Is this cleat upside down?

[davidpm]

Actually this one is right side up.
I meant to take a picture of a cleat on the other side of the mast that was the opposite.

It is a pet peeve of mine that so often cleats are just exactly the minimum size to possibly work. Like this one.

[Pub911]

i don't think so. wrap under then up and then down again (360 at this point) into the "jam" side.

[poopdeckpappy]

I agree w/ Pub

[tager]

Small cleats annoy me too.

[deniseO30]

I believe the "jam" side is up so gravity helps the line stay put although it wouldn't matter on the horizontal

[roline]

It should run through the turning side and jam on the other. It it is the other way it is a *!%#*%!! to get off.

[Izzy1414]

I would think that which way a cleat on the mast is oriented would be dependent on what its intended use was. I could envision one mounted the opposite of a halyard cleat for something like a cunningham or an out haul, depending the way they were rigged.

[sailingdog]

No, that cleat is mounted properly... you never want the jam side of the cleat to be taking the initial wrap from the line... it can make it almost impossible to free the line if the load is too heavy, and dangerous besides. Also, as DeniseO30 says, gravity is helping as well... but that's a minor consideration compared to the danger of the load being on the jam side of the cleat directly.

[Izzy1414]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

... you never want the jam side of the cleat to be taking the initial wrap from the line... it can make it almost impossible to free the line if the load is too heavy, and dangerous besides.

Uh huh, as well as the fact that you really can't tension the line properly if the first wrap goes around jam side first. Pulling on the line will jam the line in the cleat instead of tightening the working end of the line.

[sailingdog]

what do ya mean.... you're supposed to tension these lines??? damn, that explains so much....

Originally Posted by Izzy1414

Uh huh, as well as the fact that you really can't tension the line properly if the first wrap goes around jam side first. Pulling on the line will jam the line in the cleat instead of tightening the working end of the line.