Anyone ever witnessed a handle or cleat being pulled off?

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Another thread is debating the social rudeness/rightness of tying/rafting up to a rubber glued on cleat/handle. I understand the fear, but is it based on fact or not.

Has anyone actually had one pulled off? and what were the forces involved?

[Starovich]

i use mine for springs, have done for a year, and not had a problem bow and stern line go to eye bolts.

[ribraff]

I've seen them rip through the upright of the handle before pulling the whole handle off , i've never seen a problem with tying on to the cleats to be honest.

[Pikey Dave]

I've had a grab line pulled off, admittedly not by rafting up (it caught on the trailer when we were launching) But it cost me £100 quid to get it repaired. I'd prefer to tie off to the "A" frame & use the painter in anything but flat calm water. I wouldn't dream of pulling up alongside someone & tying onto a "soft" bit.

[9D280]

The original Humber applied "D" strake on mine (25 YO) can if the boat is tied alongside in a marina too close and someone steps aboard support the hull on the pontoon using the rubbing strake, and judging by the gouges & missing lumps I'd guess the glue is waaay stronger than the rubber......



Most Avon redstart/crest cleat failures I've seen form towing have been the cleat itself disintegrating.

[HUMBER P4VWL]

It would appear then that the rubber fitting will break before the glue, hypalon or where the hypalon is attached. That then indicates it would require some v serious forces to do damage. So it would be very unlikely that an average sized rib (6.5m say) would not do any damage to another if it tied on to the rubber cleats, unless it was blowing a gale and or a big swell was slamming the boats around.

So whilst yachties are happy for others to moor alongside and use eachothers deck cleats, are some ribnetters being a little oversensitive about their precious boats in some circumstances? (obvious stupidity re size of boat, conditions of weather and tide excluded)

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

So it would be very unlikely that an average sized rib (6.5m say) would not do any damage to another if it tied on to the rubber cleats, unless it was blowing a gale and or a big swell was slamming the boats around.

Is this what I think you meant to say, or is it what you thought you'd said

[TonyC]

I'll echo other comments here in that while i've never seen a cleat pulled off, i've seen quite a few broken cleats, and also quite a few broekn lifeline 'holders'.

i always teach people that for anything but temporary 'holding on', you should used main anchor points in the boat.

[PeterM]

I have seen a handle rip a tube - it was during a tow of a broken down ski boat by a rib. A jerk in the line (and driving the towing boat ) due to a too quick take off, was followed by a loud 'RIP' and then the steady hiss no one wants to hear.

I have to say it was one hell of jerk. Really one of those moments of thinking ' this isn't going to be good' but knowing there is nothing you can do about it...

I have had the local rowing clud try to tie back moorings to the handles on my tubes. I was not impressed at all - a few choice words were used explaining the pull of 4 other moorings all to my tubes was not on

[Doug Stormforce]

I have seen several handle/cleats pulled of. Each has happened bit by bit.

The ones that most come to mind were on a couple of Ribtecs I worked with about 15 yrs ago, also seen it on Tornados i also used to work with and Seariders i also used to work with.

Funnily enough at both organisations where this happened i remember arguing with other staff that they should not use these handles to secure the boat to or tow from. Seems in the end they insisted on proving me right.

The above is in now way a slur on either of the brands in question, but on the lazy arse sloppy seamanship of some of the staff i had the misfortune to work with.

I have also had the port life line of my old Ribtec pulled off when someone in Cowes hung a 6.5m Scorpion off it in Cowes.

I have seen the paddle holders which are made of the same moulded plastic/rubber come of RIBs tubes were presumably they have stuck on with the same glue as the cleats and as described above i have seen the handles torn.

All in all these fittings are not designed for load and anyone who wants to look after his boat will take the common advice not to load them rather than take the attitude "Well it was OK last time" Yes they will survive for some time but one day you will realise why everyone told you not to tie to them

Likewise my valiant (which i bought second hand) has always been missing one of the handles since i bough it- I don't know however how it came off.