# Cleats no yes if no what do you tie your boat off to when you dock



## SC Bill (Jul 22, 2017)

All of my skiffs have had a flush mount, popup cleat on the bow's forward casting deck. 

A friend didn't have one on his bow so we installed one sourced from Amazon.
Easy to install. Measure about 5 times BEFORE you cut!!!!


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Logan T said:


> I just bought a microskiff I love it but the one thing I have noticed on my skiff as well as others she doesn't have cleats how are you guys docking up


Get ones that recess down when not in use you can also use the front eyelet but a little cumbersome attaching the rope.


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## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

I just put a clove hitch around the leg of my casting and/or poling platforms that are bolted to my boat.

You could put one of these stainless loops on the very point of your bow. Then make your painter line out of parachute cord with a snap clip on the end. Snap the painter line on/off as needed.

https://greatlakesskipper.com/standard-1-3-8-inch-stainless-steel-boat-bimini-eye-straps-set-of-4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painter_(rope)


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## Forcefed (Aug 5, 2016)

Stern line on poling platform. Bow line to trailer eye if needed. But for basic loading and unloading of skiff one line around the steering wheel does just fine as a midship.


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## Jason Cooper (Dec 6, 2016)

Flush mount pop up cleats!


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## mtoddsolomon (Mar 25, 2015)

I have one that I had East Cape install, and It's the only regret I have on my boat. It's a folding cleat and never catches fly line, but I just hate that it took away from the clean deck look.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

No cleats for me. Clove hitch around the platform legs for tying up, as well as launching/loading. A few weeks ago I spliced loops into the ends of my dock lines so I can just loop them around the platform legs. This way I don't have to rely on any knots tied by any fishing buddies. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had to go swimming for their boat.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

I had one pop up on the front of the BT and one on either side amid ship that I would occasionally hand a drift sock off of. No cleats on the Spear. I send my passenger up front when we leave the dock to get the dock line off of the bow eye.

If I have to tie off the stern, I just throw a line around a platform leg.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I have normal ss cleats on the rear, and tie off to the trolling motor mount up front. I dock for a few days at a time on vacation, tie off a stake out rod, and use a anchor all the time now. I might look into pop up cleats on my next skiff, but I'm not sold on them as I've seen what they look like a few years old.


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## Rookiemistake (Jan 30, 2013)

theres always the trusty eye u bolt for the wench to tie up .not sure if thats what its called but basically the bolt where you hook up to your winch....if needed
i have a pop up at the nose of the boat and thats it, for the back i tie off the poling platform


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## Bluwave (Nov 3, 2014)

No cleats, keep it clean. You can tie to the bow eye, casting platform/bolt, poling platform, steering wheel... etc


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

firecat1981 said:


> I have normal ss cleats on the rear, and tie off to the trolling motor mount up front. I dock for a few days at a time on vacation, tie off a stake out rod, and use a anchor all the time now. I might look into pop up cleats on my next skiff, but I'm not sold on them as I've seen what they look like a few years old.


That gives me an idea. I am going to try to come up with something that will go through the holes on my trolling motor puck that I can put a bow line on when launching or tying up. I could use the existing "handle" but I don't want to lose it.


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## ZaneD (Feb 28, 2017)

I'd just tie to the casting platform leg, or tie to the bow eye. Tie to poling platform in the rear. My skiff has a single pop up cleat on the bow but I wish it didn't. 

I say don't drill any holes for things that aren't totally necessary.


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

I have a flush mount clean on my bow I use or the legs on my casting platform. For the stern I just tie off to the poling platform.

Biggest issue with out low freeboard skiffs is the push pole trying to go under the dock or even the edge of the deck if its not a floating dock .

With the tides fluctuating the way they do here in North Florida you definitely don't want to leave your boat tied up for too long or you might come back and it will be halfway under the dock and under water.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Understand trying to keep the deck as clean as possible. I have the pull-up cleat on my bow (it's clean and unobtrusive) and I use my launch line to tie off to the dock with the other end snapped around the poling platform leg. 

But a quality stainless Accon or Gemlux pop-up cleat will last for as long as the skiff and if installed correctly will not hinder fly lines, toes or anything else.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Like FSUDrew99 said, I tie off to the poling platform and casting platform. In the case of floating docks or docks where the skiff could float under, I use the low freeboard bass boat fenders tied to the poling platform. They have a unique shape that sits high on the hull and over the gunwale, keeping the fenders in place.


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## Logan T (Jul 29, 2017)

Sublime said:


> That gives me an idea. I am going to try to come up with something that will go through the holes on my trolling motor puck that I can put a bow line on when launching or tying up. I could use the existing "handle" but I don't want to lose it.
> 
> View attachment 13770


Sir if you do I'll buy that product putting holes in my first real nice skiff makes my stomach hurt


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## Logan T (Jul 29, 2017)

SC Bill said:


> All of my skiffs have had a flush mount, popup cleat on the bow's forward casting deck.
> 
> A friend didn't have one on his bow so we installed one sourced from Amazon.
> Easy to install. Measure about 5 times BEFORE
> ...


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Pop up cleats are clean and out of the way until you need them. Go to Accon Marine to get the good ones


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

http://shop.acconmarine.com/products/23-folding-cleat.aspx


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)




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## Snookyrookie (Sep 9, 2016)

1 to the poking platform, 1 to the trailer eye, and 1 to the grab handle on the console, never had a problem. I do use the dock lines with the stretch cord in the middle and tie fairly right.


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