# Adding Cleats to Cape Horn?



## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Has anyone ever added cleats to an older Cape Horn?

Having wet slipped my Cape Horn 21 in 2 different slips now, I have decided that the three factory cleat locations are inadequate. I need two roughly amidship. Both times that I have wetslipped the boat, I end up having to use the handrail as a cleat. Not good.

Anyway, to my point. The Gunwale on a Cape Horn is foam filled and encased. There is no access to the underside to through bolt anything. So it will have to be screwed. My question is this: Is there enough substance in there to screw a cleat and is screwing a cleat a good idea? All of mine have always been through bolted with fender washer backing to help relieve stress.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

My gunwale is the same way. I wouldn't screw the cleats in. 

To add rod holders the fiber glassed in closed cell foam had to be cut out and replaced.


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## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

Doesn't sound cheap

Could you drill a large enough hole to add a metal rod holder with a cleat below it? Run the line through the rod holder and onto the cleat?


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

NKlamerus said:


> Doesn't sound cheap
> 
> Could you drill a large enough hole to add a metal rod holder with a cleat below it? Run the line through the rod holder and onto the cleat?


That would require mounting the cleat to the hull with the bolts showing on the outside. I dont want to do that. It would REALLY mess with my OCD and the cleat would become a knee knocker in that area.

Since a cleat in this location is going to be in the way anyway, I was going to use some of those folding cleats to keep them mostly out of the way. I 90% of the time trailer the boat and take out same day. But for one week of the year, we slip it and it is a huge hassle to secure it with only three cleats. Noe of which line up well with the posts at the canal where I go. Two midship cleats would help alot. Midship cleats would also give me a place to secure a fender if I tie up to a dock. Right now, they is nothing to secure to except the bow rail. And it does not white go far enough back to use a fender to protect the widest part of the flare in the hull.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Sounds like you might have to cut a hole and install this in the liner under where you want to mount the cleat to have access to the underside.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

kanaka said:


> Sounds like you might have to cut a hole and install this in the liner under where you want to mount the cleat to have access to the underside.
> 
> View attachment 772017


There is nothing flat to screw this to under the gunwale
I tried to take some pics, but the boat is too white and the sun to bright. You cant tell what the pics are of.
The top of the gunwale is only about 4-5 inches wide. It's like the glued a block of foam to the inner side of the bare hull and then just rolled fiberglass cloth over it and draped down to the inside of the hull and glassed it in. I dont know if the top has a wood plate under it or not to screw to. The sides and bottom are obviously just a layer or three of glass cloth.

Here is an old thread on PFF with some good pics. I hope the OP doesn't mind.
I want to put some cleats about there he has the front pair of bolt on rod holders.
Scroll down to where he has pics of the modified bow area. 

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f50/21-cape-horn-yamaha-f250-125884/


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## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

How is the bow rail mounted? Do you have a T-Top? 

If you can get to the inside of the CC could you mount the cleats near the floor there?


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Bow rail is mounted to slight overhang of hard rub moulding. A small regular cleat would mount similarly, but a wider folding cleat will not. I do not want regular cleat sticking up. It will be in the way all the time.

I do have a T-top. Cleats on t-top? that would be odd...

I can get inside CC. But cleats on CC would also be odd and would also be knee knockers.

I may try to email Cape Horn and see what recommendations that they have. I cant be the first one in 20 years to want to add cleats. haha


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

So there's actually no liner, what's below that gunnel is the hull? Like the Blazer Bays?


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## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

Damn these boats are weird. I was thinking fold down cleats where the red X is but those screw in consoles look like a joke.









How is the T-Top attached to the deck?


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I dont know anything about a Blazer bay, so I cant say. I've never seen one.

T-top is through bolted to Console. Console is no joke. That sucker is like a tank! Just like everything else on the boat. VERY solid!

I think that pic is of a 17 or a 19. Mine is larger than that and looks a good bit different.


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## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

Thank goodness, so could you put cleats there? 

It's out of the ordinary but so is only 3 cleats from the factory IMO


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

NKlamerus said:


> Thank goodness, so could you put cleats there?
> 
> It's out of the ordinary but so is only 3 cleats from the factory IMO


Yes, it could mount there, but it would be a tripping hazard when tied up.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Why would you put cleats on a console?


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I received an email response from Cape Horn.

They advised that adding cleats to the gunwales was not recommended. The glassed foam in that area will not support the strain. But that I could bolt them to the thin outer lip around the edge of the gunwale where the rub rail bolts on. I guess I will have to measure that and see if I can find some that are narrow enough to not overhang the edge. The search begins...


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## bwendel07 (Sep 30, 2007)

cleats like the following could work for you they would only take two bolts 
and you could even make a plate under them. 

https://www.amazon.com/SeaSense-Poi...F8&qid=1468798606&sr=8-5&keywords=cleats+boat


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Believe what you have is like a rolled gunnel hull, yes? 
There's these but guessing it's too wide. http://shop.acconmarine.com/products/23-folding-cleat.aspx And what their asking for it, that's WM prices.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

bwendel07 said:


> cleats like the following could work for you they would only take two bolts
> and you could even make a plate under them.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/SeaSense-Poin...F8&qid=1468798606&sr=8-5&keywords=cleats+boat


Those would work except that I do not want exposed cleats. The area where they are going is a high traffic area both in walking and fishing, and moving stuff from front to rear in the boat. I dont want exposed cleats because they will just get in the way.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

kanaka said:


> Believe what you have is like a rolled gunnel hull, yes?
> There's these but guessing it's too wide. http://shop.acconmarine.com/products/23-folding-cleat.aspx And what their asking for it, that's WM prices.


That is exactly what I had in mind. All of them that I had found before had screw holes down the centerline. I like these better because the screws are offset. I may be able to get these to fit on that rolled gunwale. I'll see if I can get a mounting template or scematic for these. They are high $$$, but if they will work, it will be worth it. Thanks


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## kmerr80 (Oct 28, 2013)

Sounds to me like a good excuse to buy a new Cape Horn...


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

kmerr80 said:


> Sounds to me like a good excuse to buy a new Cape Horn...


Their smallest boat costs more than my house...
If you can figure out how to pay for it, I'm game! :yes:
A seafoam green 24OS with Yamaha 4 stroke power would do me just fine. :whistling:


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Drawings for the cleats are on that webpage, that was nice of them.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

kanaka said:


> Drawings for the cleats are on that webpage, that was nice of them.


I saw that. The problem is that they did not include the one dimension that I need. How far the screws are from the edge. They are not centered, but are offset, which is exactly what I need. I just need to know how much. I want the biggest cleat that will fit my rail. At $50 each, I cant afford to get them to "try". haha


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

I see your dilemma. Guess you're about to find out how their customer service is. Hopefully, you'll get sent a mounting pattern like in the video.

Do you have to use part of the rubrail to mount?


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Yes. The rubrail is L shaped and lays on top of the gunwale and creates and overhang. I can mount a spacer block under the cleat, next to the rubrail to make the cleat lay flat. But I only have so much overhang of the hull to screw the cleat to.

I took this pic from the rear to show what I am screwing to. I have about 1.25 inches of rubrail and about 2 inches of hull flange underneath. I should be good.


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