How to tie a cleat hitch

Captain Lang demonstrates the steps to tie a cleat hitch on the dock or on the boat to tie off a line.

[@philipdonegan9716]

Going through a few videos today. What this video does well is the way it shows the lines being laid parallel BEFORE the twist is done. This will help avoid confusion. I've seen this hitch explained before but never with this clarity. Well done.

[@Thomasuki267]

Agreed, that is the key that makes it easy.

[@asadahmed786]

Very helpful video.

[@koffibanan3099]

Very clear explanation, thanks!

[@nevillecottee7629]

If the rope is a bit large for the cleat, your method is probably the best way to belay onto it. And if the rope is closely matched to a well designed cleat on a pontoon in a sheltered bay, a jam up, using your method, is unlikely. On the other hand, well traveled yachtsmen belay onto a variety of cleats. One of the fun things about boating is the interesting conversations that can be had about the various methods of doing things. And more importantly, the reasons for doing it that way. Cheers

[@tanguerochas]

Close, the second method is correct. The first attachment should be to the horn away from the load.

[@Misteribel]

Ask ten people how to tie up a boat and you get 11 answers. I personally prefer a full turn first (which, i believe, is recommended by RYA), the advantage being, if there's tension, ie from mooring against the wind and the boat may drift, you don't need to complete the hitch before you can block it. I've also seen, in practice, that if the line is small compared to the cleat, an extra turn or two, or an extra twist, prevents the line from slipping. (bottom line is, judge the situation and apply what suits best)

[@gordonstavne3151]

I agree

[@nevillecottee7629]

Hi Captain Lang. This KZbin video should interest you. “How to belay and coil a ship’s rigging line” Also, “Fastening a line to a belaying pin on a real ship and model.” It interested me, because I once owned a 30ft gaff rigged cutter. Cheers.

[@CaptainLang]

Thank you for sharing

[@leehanson6855]

perfect- despite, I still find a way to screw this up just about 7 out of 10 tries.. yes, I am stupid

[@CaptainLang]

No you're not stupid...Just needs practice. Soon you'll be able to doing it blindfolded!

[@nevillecottee7629]

If you are working as a boatman with a maritime department and you believe that all of the professionals are wrong and refuse to follow proven rules by putting locking hitches on cleats, you will lose your job.

[@CaptainLang]

If you are working as a boatman I recommend you follow the instructions of you employer! Even if you don't have a hitch if the line is frozen it my be difficult or impossible to remove. If you have a smaller boat you should be prepared to cut the line as it can be the fastest way to get it free.

[@nevillecottee7629]

Thanks for replying. Maybe some day a yacht club will organise a debate on the subject, including scientific tests, with a variety of methods, ropes and cleats.

[@perthboat]

@@CaptainLang I agree - different Masters have different things they want.

[@perthboat]

@@nevillecottee7629 there are many online discussion on it, eg www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/how-strong-is-a-cleat-hitch-201623-2.html

[@nevillecottee7629]

Never put a hitch on a cleat. See “coastguard boating education”

[@CaptainLang]

Safety first and to me that means not following rules blindly for rules sake. The coastguard reason for not putting on a hitch is because in the winter in the north the line can freeze making it impossible to remove the hitch. If you're not in the north or it's not winter I like the safety of knowing my line is not coming undone in a summer storm. Thank you for your comment as I should have mentioned the danger in winter.

[@nevillecottee7629]

Thanks for replying. . A water police Sargent mentioned that reasoning on a similar channel to yours. Still, he won’t allow his crew to put a hitch on a cleat, ever. He was overly polite; so the instructor published the video. For extra security, another round turn on the cleat base is sufficient. When I was studying for a yacht master license, I was told that if I did that during the test, I would fail, because if a hitch is needed, it will jam beyond your ability to undo it. If you leave your boat for a few months, secured with locking hitches, even in the tropics, you may have to untie it with a knife. It may seem like a debatable point to you, but not to professional boatmen.

[@perthboat]

@@CaptainLang having spent 35 years at sea, cruising, chartering, then building and sailing boats, pearling, fishing, diving commercially and operating in almost every area of the marine boating industry, and having used a cleat hitch in pens, berths, short and long term - I can say for certain I have never ever had one bind in tens of thousands of times I used it. We do however also teach our students to do OXOO which does the job just as well for tying up to a cleat for short term. No knot does everything everywhere always, so it pays to know how to do them. Because someone somewhere doesn't like one particular knot, that's his perogative, but it doesn't make the knot bad. Great video Captain Lang, I just found it, after Neville made the same comments on my page, where I showed how to do the same knot.

[@perthboat]

@@nevillecottee7629 we train the water police and most other government departments. We even train the trainers at many of the other marine training organisations. They may know the law, but that doesnt mean they are experts at knots.