Cleat (nautical)

In nautical contexts, a cleat is a device for securing a rope.

An original cleat from HMY Britannia

Types

Types of cleat designs include the following:

  • A horn cleat is the traditional design, featuring two “horns” extending parallel to the deck or the axis of the spar, attached to a flat surface or a spar, and resembling an anvil.
  • A cam cleat in which one or two spring-loaded cams pinch the rope, allowing the rope to be adjusted easily, and quickly released when under load.
  • A jam cleat in which the line is pinched in a v-shaped slot.
  • A clam cleat (or jam cleat) in which the rope is held between two fluted stationary pieces. Such a cleat vaguely resembles two halves of a clam shell held back to back. It is more compact than a cam cleat, but the rope is less easily released under load.

A cleat hitch is a knot used to secure a rope to a cleat.

References

  1. Ashley 1993, p. 286.
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