H23 Rudder Help

[Dave Laing s/v WindSong]

Has anyone replaced the cam cleat on their h23 rudder? Old cleat worked great until it wore out. Replaced it with a RONSTAN RF5010. Breaking load of 792lbs.First time rudder hit bottom it blew apart. West Marine says "Sorry...no warranty".The cleat that was on the boat when I bought it (don't know if it was original)is engraved RWO, Britain. Any help? Maybe my neighbor Peter S. in Orlando has an idea. Dave Laing

 

[mike]

my thoughts

My cleat seems to be rounded off a bit, both the "teeth" and the cams. Not real "grabby". I think that allows the line to slip out under load (ie. when the rudder bottoms out). I have also made one modification. I added an "auto release jam cleat" that is designed to pop loose under extreme load. The way this works is, when it opens it pushes the line out from the rudder which (if installed beneath the cam cleat) helps push the line out of the cam cleat. I really need to get some pictures. Email me if you wanna see em.

 

[Wanderer138]

Sorry Dave

You got me on this one. I'm still on my original cleat which has held up very well (it still chews up the downhaul line pretty good). Have you tried contacting the factory?PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Kevin Keen]

Replacement Cleat

Dave: I had to replace my cam cleat last year. Used a Harken 150 Cam-Matic(R) Cleat. Min line diameter: 1/8 inch. Max line diameter 1/2 inch. Working load 300 lb. Breaking load 750 lb. The holes on the cleat lined up perfectly with the holes in my rudder assembly. I used it all last season.A word about cam cleats, they are notorious for not showing signs of wear and then one day, they suddenly don't hold.I think your cam cleat was pushed past its breaking load, and ... it broke. - Kevin.