Cleats, Clutches and Jammers

Since the invention of rope, there has also been a need to belay, or secure it. Every sailboat has rope on board so, unless you own a superyacht with captive reels or winches, you’re going to have to find a way to make it fast.

(As a side note—and before you reach for your nearest keyboard to email the SAIL office claiming, “Th ere is no rope on a boat”—there is, in fact, rope aboard a sailboat. Rope is the product made by rope makers, and in the same way windows, windshields and wine bottles are made of glass, lines, halyards and sheets are rope. When we talk about “rope-holding devices,” we are talking about holding the product, not a specific line.)

Of course, we all still use that most primitive of rope-holding devices, the cleat, especially when the loads involved can be managed by hand. However, while cleats can be adjusted, it takes time to untie and retie them, which is why, although, we still use cleats for things like mooring