Bill's EZ Cleats

[KayakDan]

What's the winch for?

I use it to tighten up my hammock on the foredeck.

Excellent...a hammock is on my mods list!

[Matt19020]

I do not know how others have rated Bill's EZ Cleats but after 4 months of use and top wind speed of 16 knots on a full genoa they have held up perfectly..... Good job Bill.......

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Matt19020 - Take a look at the quote below. I didn't find them any more difficult to use, and actually consider it a positive. What's your opinion?

I like the new beefier design however...
With the old EZs I ran the sheets through a block on the coaming track. With the new design (fixed angle feed path), using the block has the sheets entering the new EZs at an angle and is more difficult to use.

[Matt19020]

Bill,
I have been using these cleats since you sent them to me at all points of sail (all single handed) and see no problems at all. I did like the "swival" of the old cleats. I think because it made sense for them to move in line with the lines. I would rather have the stronger version that do not swival. I do not use any blocks, I run right to the Genoa and have not touched the winches yet. I can not respond to USAF comments because I do not use any blocks. I would suggest he not use the blocks and see how that runs. Is he using a standard jib or Genoa?
Everything else is running perfect on our boat and our expieriece dealing with you has been a pleasure!

[USAF M26X sailor]

As I mentioned, with the new cleats I no longer have the blocks in the extreme forward hole on the Genoa track any more. I use a RF Genoa and I opt to place the EZ cleat along the Genoa track so that it is more useful to me as a solo sailor vice the best sail shape. I'm not looking beat the few other sailboats. I'm out to relax, enjoy the day, and nice conversation with the Admiral (My friend's Go Fast is so loud he and his admiral have expensive noise canceling intercom headsets). Bill's Cleats are one of the better upgrades I've made.

[Rob S]

I have the Garhauer version and have found a new use for them which is a simple variation of Captain Kimo's Poor Man's Traveller for the 26X shown here...
http://www.macgregor26x.com/modt/index.php?view=656

Use 25 ft of 3/8ths line and hitch a carabiner (snap shackle) to the center point of the line. Snap the carabiner onto the boom bail. Run the respective ends of the line through the EZ Cleats.

This now gives you better control of the X's sail shape.

When close hauled, with the boom close to center, cleat off the windward end of the line, release the mainsheet and leeward end of the line. All the tension will now be in the windward line which will control the boom's angle without pulling it down too much. This will restore draft to the sail that the mainsheet would have over-flattened when sheeted so far in. It will also allow you to get the boom to center, or even over center, while still reataining draft in the mainsail....... i.e. what an ordinary traveller does. If necessary you can tension the leeward part of the line to flatten the sail.

In stronger winds, you can let out the windward line and tighten the leeward line to flatten the sail and reduce heel......... effectively an more instantly available boom vang, or the same as letting a traveller out and tightening the mainsheet. The boom vang can stay released until you need it for downwind.

It sounds complicated to operate but once you play with it a bit it makes sense. When tacking, I retighten the mainsheet and release both EZ cleats, tack, then readjust the EZ cleats and release the mainsheet when stabilized on the new tack. When going onto a run, I again take the tension on the mainsheet, then unclip the carabiner from the boom and let the mainsheet out.

It's a simple mod that (unlike Captain Kimo's mod) lacks any mechanical advantage so in strong winds you need to use the mainsheet to overcome the high forces and position the boom close to where you need it, then make small adjustments on the EZ cleats and then release the mainsheet.

It may sound like too much trouble but I have been amazed at how much difference subtle changes in sail shape make to sailing this boat, and has made me realize how hindered we X drivers are by the lack of a real traveller. It's far from being a perfect substitute for a real traveller but is a vast improvement over having just a mainsheet. Before, I had great difficulty in making all the sail's telltales fly simultaneously, and in stronger winds had problems trying to reduce heel and yet retain some power in the sail. It also helps me make small adjustments to balance the helm and reduce the tendency to stall the rudders and round up.

When I first considered the idea, I just bought some cheap line and a spring clip from Home Depot all for less than $20, found out that it worked, then upgraded the hardware to stronger marine quality.

[PatrickS]

What's the winch for?

I use it to tighten up my hammock on the foredeck.

Any photos and details of how you string that hammock?