Best cleats for spinaker

Would the steel cam cleats be better than plastic for the spinaker uphaul and tack lines? or any other solution

Having issues with my ronstan cleats letting go in 15 to 25 knots - adult size nappy moments. On my tack line the steel plate bends upwards 30 degrees, so think that is what is allowing tack line to let go, will be adding a plate under to reinforce it.

At present I just tie a knot around each cleat once up and cleated, wasting time in raising and dowsing spinaker.

Aluminum cam cleats. They definitely hold better than plastic under high load applications. Also, the plastic cams will eventually wear a "notch" in the teeth where the line passes through.

The type of line you use for your halyard also makes a difference. Some lines are much more slippery than others.

sm

I use a Spinlock for the haylard-retrevial line.

_________________
1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

The Harken Aluminum cleats will hole alot better than the plastic one. Had the same problem on my Tiger swapped to the harken alum and now it holds like a dream.

_________________
Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/

Thank you, have picked up Harken alum ones, will try this weekend wind willing.

If your tack is pulling up and releasing it will not matter what block you use, it will keep doing it. I was having issues with the tack blowing in heavy air. The pole was lifting enough to get the line above what the teeth could hold. I installed an angled riser plate under the cleat and tilted the teeth back. Fixed the issue and didn't need a new cleat. Pole height can also cause problems. You might even consider an internal tack line run thru the pole, I'm thinking about going that way to clean up the front a little. I mean with the self-tacker lines, spin sheets, spin halyard, spin tack and spin pole bridles plus the boats bridles there are a bunch of lines and wires up there.