Okay, no matter you want to call it your neck of the woods, there is some
standard nomenclature.
It helps to keep them straight, because they are used for different
applications and have very different working loads (SWL=Safe working load =
MWL = maximum working load).
The working load is the load the gadget can take and still perform as it was
designed to do. Above the working load, the bearings flatten, the plastic
bends, the sheave jams, etc, and the gadget doesn't work as advertised.
Breaking strength is usually much, much higher than working load -- if you
exceed breaking strength you'd better start ducking, because you're going to
have pieces of hardware flying around the boat at very high speeds!
So here goes -- I'll try to define all these gadgets as they are commonly
used...
1) Horned cleat. The kind you wrap a line around and finish with a figure
"8". It stands up from the deck and has two horizontal horns. Can take a
lead from any horizontal angle, can support very large working loads when
properly backed. Cheap and dependable. Can be used with any size lines.
2) Self jamming horned cleat - same as above, but you don't need a figure 8
to finish the line, it's got a deep v that catches the rope under one of the
horns. You have to size the "v" for the size line you intend to use, but
there's a lot of room for fudging.
3) Jam cleat - usually a combination of a block with a v-shaped exit that
catches the rope. Commonly used for small boom vangs. Usually used only for
small diameter lines from 3/16-1/4"
4) Cam Cleat - a gadget with two cam-shaped, spring loaded *cams* with teeth.
The rope passes between the cams. Usually used with a fairlead to guide the
rope. It is designed to release the line as easily as it engages the line.
Usually releases when the line is lifted about 20-30 degrees. It releases the
rope completely when disengaged and does not assist in easing the line. Has
a working load capacity in the range of 150-300 pounds. Requires a pretty
fair lead to work well. Depending on the load capacity and the fairlead
used, costs $12 to $35 dollars for the whole assembly. Should not be used
with a winch on the bitter end of the line, because it chews up your lines and
because you usually can't get a fair lead from the cam to the winch. You can
buy them specifically designed for a narrow or medium rope diameters.
I used cam-cleats with fairleads for running my lines aft on my 14-foot racing
dinghy. It's 140 pounds displacement, 91 square feet of sail, and planes
easily.
I'd bet you could use cam-cleats on a P15 for most of the lines, but I'd have
to run some caluclations or check with a rigger or something before I could
say that it's safe.
As I've said before, I wouldn't use a cam-cleat for a P19 main halyard. We're
talking about loads over the camcleat's safe working load limit of 300 pounds.
I'd use a horn cleat or a rope clutch.
4) V-cleat. Those aluminum or plastic things about 1/2 inch wide and maybe
1.5 to 2.5 inches long. Most of them have a hole in the in-coming side on the
top that acts as a fairlead. You pass the line down into the hole, through
the body of the v-cleat, and secure it in a vertical v that is open on the
top. Requires a very fair lead to work well. Has a working load of
significanlty less than 100 pounds. Commonly used for very small diameter
lines, from 3/16 to 1/4 inches, occassionally you can find some large enough
for 5/16" lines. Really cheap, dependable and small-- about $2.50 each.
5) Clam Cleat. Designed to be mounted on a surface so that the line is
secured into a v that is horizontal. Similar to a v-cleat turned on its side,
but has no hole that functions like a fairlead. One advantage is that you
can get double sided ones for about $10-15.
6) Rope Clutch - Those expensive gadgets designed to assist in the tightening
and easing of lines without chewing up your lines. Does not release the line
suddenly. Has a working load in the range of 1,000-3,000 pounds. Has a lever
locking assembly to prevent accidental release even if the line is lifted from
the deck. Can take inicoming lines with horizontal angles of 10-20 degrees
(depending on the model). Has a built in fairlead on the bitter end which
allows deflections of 20-30 degrees when running several lines from double or
triple clutch to a single winch. The newer ones have release mechanisms that
release the line partially with a little drag on the line, to allow you to
ease the line without losing control. Mucho bucks. The one I selected for
Redwings cabin top is a Frederik "MiniTriple", about $115 for a triple line
clutch.
7) Hybird Mini-clutches such as the Spinlock PX series. The spinlock PX
series mini-clutches are neat. They allow controlled easing or tightening of
the line and you can use them with a winch. The come in two sizes. The
smaller 406 series has a working load of 140 pounds. The larger size has a
working load of 200 pounds. They allow for about 15-20 degrees of line
deflection on the in-coming side, just like a rope clutch. On the bitter-end
side, they only release if you pull them 45 degrees straight up or lift the
lever. They have a smaller footprint than a camcleat with fairlead, and cost
about the same as a camcleat with fairlead of comparable working load - two
for $54 at Svendson's Marina. They look really cool too, like itty-bitty
clutches.
Now, got all that straight guys? Somebody correct me if I made any mistakes,
please
Regards,
Judy B.