Boat Cleats?

Looking for some ideas on what to do with the cleats on my Navigator. They keep eating fishing poles. Anyone else ever have this issue? The rod slips under the T style cleats and when you pick them up snap. My boat must of eaten a half dozen rods like this so far. Was either thinking about putting something over them or trying to change them out to a different style.

Any ideas?

You can pull them off and install the ones that drop down into the gunnel if they fit. The other thing you could do would be to get parts for rails and make some small rails that go over the top. You could use them to hold rod holders and it would keep your rods from getting under the cleats. I have my rails on the back over the top of my cleats. I broke a legend tournament rod on a cleat in my old boat, so I feel your pain.

Cut off a piece of rubber hose and wedge them under the cleats or old bobbers also work same way. I know skeeter has this same problem before the new models came out in the early 2000’s and that is what I have seen people put into those cleats to prevent breaking rods.

Pop up cleats!

$200 will get you 4 new cleats, and your boat will (probably) never eat another rod.

Have been looking at those jason. Not sure if I want to test my boat construction skills. You have to remember a good amount of the work us plumbers do is hidden in the walls for a reason.

Little to spendy for me. what about these?

marine cleats

I have added a couple of these and they work really well.

Those are good for anchor ropes. Not so good for tieing off the boat as with any slack rope they seem to come undone. Have you noticed that? There is one on the bow that works great for anchoring.

Yea, I just use mine for the anchor rope.

Never tried these, but they look interesting, no cutting involved at least.

another cleat

To me, there is a chance of failure on something like that which doesn’t exist on a standard cleat. If I’m tying my boat off to a dock, I want to be sure it will still be there when I come back. I don’t think I would sleep as well at Evert’s on a high water / high debris week knowing my boat was secured with those. But, that’s just me.

You need some rod holders.

There are cleat clamp ones that just cover the cleat. One stone, two birds. Bye.

Get you some dense but flexible styrofoam that you can wedge firmly into the open space in the cleat. Tie a piece of cord to it and the cleat and you won’t lose it in the wind or when you are tying up.

Pete

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Have been looking at those jason. Not sure if I want to test my boat construction skills. You have to remember a good amount of the work us plumbers do is hidden in the walls for a reason.

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Bring her down Mike, I’ll put em on for ya over a few coolies! GL is tonight at Tucks!WOO HOO!

These fixed that problem for me Mike!

folding cleats

I’d say it’s time to buy a new boat, Mike. One with the retracting cleats.

Thanks Francis. Ill pass this on to the wife. Most of those types of boats are fiber glass if I remember rite.

Thanks for the help guys. Ill have to take another look at the boat soon and figure out how hard it is going to be to pop the rivets out and get new ones on. Maybe Ill get lucky and find something where the holes will line back up.

Mike,

I’ve had the same issue on my Navigator but have not pulled the trigger to replace them. I keep thinking about something I can clamp over them while not in use but I don’t really want to add bulk. I like the ones that Jason suggested but the rail on the Nav. just does not lend itself to those well. I have also looked at the ones Tom suggested and may try those in the back where I fish most and change the front cleats out to the zig-zag anchoring cleats that have been suggested.

Good luck and keep us posted.
Dave

I am going to look at the ones Tom suggested to. Mine will be getting done some time here in April one way or another. Need to have them done before the busy fishing time starts in may. Ill reply back on how it goes.

a couple of years ago, I came up with this idea, but I’ll be danged if I can find the picture. Imagine using a piece of aluminum, maybe 1/16″ thick, about 2″ longer than your cleat, and 2-1/2″ wide. Bend (lengthwise) so that it is 1-1/2″ on one leg, and 1″ on the other. The wider side will mount under your cleat, the narrower leg will be on the inner side of the cleat. To avoid having sharper edges, radius the corners at either end of the cleat, and if you have any edging, finish the edge. When your rod slides toward the cleat, the aluminum bracket slides the rod up and over the cleat.
Dang, I wish I could find that picture,,,,,
HRG

I was just thinking of trying to create something very similar to that. Kind of like a little flipper that could be bent forward to insert a rope, but would flip up against the front end of the cleat to keep rods from sliding under the cleat. I just haven’t figured out how to make it yet. I’m a computer guy, so manufacturing is not my strong suit.

Been thinking about this for years, ever since the last Avid that I busted in a cleat. My Legend Xtreme slipped under a cleat last Monday… I was fully aware and didn’t bust the rod, but that was the last straw.

Here is what I’m thinking.

I have a bunch of beverage tubing leftover from building my kegerator. Its about the right size….

I’ll cut a piece off so it is about 3 inches longer than the cleat on each side (so about 6 inches longer total).

Cut the middle of the belly of the tubing so it sits on top of the cleat, but the cleat ends sit inside the tubing to hold it in place. I suppose some tape or fishing line could be used for exta hold if needed. It should extend past the cleat on each end so that a mooring line could easily be slipped in/out (very pliable tubing), but a rod would never make its way into the danger zone…

I attached a photo/drawing to try to get the point across. It is as much for comic relief as illustration.

I know I should just quit being cheap and install new ones, but its more fun to think up these sorts of solutions….

BTW, If I get this done and if it works (I have the tubing sitting in the boat, just need to get off my and do it), I’ll post a pic.

Mike, if it works do you have enough tubing left when you are done for 4 more?

…or where might one find such tubing (size, etc.)?

I actually put them on yesterday, and it did work pretty well!!! I didn’t get a photo, but will try to get that tonight if I remember. Not sure how durable it will be over the year(s), but seems ok so far. My concern would mainly be the tubing ripping and/or being pulled off possibly, but a couple of zip ties might hold it in place if needed… (Probably won’t be necessary as far as I can tell)

I used some leftover gas/beverage line tubing that I had left over from Midwest Supplies (a homebrew supply store out of Minneapolis). In Eau Claire, Cap-N-Corks near DoubleDays is about the only homebrew store near us that might possibly carry the tubing. Otherwise, Menards or other hardware store might have something similar.

Terry, yes I have some extra. You’d be welcome to it. You fishing with us on Wed?

Mike