Toe rail track cleat 35-3 - size question

[dissent]

Hi all,

I'm looking at adding a midship cleat to our 35-3. I like these http://www.westmarine.com/buy/schaefer--mid-rail-cleats--P002_064_001_506 but am not sure the size of the toe rail track and I'm a few states away from the boat. Does anyone know which one will fit? Also, any experience with these cleats?

 

[Loren Beach]

Another choice would be the Sherman Johnson cleats. I have been using their version that installs on our slotted toe rails for over a decade.
http://www.csjohnson.com/store/inde..._id=24&zenid=76dff7daf755399bd41ea29fa3025a24

No bad choices, really. The SJ version does fold down, which we find convenient - less chance of snagging a sheet.

Loren

 

[dissent]

Thanks Loren, the folding option is interesting. I can see how that would be helpful in this location. I guess all that remains is to confirm that it's a 1 1/4” track.

 

[Rick R.]

I added them on our 32-200. They are Garhauer and make singlehanded docking easy. We used them yesterday while docking in 15 it winds. Call Garhauer and ask for Mark.

 

[fool]

Toe Rail Track 35-3

Howdy,

Mine are 1 1/4 x 3/16, just happened to have a tape measure handy.

Cheers.

Max,

September Sun
Ericson 35 Mk III
ERY240D686

 

[Tom Metzger]

I added them on our 32-200. They are Garhauer and make singlehanded docking easy. We used them yesterday while docking in 15 it winds. Call Garhauer and ask for Mark.

I took one look at the price on the CSJohnson site and said Garhauer has to be in on this. :nerd: I didn't see it in their catalog.

 

[Rick R.]

I took one look at the price on the CSJohnson site and said Garhauer has to be in on this. :nerd: I didn't see it in their catalog.

Gotcha covered Tom.

 

[dissent]

Thanks everyone, this has been very helpful!

 

[EGregerson]

garhauer

I picked up a 1 1/4" garhauer track cleat 5 years ago ($40 at Miami boat show) ; it's worked like a champ.

 

[Rocinante33]

I got the Schaefer cleat 8 or 10 years ago. It won't slide over the screw heads which protrude slightly over the track. In fact I had to grind it a bit to get it to work at all. Even after that, it won't slide well. I would probably get a Garhauer if I did it today.

 

[Pat C.]

I added the Schaeffer model to my 35-3, must be 10 years ago or more, went on smooth and easy, didn't have the problems described. Can't speak to the other brands, but my Schaeffer's still look brand new. Seem like a quality piece of hardware to me.

 

[dissent]

Hi,

I finally had a chance to try and install the Schaeffer cleats onto the toerail track. The forward part of the track is blocked by a bolt, so I thought I would be able to slide these all the way forward. However, I can't get them all the way onto the track at all, let alone to slide. It seems like they are binding on the track itself, not on any screw heads, but I can't tell for sure. So while they are definitely attractive, solid, and seem like a great piece of gear, I don't think I am going to take the time to grind away at them and try and get them to fit.

Anyhow, thought I would add my first-hand experience here as a word of caution. PM me if you're interested in buying some of the nice shiny Schaeffer cleats, or if you want to trade your Garhauer version!

 

[Rick R.]

Hi,

I finally had a chance to try and install the Schaeffer cleats onto the toerail track. The forward part of the track is blocked by a bolt, so I thought I would be able to slide these all the way forward. However, I can't get them all the way onto the track at all, let alone to slide. It seems like they are binding on the track itself, not on any screw heads, but I can't tell for sure. So while they are definitely attractive, solid, and seem like a great piece of gear, I don't think I am going to take the time to grind away at them and try and get them to fit.

Anyhow, thought I would add my first-hand experience here as a word of caution. PM me if you're interested in buying some of the nice shiny Schaeffer cleats, or if you want to trade your Garhauer version!

Sorry about the Schaeffer's not working for you. Call Mark at Garhauer and tell him Rick sent you.

 

[Cory B]

The Schaeffer didn't work for me either years back when I tried it - same thing. Maybe there was a little bit of variance in the T-track that Ericson installed on our boats.

 

[Glyn Judson]

T-track slides that don't.

I too had a similar problem years ago on our boat. The new 1 1/4" bronze cars hung over the T-track too far and would not slide as they should have. I ended up taking them to a machine shop with a sample of the T-track and had the machinist take down the overhang until they slid smoothly. Why on earth would a manufacturer make a part that by their own design, wouldn't work or fit? Beats me. Glyn

 

[Afrakes]

Schaefer Track Cleats

I purchased two Schaefer 1.25" Track Cleats to create mid ships cleats on my 28 last year. They slid on with no problem and are easy to adjust. Maybe a QC problem or a track problem caused the difficulty. If I'd done some more digging I probably would have gone with Garhauer's.

 

[dissent]

Last update

I finally finished this project and figured I'd add some last words. I appreciate the help from everyone on here and I hope that this thread helps someone in the future. I think that the toe rail tracks on these boats probably came from a range of manufacturers or at least in a range of specs, so maybe there's no simple answer.

The tracks on our boat were made by A&B industries and were too thick for the Schaefer cleats to slide onto. I think there's a metric/imperial issue. I did call Garhauer, whose cleats have the added advantage of being bendable/adjustable, and they will bend to your specs if you have a good measure with a caliper and make the request with your order. However, I couldn't return the cleats I had, and I do have an angle grinder, so in the end I decided to make my own modifications. This also included about a 1/16" drillout of the holes in the track for the Schaefer cleat to seat properly.

So, after some sparks and some hammering to get through a couple tight spots, I now have cleats amidships. The end of the track is still a bit aft of the true middle of the boat, but it is *really* helpful to have some cleats here.