Mahogany or Teak Cleats

[Pleiades]

Does anyone know of a source for 10" teak or mahogany single base (2 fastener) horn cleats?

[Steve Rust]

Check out WoodenBoat magazine. In the last year there was an issue that had a how to on making your own. Black Locust is a wood commonly used for cleats also.

[Doghouse]

I have a block of teak, and a block of mahogany that I could make a custom cleat out of for you. Let me know if you need it

[GordMay]

I wouldn’t expect a 10" cleat to be merely ornamental, and wonder about the advisability of using a wooden cleat in a “loaded” application.
I’ve have used home-made wood (both utility grade, Spruce-Pine-Fir, and high quality Ash) cleats on docks, without failure.
Are wood cleats generally stronger than I’m imagining?

[Talbot]

Agree with you gord. would not consider a wooden cleat. A wooden sampson post is a different matter.

[Alan Wheeler]

I was thinking the same as Gord, especially if this is for the boat pictured in pleiades avatar. I would have thought a wooden cleat being far to light a duty.

[Pblais]

I've seen them made well but you need to oversize the thickness and that means that a 10 inch cleat ends up being almost 13 inches. You would want the wood on the horn at least an inch and a half thick. A friend has them on a 45 ft boat. They seem like they chafe the lines too as they weather.

[Pleiades]

Thanks for the opinions guys.

FYI - There are 17 mahogany cleats on my 1974 Nautor Swan 41...all original equipment. They have lasted 34 years so far, but I accidentally broke 2 this weekend. Most of these cleats are used for tying off secondary winch lines such as the spinnaker topping lifts and halyards around the base of the mast and have performed that function very well.

My opinions are to replace tem with anodized aluminum at significant cost, or replace the broken ones. (I have one new spare.)


I was eye-balling the size. They are actually 11" long X 1-1/8" wide by 1-5/8" high.

[Boracay]

Have you considered making replacement cleats? This is not difficult given average woodworking skills.
If the original ones lasted 30 years then they have done as well as cleats made of most other materials.
Since they are possibly subject to shock loads the right type of wood may outperform metal.
As they are large cleats already it may be possible to build rather larger ones (If my 45 yr old engineering is right strength may increase as the 4th power of the dimension) though this may not be necessary.
Strength could also be improved by laminating them together rather than by making them from solid wood. Shape with a jigsaw, a rasp and sandpaper.
Durability could be improved by painting with multiple layers of epoxy resing within the cure time of the previous coat and then sanding smooth. A further coat of UV resistant Polyurethane varnish (fumes are poisonous) and they are done.

[rmp319]

I was scrounging around a Nautical Store in Galveston and they had Teak Cleats, had no idea why. This is mostly surplus nautical material but might be worth a call.

Nautical Decor
(409) 621-2829

621 23rd St
Galveston, TX 77550

Robert

[Pleiades]

Thanks Guys, I found a source for new wooden cleats: Pert Lowell Co Inc., of Newbury, MA, Pert Lowell Co., Inc., Mast Hoops and Wooden Hardware
It turns out that they cost as much as anodized aluminum cleats, sooo..., guess what?