EZ-cleats failing

[DaveC426913]

I love my EZ-cleats

(Like these:
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/The ... zNw==?ref=)


But they are pulling off the fairleads under high loads. The pin is forward of the load, and it manages to lever them up and then they fly off the leading edge of the fairlead.

Do I have them installed wrong, am I using them in too windy conditions, or do I just need to tighten them down each time before setting out?

Maybe I should install them aft of the factory sheet blocks, instead of forward of them... At least, when they let go, they won't go flying off chasing the flopping jib.

[Chinook]

I had one fly off as you describe. After that incident I went back to my old jib sheet cleats.

[Highlander]

First off
U like a lot of other people r using them the wrong way , they were not designed to replace ur winches period !
they were designed to allow u to use these cleats from a different location & move ur sheets further aft in the cockpit , u should not b by-passing ur winches & using these direct , even ur reg cleats behind ur winches r not designed for that kind of pressure .
I have six of these on my boat & run 3 of my 4 head sails on furlers from them with no issues they r either run from front or aft winches or ratchet blocks which in sense act like winches .
u should do ur own back ground check on product,s & not always rely on advertising B/S
So basically this product allows u to cleat off ur sheets from a diff location after wrapping ur sheets around a winch or through a ratchet block period !

Just Sayin That,s All

J

[dxg4848]

I bought mine from Bill Beers in 2009 and according to Bill they are designed to bypass winches. Bill's look/made differently and I used them in bad weather many times with no problems. Buy new set from Bill.

[paul I]

I was on the fence about buying a set of these. Then Bill seemed to disappear for a while, which put me even higher on the fence. Then he showed up again and I nearly sent the order out. Now this.

This might be sacrilege, but the only time I have ever used either of the winches on my was when hoisting the main sail. I just don't need them for anything else, and could probably get by without them altogether if I had to. I know positively I've never needed the winch handle.

I'd like to hear about more experiences with these. This is actually the first time I can think of that I've heard anything bad.

[dxg4848]

I know positively I've never needed the winch handle.

I use mine to hang lines. What is winch handle?

[NiceAft]

I also have never used either winch. I do have the EZ-Cleats, and am quite pleased. I have had them for a few years now.

I purchased the EZ-Cleats because I wanted to control my Genoa sheets while still sitting in the captains seat, and that's what they allow me to do.

Ray

[Wind Chime]

Our EZ-Cleats are a little different but same idea.

There is very little load on the fair-leads with this type because the pressure is mostly laterally from the t-track car-block (parallel along the gunwale) to the jam-cleat in the EZ-cleat.

They have always worked well, especially for single handing from behind the wheel.
You need to take a little pressure off the sheet to harden in high wind but I just point up to luff a bit.

In this photo, I must be in light wind and trying to point ... because I have the sheet on the inside of the rail with the car-block far forward on the t-track and the sheet is hard-in. (pulling down on the leech and letting the foot increase the draft and reduce twist) - not sure if it was working

[paul I]

Our EZ-Cleats are a little different but same idea.

which EZ- cleats are "yours"... are they from Bill or from Garhauer? Those are the only two I know of, and I thought Bill made his by modding the Garhauer design.

[Tomfoolery]

What do you do with the EZ Cleats when the car is all the way back? Or do you stop one hole short of all the way back?

[Wind Chime]

What do you do with the EZ Cleats when the car is all the way back? Or do you stop one hole short of all the way back?

Yes, we always have the EZ-Cleats in the far aft position. Easy to reach from the behind the wheel. I can't recall a situation ever requiring me to move the block-car position back aft far enough to get in the way of the EZ-Cleat.

If the wind gets up to where the block-car is past about center position on the T-track, I'll usually pull a couple of rolls on the furler - and by this time probably start flattening the whole rig to keep balanced. (Increase main halyard tension, maybe twist off the main a touch, tighten the back stay a few inches, tension back the main outhaul a tad, maybe even tweak the Cunningham, etc.) Not many options for tweaking the headsail besides car position, reef, and sheet tension. I've got an adjustable headsail halyard but it takes going to the bow tack to adjust so usually leave in in the neutral position.

Ps
I added turning blocks on both aft rails of the push-pit for spinnaker sheets and ran a second set of EZ-Cleats set up on the track but in the oppositeness direction (facing aft), but I didn't use that setup for long as not much tension on the spin sheets so just make fast on the stern cleats after rounding the aft turn blocks.

[NiceAft]

The question I have is what are the conditions that Dave normally sails in?

Dave, can you post a photo of what your set up looks like?

Ray

[BOAT]

Huh, never had the EZ cleats fail, that's interesting - so the fair-lead pulls right out? Is that what happens?

I have the EZ cleats with the Allen screw in them so once they are set in position they are not easy to move so I use turn blocks to adjust the genoa sheet position.

I have never had the EZ Cleats fail, but I must admit there are times when the wind is hard and I bypass the EZ Cleat and go directly to the winch from the turn block. My Genoa is really big and sometimes I need the extra help from the winch in heavy winds. I probably should furl the Genoa in those situations but I'm lazy.

[paul I]

Huh, never had the EZ cleats fail, that's interesting - so the fair-lead pulls right out? Is that what happens?

I have the EZ cleats with the Allen screw in them so once they are set in position they are not easy to move so I use turn blocks to adjust the genoa sheet position.

I have never had the EZ Cleats fail, but I must admit there are times when the wind is hard and I bypass the EZ Cleat and go directly to the winch from the turn block. My Genoa is really big and sometimes I need the extra help from the winch in heavy winds. I probably should furl the Genoa in those situations but I'm lazy.

more confessions.... Not only have I never used either of the winches, I never adjust the position of the genoa blocks. Maybe I should. I guess I just cant see how adjusting them across that 2' span would really do anything.

[Tomfoolery]

more confessions.... Not only have I never used either of the winches, I never adjust the position of the genoa blocks. Maybe I should. I guess I just cant see how adjusting them across that 2' span would really do anything.

That's a valid point. The closer the clew is to the fairlead, the greater the effect fairlead postion will have on the sail, but I've always thought the tracks were rather short for the sail size. I adjust my fairleads to wind conditions, but the jury is still out as to just how much effect that actually has on the sail and/or sail balance.