Cleat hitch
Makes a line fast to a horn cleat on a boat or dock, and lets it go quickly.
- Use
- Boat and kayak
- Lines
- Rope
- Difficulty
- Easy
White: the standing part. Orange: the end you work with. Mirror flips the drawing for tying left-handed.
Steps
Lead the line to the horn farthest from the load and take a full turn round the base of the cleat, under both horns.
Cross diagonally over the top, under the other horn, and back over the top: a figure eight.
Make an underhand loop, so the free end lies underneath, and drop it over the horn.
Pull the end tight. It should lie alongside the last diagonal, not across it.
Tips
- Do not pile on extra turns or locks: they jam the cleat and slow the release.
- A lock twisted the wrong way, crossing the last turn, can shake loose.
Sources
Each step was checked against these written guides:
- Discover Boating, Cleat hitch
- 48° North, The ins and outs of using your horn cleats
- Rigging Doctor, Cleat hitch
Drawings and animation by Fishwake. We give no breaking-strength figures: published numbers differ with the line and the test.
