Lee Cloth using the grab rail bolts

I had a triangular shaped piece of duck cloth left over from the riding sail and flopper stopper projects and decided to put it to good use. For the attachment points up top I used coupler nuts and eye bolts on top of the factory nut which holds the cabin top grab rails in place. I only see myself using this at anchor and I think it's mostly a psychological panacea for my fear of falling out of such a narrow berth and also to keep the covers on the bed. The line is laced through putting equal strain on each of the hanger bolts in the grab rails. Good idea? Waste of time? Has anyone done this and had the hanger bolts pull out? It didn't cost much in the way of time or money so I'm not that emotionally attached to it.

I have been planning to sew up a lee cloth for the port settee as well, but I was hoping I could get away with just attaching a rectangle shaped one at either corner to the cabinetry for simplicity. I like the look of your triangle one though.
I wonder with your triangle shape if you could get by with one line attached right at the clew? or would it be the head? I'll bet you could put a snap shackle on the outboard end and have a really fast reefing and deployment system.

For a number of ideas, Google "Google Images lee cloths" (Google Images searches for multiple photos of almost any topic you can dream up).

My personal favorite is an 18" flap of heavy duck with a stout wooden rod sewn into the top seam. At either end, a block with cam cleat that you can haul tight once inside, and release fast to get out of.

I would always rather have a lee berth, though.

Shelman said:

I have been planning to sew up a lee cloth for the port settee as well, but I was hoping I could get away with just attaching a rectangle shaped one at either corner to the cabinetry for simplicity. I like the look of your triangle one though.
I wonder with your triangle shape if you could get by with one line attached right at the clew? or would it be the head? I'll bet you could put a snap shackle on the outboard end and have a really fast reefing and deployment system.

Click to expand...

The idea was to use snap shackles on the finished product. I like the triangle because it's easy to swing my legs out if I need to get up in a hurry, say, at anchor watch. Most of the support is at the hips and trunk and it doesn't feel claustrophobic.

My lee cloths have 1 inch nylon webbing to hold them up and Fastex type buckles for quick connect and to apply tension. Mine loop over a teak inside handrail in the ceiling about where your bolts are located. Quick to install and easy to adjust tension.

Mark

Lee straps as an alternative.

Mark and all, This will be my first successful attempt at attaching images (if it works) that illustrate the 2" webbing straps I fitted to the starboard settee of our boat. They stow and adjust easily by means of standard plastic buckles. We've used them countless times over the years when either Marilyn or I want to catch a few winks when making passage to Catalina Island. Cheers, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

Lee Cloths for the settee

I made myself a lee cloth from some sunbrella this last spring and after a full summer of use I can report that it is a great success. I made it short enough to step over so that it doesn't need to be un-clipped in order to climb over it and into the settee.

It can be flipped under the settee cushion if the upper straps are un-clipped and the lower buckles are quick to snap on and off too.

Great idea. Thanks for sharing.