Fix for downhaul cleat sliding in luff track?

It seems that my down haul cleat slides up and down the luff track in the main without any difficulty. I've been trying my best to downhaul and cleat on the main halyard cleat, but you know that doesn't work very well.

I thought I would post here (searched, but found no topic on this) to see if there was some good solution to fixing this problem. I haven't looked at it too closely because I was short on time when I noticed it and had to get on the water.

Is it riveted or screwed into the mast? I have a 1980 vintage 16. Thanks for any help.

Michael,

It's screwed in there. Need to tighten the two flathead screws in the cleat.

Sorry I didn't look you up last weekend at Saylorville. Hope you had a good time? I kept getting glimpes of a 16 with Carumba sails and black numbers, and asking myself why it seemed so familiar. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Neither - It's got two machine screws (bolts) that have square nuts on them that slide in the track.

Tightening the bolts usually does the trick.

I replaced the square nuts with wing nuts on my new 6:1 downhaul. IMHO they wedge into the luff track better but its only been a month +/- so there is not much track record. YMMV.

I got a tip from another sailor during the Belgian nationals three years ago and it hasn't let me down since : use a couple of 1/8" solid braid lines (same as batten ties) to tie the cleat to the mast base and then stretch 'em tight using the downhaul before tightening the screws on the cleat. Leave the lines there, they will now prevent the cleat from sliding upwards. I have since then seen this system used in various races.
Tom

If you remove the nuts and file one side flat, with a nice sharp edge, that will dig into the luff track when tightened.

Another simple solution - take a pair of pliers and bend the top edge of the plate down. File a small notch across the mast track where you want the plate.

Mount the plate so the bent edge lines up with the notch. No slippage.