Home / Seamanship / Mooring and anchoring / Making fast on a cleat, in four moves
The cleat, in four moves
Making fast on a cleat takes five seconds and is still regularly done wrong. The difference between right and wrong does not show in a flat calm, it shows at night in force six.
The round turn first
A full turn around the base of the cleat before anything is crossed. That turn takes the load and bleeds it off through friction. Everything after it only holds what the round turn has already held.
Then two or three figure eights
Crossed over the two horns, no more than three. Winding on the whole line does not make the belay safer, only harder to release when it has to go quickly.
The locking hitch last
The final turn with the bight tucked under itself so it jams on its own. Under a snatching load that is the difference between staying put and slowly working free.
The mistake of starting with the lock
Starting straight in with the locking hitch puts the whole load on a single jamming point. The line binds there, cannot be freed under tension, and the force goes into the cleat and its bolts unchecked.
How to cleat a line, step by step
Much is decided before the line even touches the cleat. Lead it in so that it goes round the horn furthest from the load first. That way the round turn sits snugly at the base and the figure eights cannot trap the standing part.
Take the line round the near horn first and you create a riding turn: the loaded part lies across its own tail and can jam solid under strain. You usually find out when you need to cast off in a hurry and the line will not come free.
- Lead the line in so that it meets the far horn first.
- Take a full round turn around the base of the cleat, keeping tension on.
- Cross diagonally over the top and lay two or three figure eights.
- Finish with a locking hitch, the bight turned under so it lies parallel to the last figure eight.
- Coil the tail and stow it where nobody will stand on it.
The angle between line and cleat
A cleat grips best when the line arrives at a slight angle to its long axis, as a rule of thumb around 10 to 15 degrees. Straight along the axis, the round turn slides over the horn too easily. Square across it, the whole load goes sideways into a single horn.
You cannot move a cleat that is already fitted, but you can change the line's route. A fairlead or a block ahead of the cleat turns the line so it comes in true. Where the line crosses the toerail or gunwale, add chafe protection. A worn line tends to fail there long before any cleat does.
Ashore things can look quite different from aboard. Pontoon cleats are sometimes old, bent or held by a few screws in tired timber. Look before you make fast, and in strong winds spread the load over two cleats or a bollard rather than trusting a single harbour cleat with everything.
Belaying mooring lines, halyards and sheets
Not every line is made fast the same way. On mooring warps the locking hitch earns its place, because swell and gusts work the line for hours. The same goes for a halyard holding a sail aloft: you often notice a slipping halyard only when the sail is already on its way down.
Sheets are a different matter. A sheet may need to be let fly at once, say when a gust lays the boat over. That is why many sailors cleat a sheet with a round turn and figure eights but no lock, or run it through a winch and jammer anyway. The underlying rule: the faster a line may have to be released, the less you put on it.
Releasing a cleated line under load
The real test of a good belay is not making fast but letting go. A properly cleated line can be taken off in reverse order while it is still under strain, without the line whipping away.
The key is to leave the round turn on until the very end. It lets you ease the line out under control rather than simply letting go. Keep your hands clear of the cleat throughout so that fingers never end up between line and horn.
One trick makes leaving easier: rig your mooring lines as slip lines beforehand. Take the line from aboard round the cleat or bollard ashore and back on board, then make both ends fast on your own cleat. When you leave, cast off one end and pull the line aboard without anyone ashore having to help. Make sure it can run freely ashore and will not snag on an edge.
- Flick the locking hitch up and off with the bight.
- Remove the figure eights one by one while the round turn carries the load.
- Press a flat palm against the round turn and surge the line out slowly.
- Take the round turn off only once the load has gone.
Cleat size, line diameter and condition
Line and cleat need to match. A frequently quoted rule of thumb is a cleat about sixteen times as long as the diameter of the line. Too small a cleat cannot take a clean round turn plus three figure eights, and too thick a line jumps over the horn under load.
Check your cleats at the start of the season. If one moves, if the gelcoat around its base shows hairline cracks, or if water runs down the bolts below deck, the fixing is no longer sound. Photos of your deck fittings are also handy later on, for instance if a claim has to be reported after a storm.
Which line on which cleat: bow, midships and stern
Cleating a line properly is not only about the order of the turns but also about which line goes on which cleat. The bow cleats take the bow lines and the stern cleats the stern lines. The forward spring runs from the foredeck aft to the shore and the aft spring from the stern forward. On boats with midships cleats the springs are often made fast there, as that holds the boat more evenly.
Wherever possible give each line its own cleat, so you can adjust one without letting another go. On motorboats with small folding or pop-up cleats, check before you belay that the line will actually take a clean round turn and two figure eights. If it will not, use a thinner line that is still strong enough for the boat, or keep a spliced eye on board and adjust the length on the pontoon.
Frequently asked questions
How many figure eights should go on a cleat?
Two, three at most. Extra turns add almost nothing to the holding power, but they make the line harder to release and hide whether it is lying fair.
Do I always need a locking hitch?
On mooring lines and halyards, yes, because it stops constant movement from working the belay loose. On sheets that must be let fly quickly, many sailors leave it off on purpose.
Can I put two lines on one cleat?
You can, but it is rarely a good idea. The top line traps the bottom one, and you cannot free the lower line without removing the upper. If you must, put the line that has to come off first on top.
Can I drop a spliced eye over the cleat?
Aboard, yes, provided the eye is big enough to go over both horns. Many crews keep the eye on board and adjust the length ashore, or the other way round. What matters is that you can adjust it from one end.
Why does my line slip despite a round turn?
Usually the line is the wrong size for the cleat, or salt and sunlight have made it hard and slick. A poor lead angle can also let the round turn creep over the horn.
What is the difference between a cleat and a bollard?
A cleat has two horns and takes a round turn with figure eights. A bollard is a single post, usually taking an eye dropped over it or a round turn and two half hitches.
Is there an easy way to remember how to cleat a line?
Think of it as brake, secure, lock. The round turn round the base brakes the load, two or three figure eights over the horns secure it, and the locking hitch at the end jams the tail. Whatever the cleat or the line, that order stays the same.
What this has to do with insurance
When a cleat lets go, the damage rarely stops at the cleat. It takes a piece of deck with it, and that is a laminate repair. So it is worth looking underneath: a cleat belongs bolted through with a backing plate, not merely screwed into the deck.
