Hobie Cat Forums

In moderate and heavy winds, my crew is having problems keeping the jib sheeted in, the problem is that the rope is slipping through the cleats. Now I'm fairly new to sailing and have an old boat and am not sure whether I should be replacing the jib sheet or whether the cleats I have are no good and need replacing. The rope looks to be in fairly reasonable condition so just not sure what to try first.

Any ideas how to decide which it is?

More than likely it's the jaws on the cleat. One or both of the jaws may be frozen or sticky and not rotate properly or the teeth on the jaws may be worn.

The newer cleats will also be easier to cleat and uncleat not to minchin hold your line better. One way to check to see if your they are working properly move the jaws with your fingers and see is they all open/close the same. Compare them with the cleat for the main as they should all work about the same. If they are all working the same your line may be to small or worn to the point it will not stay in the cleat. Let me know if I can help.



Thanks,
Brad Stephens
www.sunjammers.com
Authorized Hobie/Vanguard Dealer
Panama City Beach, FL
850-235-2281
brad@sunjammers.com

Thanks for the advice. I'll have a good look at them over the weekend to see what if anything can be done with them. If it's just a case that the jaws are worn, presume that there's no harm taking a file to the jaws and "sharpening" them up.

If it's an old boat, sometimes the springs in the cleat break or deform. I haven't been able to find replacements in several years though, and am on my last spare- guessI'll switch to Harken!