Hands down the best video on cleat hitches out there. Every boater should watch this. The 210 thumbs down came from haters who can't tie a cleat hitch and refuse to learn. Probably the same guys that dock their boats without any fenders.
That was so cool. I've been sailing for years and no one has ever explained a cleat hitch as clear and simply as that... Cheers from Melbourne Australia
What a fantastic video! Covers three very common mistakes or unknown concepts to many people. 1) Half-wrap vs. full wrap, 2) multi-wrap vs. extra loops for holding, 3) importance of line diameter to cleat size, and what to do in the case of size mismatch. Well done!
First thank you for the informative video. Now after reading quite a few comments I noticed how many people are calling line rope. This is the way it is people it starts out as rope but once you assign a a job such as bow line , spring line, anchor line xcetera . It ceases to be called a rope it is now a line. That is as long as that line is fastened to the boat. And a exception would be a piece of rope tied to a bucket to retrieve seawater would still be a piece of rope. I hope this make sense to you.
I guess my father taught me right; he always insisted on a full wrap cleat hitch. I can hear him in my head as I write this telling me to wrap it all the way around, which he thought he needed to remind me every summer for forty years. Understanding the need for the multi-wrap based on line size was helpful. Thanks.
Thank you! I learned my lesson today!😉 Last week I was boating with some novices who always made the multi wrap. And I said „Nono! That’s not the way to do it!“ Now I have to apologize.😇
Outstanding explanation and demonstration! The progressions clearly show the incremental benefits, and relativity between the options. Thanks for the great work!
Thank you for your wonderful videos. I've pointed multiple friends to these as you do a great job of explaining the how and the why. I just made a purchase from APS due to these videos, too!
Great video and informative . News to me a lifelong boater was the multi wrap . I have always used a full wrap. I taught my granddaughter how to tie up to a cleat when she was 5 years old and by the time that she was six I no longer had to check her work. Take care .
Great video! I've always been taught to use the half wrap technique, I wish I would've seen this at the beginning of July. I had my boat in the water at our cabin July 4th, I had it tied off with half wrapped cleat hitches and of course it had to storm. I had to go down to my boat to retie it to the dock countless times because the boat was bobbing like a cork & pulling line out of the cleats. It will be fully wrapped at night, or during a storm from now on, thank you for the tips!
Great! And it is very helpful to see the difference between the european and american style cleat hitch. I didn't know the multi wrap cleat hitch. Happy to learn something again! Thank you for publishing this video!
Hi Peter, don't let unsettle you. This video mix up a few things. There is no difference between the US standard and the European Version of tying a cleat hitch. I'm a German instructor and examiner. I work in Germany, Spain, Greece, Croatia, New Zealand as instructor. I really know the differences. ;-))
I expereienced the 2nd happiest day in a boat owners life years ago BUT i'm a passenger of friends' boats, I rent AND i'm that guy standing on the dock when you pull up and i'll take your line. THIS is truly one of the most worthwhile YT videos I have ever watched ( im looking for something about wwii holsters...)! thank you!
At 1:29 when you say "once around the 2nd horn", you might mention why that is important. Which is to have the base of the cleat take the load. I have seen the horn break off because the line was not wrapped around the 2nd horn, but instead crossed over the top before wrapping around the 2nd horn.
Not an expert! All those methods finish with a half hitch which should never, ever be done. Anybody that uses those on my boat gets escorted off the boat immediately.
Excellent video !! Just bought my first boat. It's a 20' wind catching pontoon. My line has been slipping and now i know why. Thank you for explaining more wraps vs more knots and line diameter.
Another advantage of the full or multi wrap is if the line is pulled very hard , it will not allow the cross tucks to overtighten and bind up , which can result in having to cut the line off the horn. Good demo !
Not long ago, i was fishing (rod/reel and line) with someone who had worked on commercial seiner fishing vessels for 20 years and the cleat "knot" he used shocked us all since it came from the school of "can't tie a knot, tie a lot"
Very handy-I'm a kayaker, and always have a 1/4" short line on hand on my foredeck. Occasionally I need to tie up to an 8" cleat at public docks. I've never had my boat drift away on me, but that seems to have been luck more than my knotwork. Wrapping the legs of the cleat like a winch is the key, then lock it down with the figure 8.
Very best video. We live aboard the 80’ ShipsAhoy! and I’m always retying these lines with a full wrap after someone helps us dock. Also, lines get longer when wet so may have to be tied again anyway. The difficulty comes when you have to attach double lines in hurricane conditions and the cleats aren’t big enough to allow for two full wraps. Best we can do is put the loop ends on opposite sides and then tie one full wrap on each cleat. Thank you for your excellent boater education. We all appreciate it very much.
One of the few videos where the full/European cleat hitch is even acknowledged and even explain why/when you should use it as well as the even less discussed multi -pas- wrap
Kyle, that is another excellent video. Good demo, good narration, clear lesson. Well done! Will share. Have subscribed because of your good videos. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much for this video. I made a comment on another video that claimed that the half-wrap cleat hitch was the only one that was "proper", that my lines often slip using that hitch, and that I usually add a wrap or two to be confident. I was criticized by some self-claimed "old salts". You have vindicated me!
I wish every boater would see this! I worked for a small cruise line in San Diego many years ago and a captain took the time to show everyone a proper cleat. I think he was getting frustrated when the 176' schooner was close to leaving on her own!
This is the best video ever, I can see from the comments people like to wrap, loop and figure 8 and finish with knots till they run out of rope.. noobs.. I been doing it this way for over 35 years and never had any problems losing a boat nor any worries. I can tie off my boat in a second and your right about the size of the cleat and the rope, I use 3/8 in. double braided nylon rope and it works just fine for the lake and river docks I visit with my 20 foot Capri SS and I do come across different sizes of cleats to tie off and this video explains it very well but nobody listens so maybe you need to do a video for some of the folks on here about using chain link and a shackle to tie up their boat. Great Video 2 Thumbs Up..
The bitter end should always be facing back toward the load. Using the furthest horn yes of course. The full wrap which you showed with your "second tie" is the one to use, even if it is a short tie up. Good practices become good habits.
Awesome explanation! So it’s a 1:16 ratio between the line diameter and the cleat length . Many times I’ve used a bowline loop through the middle of the cleat then a cleat knot .
I'm knot going to forget these instructions!
Hands down the best video on cleat hitches out there. Every boater should watch this. The 210 thumbs down came from haters who can't tie a cleat hitch and refuse to learn. Probably the same guys that dock their boats without any fenders.
very informative, Think im going to have to take a ride to the dock later and fix all my lines lol
That was so cool. I've been sailing for years and no one has ever explained a cleat hitch as clear and simply as that... Cheers from Melbourne Australia
Rustie
I always had powerboats but I went out 2-3 days weekly in season and I was never shown either.
Time to get another boat so I can try them out!
BeauJameson p
Boating over 50 years. Almost didn't watch but glad I did. Great stuff about matching knot to cleat and line. 2 thumbs up!
Thanks.. No wonder why my boat was found 3 miles down the coast. JK. I learned something. Well done explanation and video production.
This should be a standard video when purchasing, renting a water craft. Great demo on how they can come loose and how to prevent it. Hats off to you.
What a fantastic video! Covers three very common mistakes or unknown concepts to many people. 1) Half-wrap vs. full wrap, 2) multi-wrap vs. extra loops for holding, 3) importance of line diameter to cleat size, and what to do in the case of size mismatch. Well done!
This channel is what i call hitting the jackpot in sailing advice and info.
Thanks, been boating over 50 years and didn’t know why I was doing it the right way, lol, you explained it perfectly. Thanks
One of the best knot videos I’ve seen with great “why” explanations. Thanks
First thank you for the informative video. Now after reading quite a few comments I noticed how many people are calling line rope. This is the way it is people it starts out as rope but once you assign a a job such as bow line , spring line, anchor line xcetera . It ceases to be called a rope it is now a line. That is as long as that line is fastened to the boat. And a exception would be a piece of rope tied to a bucket to retrieve seawater would still be a piece of rope. I hope this make sense to you.
Best most complete cleat hitch video on TH-cam.
I guess my father taught me right; he always insisted on a full wrap cleat hitch. I can hear him in my head as I write this telling me to wrap it all the way around, which he thought he needed to remind me every summer for forty years. Understanding the need for the multi-wrap based on line size was helpful. Thanks.
EVERY boat owner should know this - and if they don't ... WATCH this video! (thank you for making this!)
The best cleat tying video on TH-cam.
Excellent video, sailing all my life, never even thought of the smaller lines, just used extra figure of eights! Lesson learned!!!! Thanks!
great info, speech and presentation. well done
Thank you! I learned my lesson today!😉 Last week I was boating with some novices who always made the multi wrap. And I said „Nono! That’s not the way to do it!“ Now I have to apologize.😇
Outstanding explanation and demonstration! The progressions clearly show the incremental benefits, and relativity between the options. Thanks for the great work!
This is certainly THE best video about cleat hitch. Congrats!
The BEST treatment of cleat hitches that I've seen. Thanks.
Great lesson. It's nice that you showed it is the wraps that hold, not the figure 8 around the horns.
Been a dockhand and a sailor my whole life. Thanks for explaining the details of why it works.
Thank you! Just purchased my first 31' boat and have much to learn. Scratch this from the list.
Thank you sir! Finally someone who explains it so well with all the different configurations!!!
Wow! So glad I viewed this vid. Been sailing since 1986, never new this! Thanks APS!!
Very clearly presented and worth the six minutes to be certain about something we seem to have to practice often to get right.
Thank you for your wonderful videos. I've pointed multiple friends to these as you do a great job of explaining the how and the why. I just made a purchase from APS due to these videos, too!
Nice video with excellent instruction. The line diameter versus horn cleat was very useful. Thank you
New boat owner here. Super helpful info. Thank you for taking the time to share.
Incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Perfect demonstration and explanation of the correct way to tie a cleat hitch and keep your boat secure.
Great video, useful information and explanation of why to use the different methods. Thanks!
That was awesome.... Thanks
Great video and informative . News to me a lifelong boater was the multi wrap . I have always used a full wrap. I taught my granddaughter how to tie up to a cleat when she was 5 years old and by the time that she was six I no longer had to check her work. Take care .
Great video! I've always been taught to use the half wrap technique, I wish I would've seen this at the beginning of July. I had my boat in the water at our cabin July 4th, I had it tied off with half wrapped cleat hitches and of course it had to storm. I had to go down to my boat to retie it to the dock countless times because the boat was bobbing like a cork & pulling line out of the cleats. It will be fully wrapped at night, or during a storm from now on, thank you for the tips!
Great video, I did know the proper tie for a halfwrap. Never knew about the others. And thanks so much for the sizing info. Well done!!
Great! And it is very helpful to see the difference between the european and american style cleat hitch. I didn't know the multi wrap cleat hitch. Happy to learn something again! Thank you for publishing this video!
Hi Peter,
don't let unsettle you.
This video mix up a few things.
There is no difference between the US standard and the European Version of tying a cleat hitch.
I'm a German instructor and examiner. I work in Germany, Spain, Greece, Croatia, New Zealand as instructor. I really know the differences. ;-))
I expereienced the 2nd happiest day in a boat owners life years ago BUT i'm a passenger of friends' boats, I rent AND i'm that guy standing on the dock when you pull up and i'll take your line. THIS is truly one of the most worthwhile YT videos I have ever watched ( im looking for something about wwii holsters...)! thank you!
Easy to understand. Well presented! 👍
Thanks for the useful video. I didn't know about the third hitch and will definitely use it in the future.
Nice! Learned a few new things. Thanks for sharing!
Great video, hadn't thought of some of the points raised here.
Such a good explanation!! Thank you for sharing
Excellent video and presentation! Thank you!
Like everyone else said… excellent video! Super simple yet comprehensive. Had to sign in to give a thumbs up and comment.
At 1:29 when you say "once around the 2nd horn", you might mention why that is important. Which is to have the base of the cleat take the load. I have seen the horn break off because the line was not wrapped around the 2nd horn, but instead crossed over the top before wrapping around the 2nd horn.
Not an expert! All those methods finish with a half hitch which should never, ever be done. Anybody that uses those on my boat gets escorted off the boat immediately.
Excellent video !! Just bought my first boat. It's a 20' wind catching pontoon. My line has been slipping and now i know why. Thank you for explaining more wraps vs more knots and line diameter.
This is Gold!!! Great presentation and very well explained.
Thank you for sharing your expertise. It really helped clear things up for me. Well done!
Another advantage of the full or multi wrap is if the line is pulled very hard , it will not allow the cross tucks to overtighten and bind up , which can result in having to cut the line off the horn.
Good demo !
Phenomenal video! Thank you.
Fantastic tutorial. Thank you
Superb - explained very well - thank you.
Excellent Video about the 3 types of Cleat Hitches.
Excellent presentation. Thank you very much!
WOW, that was best explanation ever! Thank you sir!
Great video. Good information without the fluff.
Not long ago, i was fishing (rod/reel and line) with someone who had worked on commercial seiner fishing vessels for 20 years and the cleat "knot" he used shocked us all since it came from the school of "can't tie a knot, tie a lot"
I was taught to do the OXO method, one full rap then full cross then another full rap then lock of with half hitch.
Finally, someone showing the correct way to tie a cleat hitch.
Very handy-I'm a kayaker, and always have a 1/4" short line on hand on my foredeck. Occasionally I need to tie up to an 8" cleat at public docks. I've never had my boat drift away on me, but that seems to have been luck more than my knotwork. Wrapping the legs of the cleat like a winch is the key, then lock it down with the figure 8.
Excellent video!!!!
I’ve never sailed in my life, but this was awesome, thanks!
Nice Video!! The half wrap cleat hitch I use also in Germany.
Very best video. We live aboard the 80’ ShipsAhoy! and I’m always retying these lines with a full wrap after someone helps us dock. Also, lines get longer when wet so may have to be tied again anyway. The difficulty comes when you have to attach double lines in hurricane conditions and the cleats aren’t big enough to allow for two full wraps. Best we can do is put the loop ends on opposite sides and then tie one full wrap on each cleat. Thank you for your excellent boater education. We all appreciate it very much.
Awesome explanation, thank you!!!!
Great info sir.
One of the few videos where the full/European cleat hitch is even acknowledged and even explain why/when you should use it as well as the even less discussed multi -pas- wrap
Your explanation of the cleat to rope size, is awesome. Had never heard that before…Thank you! 🛟
Great Instruction; thank you!
Thank you this is very informative and helpful
Thank you for this useful video
👍Terrific instruction. Thank you. 💝
Great video! Just what I need for my 14’ boat!
Excellent tutorial!
Exceptional instruction!
Kyle, that is another excellent video. Good demo, good narration, clear lesson. Well done! Will share. Have subscribed because of your good videos. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for watching Steadman!
-APS
A handsome explanation. Well done, sir.
Excellent work. Very helpful
Great information, thank yoi
Comprehensive and clear.
Great video! I'm guilty of using the randomly-wind-it-in-a-ball-hitch 🙄
Lol, “some are on the way to becoming macrame” 😂
Cheers for the clear video mate
Good stuff!
Great instructional video. Thanks
Thank you so much for this video. I made a comment on another video that claimed that the half-wrap cleat hitch was the only one that was "proper", that my lines often slip using that hitch, and that I usually add a wrap or two to be confident. I was criticized by some self-claimed "old salts". You have vindicated me!
There's always someone who knows you're wrong and has to tell you so, even when you're right. Different hitches for different circumstances.
nice, very nice demonstration!
I've always used a double wrap no matter the boat, line diameter, or cleat length and never lost one ... ...yet!
I wish every boater would see this! I worked for a small cruise line in San Diego many years ago and a captain took the time to show everyone a proper cleat. I think he was getting frustrated when the 176' schooner was close to leaving on her own!
Excellent video. Thank you.
Great training!
Excellent video thank you
This is the best video ever, I can see from the comments people like to wrap, loop and figure 8 and finish with knots till they run out of rope.. noobs.. I been doing it this way for over 35 years and never had any problems losing a boat nor any worries. I can tie off my boat in a second and your right about the size of the cleat and the rope, I use 3/8 in. double braided nylon rope and it works just fine for the lake and river docks I visit with my 20 foot Capri SS and I do come across different sizes of cleats to tie off and this video explains it very well but nobody listens so maybe you need to do a video for some of the folks on here about using chain link and a shackle to tie up their boat. Great Video 2 Thumbs Up..
Thanks very informative !
great boat saving youtube good job will lift my game on my cleat work thanks
The bitter end should always be facing back toward the load. Using the furthest horn yes of course. The full wrap which you showed with your "second tie" is the one to use, even if it is a short tie up. Good practices become good habits.
Excellent information.
Awesome explanation! So it’s a 1:16 ratio between the line diameter and the cleat length . Many times I’ve used a bowline loop through the middle of the cleat then a cleat knot .