Hobie Cat Forums

Is there a better option than the V cleat that's standard? It catches when I don't want it to and won't hold when I do. Standard mini cams are too thick to rivet to the cross beam (unless someone knows where I can get some longer rivets).

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

Check out page 25 of the Hobie catalog. My boat has a micro cleat with a wire fairlead riveted to the front cross bar. It works very well.

I used long screws to hold a cam cleat onto my beams.

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2001 Nacra 20
84 H16 108123

Maybe you can drill deeper holes in cleat instead finding long rivets

I used a "Lance" cleat when I had a furling jib.

k............................. i'll bite... what is a "lance" cleat?

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eric, sail #205

Lance cleat link:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... &langId=-1

These are too big. They are expensive but has anyone ever used the PXR Camcleats? Could one of these be easily mounted on the crossbar? My local West doesn't have one to look at.

http://catalogs.westmarine.com/WebProje ... abel=1004#

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

PXR is a spinlock cam. I currently use one for my spin halyard. These work well but will not hold the small diameter furler line well. They are known to slip with vectran or dyneema lines. Dyneema cored line with poly outer hold really well. I have seen one blow up from too much load but overall a good cleat.

Why do you think the Lance cleat is too big? It states it is for tight spaces.

I use a Harken Micro Cam-Matic (468 or 471 will work) with the 424 fairlead on top. Mounted on top of the front cross bar with stainless steel sheet metal screws. Has worked great for 15+ years. I tried the Lance cleat before the Harken. Can't remember why it didn't work (getting too old), but it didn't. Still have it sitting in my parts box.

Curious what size/thread screws. I've heard horror stories.

Lance cleat says it is rated for 3/16-3/8. Furler is 1/8.

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

Not sure. Just went to the hardware store and picked out the largest screw that would fit in the cleat mounting holes and stuck out the bottom about an inch or so. The furling line has very little tension on it. The stainless steel screws will eventually freeze in place due to dissimilar metal corrosion. If you really need to remove them, it is not too hard to break the heads off with a screw driver (I did this when I moved the cleat to a different boat/cross bar.

The best way to use a screw is to drill a hole smaller than the screw and thread the aluminum with the screw. You tighten, back off, tighten some more, back off until you have it threaded all the way thru. You will get galvanic corrosion around the screw if you sail in salt. My swivel cams for the jib are installed this way and have worked fine for 4 years now.

I mounted my little camcleat (w/ fairlead) w/ SS screws also ....

I would suggest that you mount the camcleat just a little bit aft of the "crown" of the front crossbar ... this means the camcleat will be angled upwards slightly .... it makes uncleating easier ... the furling line feeds out better .... and to re-cleat you just pull and push down slightly at the end .... (I use 1/8" parachute cord/batten string for my furler line .... nothing fancy required .....)

Congrats to Jim and Barbie Doty on being the Div11 High Points H18 2011 Champions .... and also winning 3rd Place at the HCA-NA NA's at Ocean Springs Miss in June .... a very good year for Team Doty!!!!!

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

Thanks Harry. We couldn't have done it without all the knowledge passed on by the rest of the Div. 11 H-18 sailors!

Jim

Can someone please share with us the placement on the front cross bar....
Would hate to drop the bows into a wave and go sliding forward and rip my wetsuit on a lance cleat...
About one inch to the port side of the mast? Two inches?

Sad day on Tuesday, it was that time of year to put the SX 18 away for the winter....

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1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'