Congrats on the Compac 19. My honest answer is that I don't think it really matters. If you want a bitt, go ahead, but you don't need one. There isn't enough room on your foredeck to lay out, so I can't see it being in the way. Just be sure either the
cleat or bitt are properly backed and secure.
My personal preference would be to stick with a
cleat. I find them more versatile. If the mooring penant has a big thick loop that you need to push through a
cleat and then up and around the
horns, I do understand needing a bigger
cleat. Although, if that is the case, I don't understand how the bitt helps.