Where have all the jam cleats gone?

[JoeMcGinty]

My first two day sailors had jam cleats for the jib sheets. These were like a conventional horn cleat except one of the horns had a narrower slot that the sheet could be jammed through. You simply took your turns around the winch, brought the sheet around the wide side of the jam cleat and then through the narrow side. A quick tug and all was well.

In looking at e-bay for the last three weeks while restoring an old Catalina 22, I have not found any jam cleats beyond dinghy size. How does the modern world control it's jib sheets? Thx.

[waterdog52]

Hunter 23-clam cleats

[RocketScience]

Originally Posted by JoeMcGinty

...I have not found any jam cleats beyond dinghy size...

Schaefer still manufactures a decent selection of self jamming cleats:

Schaefer Cleats

Originally Posted by JoeMcGinty

...How does the modern world control it's jib sheets? Thx.

Many of us are running self tailing winches now, which pretty much eliminates cleating.

Lewmar Self Tailing Winches

[garyguss]

Judy Collins sings .... Gone to Cam Cleats everyone !

[DelmarRey]

They are all in my garage or on the boat.


.

[brak]

cam cleats work better in my opinion - easier to get line in, easier to get it out in one motion, hold really well.

[Sailormon6]

I have self tailing winches and jam cleats on my C&C 35. I use the jam cleats when racing and when tacking frequently, because they're quick and easy to use. Unlike cam cleats, they have no moving parts to break or wear out, and they're easier on your line, because they don't grip your heavily loaded line between sharp teeth. I use the self tailers when cruising and when on a tack for awhile. I have never liked cam cleats because you have to pull them far enough through the jaws to open the jaws and grip the line. With a jam cleat, I can ease a sheet slightly and re-cleat it with one hand, even when the line is heavily loaded. With a cam cleat, it takes two hands to re-cleat the line when it's under load.

[QuickMick]

http://www.rigrite.com/hardware/Cleats/Jam_cleats.html#4" Deck Cleats

[garyguss]

I was going to ask how they handled under load, I like the idea of no moving parts