Association Forum - Cam cleat nuts?

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Cam cleat nuts?

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HappyNow
1st Mate

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USA
99 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/05/2017 : 22:36:53

After sailing the other day, put the boat away, found a 2 inch bolt on the cockpit floor. No idea where it came from. Had just rigged it for the year after winter storage. Sailing tonight, went to lock the main sheet into the cam cleat by the traveler, and half the cam cleat falls onto the cockpit floor, along with twenty or so 2 mm ball bearings. Continued to sail using the leeward jib sheet winch to hold the main sheet. When I got back, I looked at the half of the cam cleat still intact, and no nut on the back of that bolt either. So I looked at the cam cleats holding the traveler and none of the 4 bolts had nuts, although they have stayed in place since they sit upright. So tomorrow I will buy 6 stainless nuts and lock washers. ( somehow I had a replacement cam cleat that fit the mainsheet in a box of extra parts left on the boat by p.o.). So is this just my boat and someone removed the nuts, or are others out there the same way? I recommend you check, as there was no way in 1000 years I would have ever thought to look under the traveler cam cleats.

Michael Levin
Sailin' on Sunshine
C250 #402 WK
Lake Tahoe

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 06/06/2017 : 04:31:48

Lubricate the cams with Sailcoat. I think what happened was the cam without lubrication started to turn the bolt instead of rotating around it loosening the nut. Did they have nuts with lock washers or was there a flat washer with a lock nut with the nylon insert. I think you could replace the nuts with the locking type.

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

HappyNow
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
99 Posts

Response Posted - 06/06/2017 : 11:18:47

There were no nuts at all. You'd think I would notice at least some of the 6 so I think the boat came that way, possibly removed by previous owner and forgot to replace. Sailkote is good idea, I will remove all the bolts and spray and then put on the nylon locking nuts. Thanks.

Michael Levin
Sailin' on Sunshine
C250 #402 WK
Lake Tahoe

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 06/06/2017 : 11:23:59

Lubricating a bolt before putting on a nylock nut might defeat the purpose of the nut. Dousing cam cleats with clean water now and then should keep them from binding.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 06/06/2017 : 13:53:01

Cam cleats use nylock nuts for a reason. You tighten the bolt/nuts to the point that they are tight and the cam moves freely. If you tighten too much the cams will bind up. You can't achieve this with regular nuts and lock washers that get fully tightened. Nylock nuts should only be used 2 times according to the manufacturers. After that they loose their grip.

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

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 06/06/2017 : 14:29:12

I'll just add that the tightening is after the bedding compound (like LifeSeal) has fully set up under the cleat. Then hold the bolt steady from above and tighten the nuts from below to compress the bedding.