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What is the issue?
Mid-ship cleats are excellent for securing a vessel in a mooring, but once under sail they tend to snag the jib sheet causing tack failure.
Why address this?
A fouled jib sheet is more than just annoying. A snagged jib sheet holds the sail to windward and will transform a tack into hove-to, stopping the vessel dead in the water. This is more than embarrassing for those who take pride in their sailing skills and could lead to a dangerous situation developing when navigating in tight waters.
How to address this?
Make covers for the mid ship cleat horns and cover them whilst out under sail as presented in figure 1.
This can be accomplished by taking a standard 40mm PVC drain pipe available in any house-hold hardware outlet or indeed an off-cut. Cut a pair of pipe cylinders per cleat to the height of the cleat and then cut down a section to allow them to slide under the cleat horn until they nest in as presented. Run a shock cord loop through a set of holes to hold the pair in place.
With these snapped onto the cleat there is no possibility of the jib sheet snagging underneath the cleat. They can be easily removed when the vessel is coming alongside.
Contributor:
Michael Harpur, Yacht Obsession.
