Hi Joe, The answer is yes.... I had fairleads on the cam cleats. With fairleads, you are not concerned with incoming jib sheet angle, since the fairlead will than feed the jib sheet directly into the cam cleat. Then, if you want to release the jib sheet, you just give the jib sheet in the cam cleat an upwards yank and it's free to fly - while the jib sheet still remains in place (did you put a figure eight knot in the end?). Jam cleats are fine for hanging fenders but not for a jib sheet where you want instant - and immediate - release in an emergency situation. With a jam cleat, if you are hit by a heavy gust, the pull on the jib sheet just seats the jib sheet more firmly in the "Vee" teeth of the jam cleat. To release it, your force will have to equal the wind gust force, plus some more force to unseat the jib sheet from the "Vee" cleat. I recognized this during our first sail in our M15, and immediately made the change to improve the action of the "emergency brake" Happy sailing, Connie Joe Murphy wrote:
Connie, Did you use cam cleats with the fairleads?? Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: <chbenneck@sbcglobal.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 7:59 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: M15 V cleat change ideas
Hi Jared,
My M15 originally came with the V jam cleats when I bought it.
After a few sails, I immediately found that I hated them...., so I replaced them with cam cleats.
Reasons: The V cleats require a lot of force to release the jib sheet- the stronger the gust, the more force you need to release the sheets.. If I get hit with an unseen gust, I want to be able to release the jib sheet instantly and easily, and not have to struggle with a jib sheet jammed into a V cleat. I want to be able to get instant jib sheet release just by jerking the jib sheet out of the cam cleat.
So, both jib sheet V cleats were replaced with cam cleats, and thereafter life was pleasant, and jib sheets were instantly releasable, whenever I deemed it necessary.
My $0.02 worth
Connie ex M15 #400 LEPPO
Jared Prindle wrote:
After the first sail, I found that I really need to change the jib sheet V-cleats as they are really worn down and hardly hold the line at all. I'm looking for advice to what would be best and and using the original holes in the cabin. Option 1. Just replace the V cleats with new ones of the same size. The only reason I don't go right out and do this is that the existing ones seem to be made for a min of 5/16 line. Wouldn't it be better to have a Med size one that could accept 1/4" and 5/16" line? I also couldn't find any V cleat at this size with a fairlead built in which seems better to have one then not.
Option 2. Get the Medium size V cleat with the fairlead built in. Use some Starboard or hardwood to build a base (maybe even wedge to give a better yank angle). Mount the V-cleat into the wood and the wood into the original holes in the cabin.
Option 3. Make a wood base as above but add moving cam cleats like what's used on the mainsheet.
Thanks for your advice. Jared "Lil p"
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