck load issue in '95, the u-bolt also serves as a location for a spinnaker mount. As for the idea for a big honking on the topsides: as you can see real estate is limited.
DFisher: The ports were there when I bought the boat, so I have no idea if it was a factory option. Maybe Crazy Dave knows. The size is 4" and the covers snap into place. Fred: Here are a couple more of the roller. In one pic you can see how hunter addressed the forestay deck load issue in '95, the u-bolt also serves as a location for a spinnaker mount. As for the idea for a big honking on the topsides: as you can see real estate is limited.
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Add another
I added a second since the aluminum plate in the bow is big enough. One of the though bolts only caught half threads and I had to add a small plate under. Then I made a stainless plate to stop the anchor chain damaging the bow fiberglass.
I added a second since the aluminum plate in the bow is big enough. One of the though bolts only caught half threads and I had to add a small plate under. Then I made a stainless plate to stop the anchor chain damaging the bow fiberglass.
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Fred, even with 8 months of hard water we still get to sail, for me it's on high altitude mountain lakes. The 70 mph winds out of calm airs are interesting. I have 100ft of chain and 200ft of 1/2 inch rode. Depending on water depth and conditions is how I set anchor. In calm shallow water I hook the chain over a bow cleat, as wind and waves pick up I go to a bridal on chain. In 35 ft of water I'm into the rode that is cleated off to the lee side cleat. At home on the lake anchoring is not too big a concern, on the west coast in salt water with tides and current added in, a little more care comes into play. Coastal waves on the bow are a lot higher than on a lake.
I added two cleats to the bow of my 23.5. I can take a picture tomorrow if you want, but someone had posted a pic in the 23.5 modifications if I remember correctly. I decided I had to do it when I put my boat in a slip a couple of years ago and came out after a storm to find that the two lines tied out to the pilings had ripped the center (read: original and at the time only) cleat free of the deck entirely. Thank goodness for spring lines. I backed each of the new cleats with a stainless steel backing plate ever so slightly larger than the base of the cleat.
Hunter did not add the inspection ports to any anchor well as you can access that area by removing the forward berth wall by removing several screws and carefully prying it out.
There were some who did not add anything other than a washer which stressed the glass which is why a plate of some kind was needed to distribute the load.....
There were some who did not add anything other than a washer which stressed the glass which is why a plate of some kind was needed to distribute the load.....
First I hope you enjoy having a slip as we have-leads to a lot more sailing since the boat is ready. We have had no trouble with the single cleat. It may be overdoing it but I have a clip that I attach to the fitting normally used to pull on the trailer. If the wind is not cooperating it is quicker to attach there to hold the boat in place and then place the proper lines.
Good sailing