How to properly install a boat cleat
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Do you want to know how to install a boat cleat the proper way? If so, tune in for this short video that shows each step to doing so. It is really not that hard.
In General, the steps are as follows:
- Find the location that works for the cleat, and allows access to the backside of the location.
- Mark the location of each of the screws and ensure that you are using stainless steel fastening hardware (bolts, nuts, washers, and lock washers)
- Drill a pilot hole for each bolt, then using the correct size bit, drill the hole for the bolt (The pilot hole allows you to avoid the bit "walking" out of place.
- Bed the hardware using the sealant of your choice. My preference is Boat Life Life Seal for above the water line bedding. It is flexible and still adheres well but best of all, it will come off unlike 3M 5200 which should be used only for below the water bedding (in my opinion)
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- Insert the bolts and finger tight until the LifeSeal begins to skin over. Put at least a 1" diameter backing stainless steel washer on each bolt (bigger if there is enough room and certainly larger if this is a very large cleat on a large boat. I like to have the backing plate at LEAST 4 times the diameter of the Bolt width.
- Tighten all bolts and clean up the BoatLife with a damp cloth being careful not to leave any on the gel coat as it is much harder to get off later.
Voila - You're done!
Cleat - amzn.to/2Yj5UjD
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1" Stainless washers - amzn.to/2OQVcxG
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You make for a great TH-cam personality! Life caulk good! Cleats without backing plates a big no no. Be safe out there!
Thanks for watching.
Very helpful, and pin point instructions, very good video. Thanks
Thanks so much Keith. I am glad you are enjoying them.
I tend to use actual backing plates on my cleats. Typically 3/16 aluminum plate with slightly oversize holes to allow some sealant to get between the plate and the stainless bolt. Gives the cleat more support. I never use just fender washers. I've seen those get pulled concave under load.
I would tend to agree on our 51' footer that weights 60K lbs, but in this case for a boat that weighs only 3k lbs and with a cleat that is designed for holding the whip line to keep the boat held away from the dock, I suspect these will be ok. I would agree however that the bigger the backing plate the better, especially if you can get it contoured to fit the space you are working in. In this example, I have a ridgeline on the inside of the hull that wouldn't' have allowed something must larger than the 1" perimeter of the bolt holes making a solid backing plate more challenging in this area and still allowing it to sit flat on the fiberglass.
On our larger boat, I have also used 2 plates of varied shapes to provide more pulling surface area when the location of the backside of the cleat didn't allow a single solid plate.
Thanks for the comment and suggestion as well Pierre, I should have stated in these details in the video so others also know that whenever possible a larger backplate is like a larger anchor. It certainly can't hurt and can only improve strength and safety.
Smart move. I certainly don’t disagree with your comment or approach. It would certainly add more strength.
@@Svdreamchaser one other thing I’ve started doing is running a counter sink bit in the holes to clean up the jaggedness from drilling. Also gives the sealant a place to make a thicker gasket. Yeah I hate deck leaks.
Very helpful thanks
Glad you enjoyed it.
Once I have drilled the holes,I mask with tape the area where the based of the cleat will sit and draw around it in pencil. I then remove the cleat and cut away the tape inside the line I drew. After fitting it makes it much easier to remove the excess that squeezes out
That is a great idea!! Thanks. I will try that next time.
You can also mask the lower part of the side of the cleat, for the same reason. I had to replace one of the stern cleats on Ibn Batuta last winter, because surge in the marina during storms pulled it clean off, shearing its bolts and those of its fairlead. We drilled out and went up a size on the bolt diameters. We've since moved somewhere I believe to be better protected, Marina di Ragusa on the south coast of Sicily.
Great tip Jerry
My tip for drilling in gelcoat, is to actually run the drill in reverse to get the drill bit to 'burn' through the gelcoat and not cut or split it, then drill through the rest of the fiberglass.
Great idea, I also think doing that creates a nice little angled opening to absorb some of the sealant you choose to use between the hardware and the deck or gel coat.
I would suggest two things first use masking tape to mark and drill in to, and also tape an open envelope to catch the bits in.
Nic UK
I don't consider a fender washer a backing plate.
For a small boat like this I believe it is plenty. On our 52’ boat that weighs 30 tons, I would agree that a full blown plate would be better but this dock line works great on this sized boat.
Video starts at 4:13
Glad you found the video helpful
Thanks for the useful video! Considering midship cleats for my yacht which has a ply deck. I’m guessing longer bolts needed. Thanks 😊
For sure longer bolts. There is also a theory to avoid moisture getting into the plywood core that you should consider. It is where you drill an oversized whole through the deck. Tape the back side and fill with thickened epoxy, then drill the correct sized whole through the epoxy. This keeps any leaks over time to NOT Touch any of the plywood given the bolt is now going through the Apoxsee and not actually the wood. I hope that makes sense if not let me know here and I can point you to a video showing it as well.
The cleat install is all the same way this is just a way to protect that core
@@Svdreamchaser clever! I would be looking to make a complete seal- so definitely the way to do it. Thanks.
OH, this was wild. I came here to see how to replace my existing cleats if I can't get to the back side of the hull wall. Then I saw you heading down to Hurricane Harry's and realized you lived in Punta Gorda too!!! You live in PGI then headed over to Lashley's after striking out at Fisherman's village. You ever take your boat up to Navigators too?
I haven't been up to Navigators. Is that the place up the peace river a ways? I keep hearing it is a pretty cool place.
And good eye, that is exactly where I was/am. LOL. Love it in this area.
The real challenge would be to install (or reinstall, as it will be the case on my boat) stuff on a sandwitch deck...
True, I have done a video about that in the past somewhere. It has been a few years. In short, I drilled a hole about through both sides of the sandwich deck. Then I bent a small nail and put it in a drill bit so that I 'wallered' out the core between those 2 layers about 2 times the size of the hole. So for a 1/2 bolt, I would take another quarter inch or so off the core on the inside. Then tape the hold on the bottom of the sandwich and put a syrup consistency thickened epoxy into the hole. When set, I then remove the tape, redrill the hole through the new epoxy.
The result is that you have built an epoxy bushing around the bolt that prevents water from wicking into the core if you ever end up with a lead down the bolt hole (or greatly reduce the risk of that happening at least). It is hard to explain without a diagram but let me know if that makes sense, if not, shoot me an email at glhotka at SVDreamchaser dot com and I can shoot you an email back with an example diagram that makes it easier to visualize. It really isn't all that hard, but in that sandwich case, you definitely want a wider backing plate, even if it is 3/4 plywood that is epoxy coated and then some large stainless washers (depending on the size of the boat)
@@Svdreamchaser Sir, you've made my day! I was already having headaches thinking on how to put layers and layers of epoxy soaked matt from below and keep it from falling on me as I work inside the lockers...
The charm of simplicity.
And yes, I understand your description, thank you so much for it.
@@mikolajtrzeciecki1188 "I love it when a plan comes together." I can't remember what movie that was from but it seemed appropriate here :) Good luck, keep me posted and you will have to comment when you are done so other can read how it went here too, or if you want to send me photos, I will write a blog post showing how you did it if you want.