I have two existing stern
cleats,
aluminum, about 5" or 6" long, and two fairleads (black polymer) and I was planning to replace them with with SS. Also, the stern
cleats only accept about 3/8" line (comfortably), so I was planning to bump up the size to accept 1/2" or 5/8" line. I think I can do this with 8" cleats.
(1) Holes mismatch. The new bole hole locations do not match the old ones. I am not worried about strength, as there is plenty of stern material between the old and new holes. However, I was wondering the best way to seal the old holes. My stern rail is
teak, on top of
fiberglass. Is it okay to simply fill the holes with
epoxy? The new
hardware will cover the old holes, so I am not so worried about cosmetics.
(2) Fairleads choice. The existing are angled, but my
boat is short enough that sometimes the tie-off is behind the stern, not ahead of it. Not a big deal, but I figure less chafing, if I go neutral on the fairleads (instead of angled). Comment?
(3) Design question. This may seem like a strange question, but I was wondering if it is possible to make the stern cleats too stout? The smaller ones that are there seem like under a really big load, that they might rip out, before taking the stern with them. Is there any risk with larger cleats of building it too strong? Btw, if I were to use a stern
anchor, I would most likely rig to both cleats, thus halving any load.
Ha, maybe I am suffering analysis paralysis, so help me clear the
fog if you can. Thanks.