Another way to cleat

[davidpm]

I was helping a guy move a boat to another slip and put the spliced loop of the dock line in the little hole in the middle of the cleat so I could fold it back over the cleat so it could not fall off.

He said, "If you were rafted up to another boat and it caught on fire how would you release the line'"

He then showed me a different way.
He just dropped the loop over the cleat then twisted the loop 180 degrees and looped it over the cleat horns again.

Ever see that method?
The downside I saw was that it doesn't self adjust so only one leg gets all the strain.
If that doesn't make sense I'll have to make a video.

[midnightsailor]

If therewas tension on that line you would still have trouble uncleating it. Lines should always be cleated onboard in the standard manner so they can always be released or adjusted even when there is a strain on them. The only exception to this I see is if you are at your own dock and have permantly made up and adjusted lines, in that case putting the end with the loop aboard and dropped over the cleat and double 180 and placed over the horns again if you like, would be ok, IMHO..Rick

[n0w0rries]

Originally Posted by davidpm

He said, "If you were rafted up to another boat and it caught on fire how would you release the line'"

With a knife

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by davidpm

He said, "If you were rafted up to another boat and it caught on fire how would you release the line'"

With the bitter end, which would also be on my boat. When rafted, we run the lines around our neighbors' cleats then bring them back aboard so we don't have to go on their boat to release them.

But the knife works too! And if the neighbors boat was on fire I wouldn't hesitate to cut lines if necessary to escape (after getting them aboard our boat first).

As for the other method, I agree with the others that it would not release under load any easier -- assuming I'm understanding you correctly. A diagram, perhaps?

[AdamLein]

I've tried that method and all the concerns are mostly well-founded. If you manually adjust it so that both "legs" of the eye take the load equally, then it's impossible to release under load. And yes, you do have to manually adjust it.

On the other hand, is there any way to put an eye on a horn cleat so that you can release it under load? By "load" I mean enough tension that you can't create any appreciable slack in the line by applying a force perpendicular to the line.

[midnightsailor]

Originally Posted by AdamLein

I've tried that method and all the concerns are mostly well-founded. If you manually adjust it so that both "legs" of the eye take the load equally, then it's impossible to release under load. And yes, you do have to manually adjust it.

On the other hand, is there any way to put an eye on a horn cleat so that you can release it under load? By "load" I mean enough tension that you can't create any appreciable slack in the line by applying a force perpendicular to the line.

Basically, NO...that is why it is important to take the end of the line WITHOUT the loop aboard your boat and cleat in the proper figure 8 manner. Rick

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by midnightsailor

Basically, NO...that is why it is important to take the end of the line WITHOUT the loop aboard your boat and cleat in the proper figure 8 manner. Rick

I whole heartedly agree. I prefer to work with docklines without any loops. You can adjust the lines from your deck and, if needed, release the lines without getting onto the dock. You do not need a loop at the dock end either.

[tommays]

We allways take a full wrap on any cleat and then LOCK it IF you try and release a line under load without a wrap its real EASY to get your fingers caught in the line

[MJBrown]

All the loops go onto the neighboring boat which gives me control over how tight they are as well as how quickly I can release them in an emergency. After getting caught rafted up and dragging anchor in a pop up storm I no longer dress the bitter ends and hang them up. Instead I lay them out so I can release them as fast as possible. But I do like the knife option too
Mike

[Boasun]

Loops?? Loops?? would this be either the bight of the line or the eye of the line?

If I put the eye on the other boat's cleat, I would capture the horn with the eye and bring the standing part under the other horn. Also the cleat size have to match the size of your mooring line in order for it to work correctly...
I've seen to many teeny tiny cleats on boats... And I hate them!!!