Bow cleats

[Tom Glennon]

Ge entlemen: I am planning on installing port and starboard bow cleats this spring.  8" like on my old 30. Would you suggest I but them from Catalina, or does anyone know of a better supplier? I saw the posting frm Ron Hill, and plan on a similar installation.

[Ted Pounds]

I used Schaefer cleats form Defender.  Theyre the exact same as the existing ones on the boat.  I just looked in the Defender catalog and they're rather more pricey than I remember ($60 ea), but I doubt you'll beat Defender's price anywhere else.

[Ron Hill]

Tom : I used the Schaefer 8 inch cleats, but for $10 more I bought the stainless ones.  The stainless ones came with the mounting hardware + backing plates. The aluminum ones didn't have any of that, making the price almost the same!!  Also got mine from Defender ($70 same page!), but EBay may get you a better price!     

[David Sanner]

If you're not set on Schaefer cleats here's another online store
that has good pricing: http://www.starmarinedepot.com/

Here's an 8" heavy duty cleat for under $30

It may not match but stainless and has a 4 bolt mount and lots of room to slip lines under the open middle.

[Stu Jackson]

Four bolt-ers are gonna be very hard to make work on the foredeck.  The two-holers that Ron described in his Projects article seemed to me to be the only way to go given the limited space available.  We installed a port-side cleat, with great difficulty through the existing Beckson plate.  Instead of trying a starboard cleat, we use the existing middle one for the starboard lines and the port one for that side.

[Ted Pounds]

Yeah, I had to cut a hole and add a second Beckson port to do the starboard cleat.  Also Stu is right; there's not enough room for a 4-bolter.  Also, trick I used, tie a light line to any tools that you use in the space between the anchor locker and the hull.  That way when (notice I didn't say if) you drop them it's easy to retrieve them.   

[Ron Hill]

Guys : You are correct that there's only space for a two bolt cleat.  Yes, I also cut a 4" Beckson port into the starboard side.  I now have one on each side and the factory one installed forward. 
Reach in from the factory installed Beckson port and tape up the bow light wires - they are on EACH side!!!  If you don't you'll risk cutting into one of the two wires!!   

[wind dancer]

I agree with the above posts: 8" Schaeffer cleats and a starboard beckson port. 

[BillG]

 Last winter, I installed  the Schaeffer 60-200 cleats (8 inches) , got them thru defender at a good price.  I was able to install them, with difficulty, without having to drill any new access ports and the advice about tying a string onto your tools is oh so true.

[Jim Price]

Interesting discovery this weekend.  Maybe .....

Two summers ago I had to replace the bow roller due to another boat cutting across my bow.  In the process of removing the old roller, I dropped the backing plate inside the bow.  Fortunately I had all my tools on strings so loosing the plate was not big thing and the new roller had its own plate.  Gone forever.  So I thought.   

This weekend while upgrading the 120V wiring to my Mermaid located under the V-berth, low and behold, I found the backing plate under the Mermaid unit!  Strongly suggests the forward bow area has an opening running under the anchor locker into the forward bilge.  I plan to test this theory shortly with a weighted line to see if I can determine location and size.

Not that I would want to work inside the Beckson port and let anything drop casually but I might use the access to run a wash down line under the anchor locker to the forward anchor locker wall and place an outlet inside the anchor locker.

Not knowing exactly how the boats are built, I would welcome any comments on this area.  I have always thought the forward bow area forward of the anchor locker was NOT open to the rest of the boat - just a "dead air" space sealed from the interior.  Only accessible through the Beckson port.  May not do the wash down idea but would like to know if things dropped will actually show up some day...

[Stephen Butler]

Same situation with our C34...the forward compartment opens into the bilge, so at the very least, hardware items can be retrived.  As for dropped tools in this space...we do not yet know how wide/high the connecting opening is, so are still using some strings on tools for recovery purposes.

[BillG]

It absolutely does open up and small items will drop down, I know from experience,  don't know how wide the opening is and didn't want to risk dropping a large item like a tool and losing it forever, that 's why the string is such a good idea.

[Phil Spicer]

When I made my anchor platform I got up under the v berth to check clearance to bolt on the support. Found  2" or 3" clear around most of the anchor locker. I am small enough to crawl in under the v berth and reach up and get a wrench on the bolts. The bolts I put in from the top had me ELBOW deep into the Beckson inspection port. It's a reach from top or bottom, but a wrench or ratchet should fall out into the hold below the v berth. (unless it gets wedged)
If you have a tank under the v berth you may not be able to crawl up under the anchor locker but tools should still fall out. This clearance may change on newer boats so check.

[Jim Price]

Thanks for all the replies.  Just one of those things that gets on your mind for no reason but you just have to know.   

[Stu Jackson]

More discussion of this topic at: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=2002.0