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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Midship Mooring Cleat

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Ellen254
Deckhand

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USA
11 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/25/2019 : 16:00:55

Has anyone used this on their genoa track?

https://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm/product/1766/span-style-midship-mooring-cleatbrstainless-steel-1quot-trackspan.htm

I have a slip right at the mouth of our marina that gets hit with a lot of waves and currently have spring lines tied to my winches for extra support in addition to the docklines at bow and stern. The cleats on the boat seemed too small to be able to attach two lines. I measured my genoa track and it's 1" wide but the pin holes are 5/16" rather than the 1/4" inches specified for this cleat. Would that render it unusable for my boat? Would it be worth it to replace the genoa track since it appears the measurements for the 250 aren't standard? Or should I keep using the winches?

I'm stuck with the slip location, so I'm just trying to do what I can to keep the boat from bouncing around too much! Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

2004 C250WK #750 Waco, TX
"Ba-de-ya"

WK 727
1st Mate

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USA
72 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2019 : 18:43:24

I have that midship cleat from Catalina direct. It works fine on the factory 1" track. I don't have an issue with the pins being slightly smaller than the holes in the tract. It is a good cleat designed to work on the 250 track.

Regards, John
Westlawn Institute graduate
Yacht Design and Naval Architecture
04 Catalina 250 WK
Standard rig w/wheel steering
Yanmar 9hp diesel

glivs
Admiral

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USA
822 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2019 : 19:13:29

Would be worth a quick call to CD Technical Support...very knowledgeable and helpful staff. I don't have any knowledge of the
C250, but the replacement 1" track and cars listed on the CD website are all based on 1/4" pins...perhaps you should recheck your measurements. ???

Gerry & Leslie; Malletts Bay, VT
"Great Escape" 1989 C-25 SR/WK #5972

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2019 : 05:42:16

From CD
Catalina's track uses 1/4" adjustment holes. The pins in our cars are machined to fit the 1/4" holes used by Catalina.

Even if you are correct with the 5/16" the 1/4" pin will work. The 1/16" difference is negligible. They are expensive so shop around. I got 2 anodized aluminum cleats from E-Bay for $40.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 03/26/2019 05:55:28

Peregrine
Admiral

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830 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2019 : 12:41:32

quote:
Originally posted by Ellen254

Has anyone used this on their genoa track?

https://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm/product/1766/span-style-midship-mooring-cleatbrstainless-steel-1quot-trackspan.htm

I have a slip right at the mouth of our marina that gets hit with a lot of waves and currently have spring lines tied to my winches for extra support in addition to the docklines at bow and stern. The cleats on the boat seemed too small to be able to attach two lines. I measured my genoa track and it's 1" wide but the pin holes are 5/16" rather than the 1/4" inches specified for this cleat. Would that render it unusable for my boat? Would it be worth it to replace the genoa track since it appears the measurements for the 250 aren't standard? Or should I keep using the winches?

I'm stuck with the slip location, so I'm just trying to do what I can to keep the boat from bouncing around too much! Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

I have one, cheeper anodized one, that the PO bought. Very handy for the furler, rafting up or my drifter.

John Gisondi
Peregrine #4762

*

Ellen254
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
11 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2019 : 16:18:24

Thanks, John! It helps me to know that your boat is the same year and model as mine. I appreciate you taking the time to respond!

quote:
Originally posted by WK 727

I have that midship cleat from Catalina direct. It works fine on the factory 1" track. I don't have an issue with the pins being slightly smaller than the holes in the tract. It is a good cleat designed to work on the 250 track.

2004 C250WK #750 Waco, TX
"Ba-de-ya"

Ellen254
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
11 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2019 : 16:24:18

Thanks for all the quick responses! It seems that the 1/16" difference shouldn't be a problem, based on your experiences. I'll shop around and see if I can get a better price, or maybe Defender Marine will have these on sale later this week if I am lucky!

2004 C250WK #750 Waco, TX
"Ba-de-ya"

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2269 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2019 : 21:33:54

The SS one from Catalina Direct is made by Schaefer, and available from Defender:

https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|2259971|2709020&id=92875

Currently $95, and will almost certainly go down by another 20% in two days.

I had one on my C250, and it is a gorgeous work of art, as well as extremely functional with a huge chock opening - especially good if you want to attach two lines. Worth every penny of its premium price. I would have brought it with me to my new boat, but I now have 1-1/4" tracks, so I let the buyer take it with my C250.

My current boat came with one of the cheaper aluminum variants, without a chock opening. I lived with it for a couple years, but really needed two spring lines, so bought the larger Schaefer model with the 1-1/4" track, and I love it. I bought it at last year's Defender sale ($106.99 marked down 20% to $85.59).

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

Edited by - TakeFive on 03/26/2019 21:35:35

Dave Brown
Navigator

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USA
174 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2019 : 14:04:07

i'm wondering , how strong are the side tracks ?
For the day, or maybe the weekend, Im sure they would stand
up, but could they standup to a storm, or big waves all day ?
that's a lot of jerking around. Looking at my : tall rig, 1999'
it only has through bolts, with no backing.
just my 2 cents worth.

WK 727
1st Mate

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USA
72 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2019 : 16:44:33

The 1" track on my 04 have large washers as a backing plate every 4 inches (13 in all over 4 feet). The factory mooring cleats use 4 bolts in a 3" x 2" area (same washers as on the track). So I am guessing the the tracks are stronger than the factory cleats because of the distributed load over the deck. Also, the new cast cleat is much beefer that the herreshoff cleats IMHO. However, I use still use the winch, midship cleat and the bow cleats at the dock.

I agree with TakeFive "Worth every penny of its premium price".

Regards, John
Westlawn Institute graduate
Yacht Design and Naval Architecture
04 Catalina 250 WK
Standard rig w/wheel steering
Yanmar 9hp diesel

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2269 Posts

Response Posted - 03/27/2019 : 21:44:29

quote:
Originally posted by Dave Brown

i'm wondering , how strong are the side tracks ?
For the day, or maybe the weekend, Im sure they would stand
up, but could they standup to a storm, or big waves all day ?
that's a lot of jerking around. Looking at my : tall rig, 1999'
it only has through bolts, with no backing.
just my 2 cents worth.

In my mind, the answer is "it depends". The track is extremely strong in the fore-aft direction, but not so much in side-to-side direction. If you're running a spring line from amidships to a bow or stern piling, it should be perfect. And the long line will give good stretch to minimize jerking. I would NEVER run a short line directly to the side from a track cleat (or any cleat).

Any jerking shock load on the cleats is a bad thing, especially sideways. I always use three-strand line for docking - never double-braid, and especially never use polyester double-braid halyard line. And regardless of what line you use, if it's very short, it needs an EPDM snubber, because the line itself will not have enough stretch to reduce the shock loads.

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

Edited by - TakeFive on 03/27/2019 21:44:54

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2269 Posts

Response Posted - 03/28/2019 : 19:01:31

Wow, the Schaefer SS cleats are 30% off Defender's normal price. Even lower than last year. Go get it while you can!

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

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