13-footer Adding Stern Cleats

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Cberglund
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Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2020 10:43 pm

13-footer Adding Stern Cleats

Postby Cberglund » Sun May 10, 2020 1:04 am

My 1976 13-footer doesn’t have Norman pins at the stern. I have been thinking about installing stainless steel cleats at the stern.

Will installing stern cleats be wrong?

Is installing stern cleats smart?
(1st boat) 13’ 1976 Whaler Sport
Purchased myself (2 years of saving)

jimh
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Re: 13-footer Adding Stern Cleats

Postby jimh » Sun May 10, 2020 6:17 am

Cberglund wrote:Will installing stern cleats be wrong?

I don't think there is any particular basis to make a judgement of right or wrong regarding adding cleats to the stern of a 13-footer. The only way I'd say adding cleats would be wrong is if the method used was awful and the results were hideous.

Cberglund wrote:Is installing stern cleats smart?

I don't think there is a basis to make a judgement of smart or dumb regarding adding cleats to the stern of a 13-footer. If there is presently no way to fasten a mooring line to your boat at the stern, then adding cleats sounds like a reasonable idea.

I added small stern cleats to my 1976 SPORT 15, mounting them on the inwale near the transom. I used them to attach a fender--there was no good place to attach a fender at the stern quarter--and for holding mooring lines for very short tie-ups in protected water. I didn't feel the cleats would be strong enough to hold mooring lines in a storm or rough seas. For strong mooring lines I used the stern towing-lifting eyes that are through-transom.

sternCleatOnInwale.jpg
Fig. 1. Cleats add to inwale of SPORT 15 near stern. They were intentionally NOT mounted
to the top of the gunwale so they would
not snag lines or interfere with stepping aboard.
sternCleatOnInwale.jpg (25.52 KiB) Viewed 2478 times


If you install cleats, they should be fastened into a part of the hull with embedded wood reinforcement. For my installation I was guided by the wood locating diagram for my hull. You can find similar diagrams for the 13-foot hull in the REFERENCE article for the 13-foot hull.

Jefecinco
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Re: 13-footer Adding Stern Cleats

Postby Jefecinco » Sun May 10, 2020 10:21 am

We added stern cleats aft on our 1981 Sport 13. At the time we kept the boat in a wet slip and due to several factors found that adding cleats was our best solution. We mounted them atop the gunwale a few inches forward of the transom. They look as though they are original and function well.
Butch

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Phil T
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Re: 13-footer Adding Stern Cleats

Postby Phil T » Sun May 10, 2020 11:58 am

Why not the stern eyes?

Installing a cleat on a classic 13',15'17, is a bit like someone who owns a Porsche and pronounces it without the 'e'.
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

jimh
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Re: 13-footer Adding Stern Cleats

Postby jimh » Sun May 10, 2020 1:14 pm

A c.1976 13-footer has the newer hull, and the transom never had Norman pins at the stern. Instead it had towing eyes at the stern. There was an option for a towing-lifting eye at the bow, and an alternative option for a Norman pin (on $4) at the bow,

The earlier 13-footers had no towing-lifting eyes and used Norman pins that when through the engine splash well wall for cleats with the pins oriented fore-and-aft.

Image
A photograph from a Boston Whaler catalogue
showing a 13-footer tied to a dock with the stern line
using the towing eye.

Jefecinco
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Re: 13-footer Adding Stern Cleats

Postby Jefecinco » Mon May 11, 2020 9:25 am

Phil - Janis Joplin famously asked for a "Porschee". I recently saw her 356 Speedster on an episode of Motor Trend's "Chasing Classics" show with Wayne Carini. The Speedster has an incredible paint job. I always referred to my 1973 as just a "Carrera". What an incredible automobile. 140 MPH at only 6K RPM. These days 140 MPH is nothing.
Butch