1/4" (6mm) Racelite Block/Cleat combination

D-100AL with Aluminum Clamcleat

For years we have been looking for a source for a quality block/cleat combination that does not cost an arm and a leg. There are a number of cheap ones that use a notched piece of stainless for a cleat, but that looked like a rope eater to us. There are also some available with a cam cleat built on but those are awkward looking and pretty spendy. Finally, we sent a Sea-Dog Junior Clamcleat to the nice folks at Race-lite and asked them to see if they could make a block that the cleat would fit on. The D100 is the result of that colaboration.

There are a number of ways to set up a self-cleating tackle for boom vangs, centerboard pennants, and other applications. The first is a single purchase - this rig simply changes the direction of pull on the line:

Next is a double purchase. This gives a 2:1 mechanical advantage. This tackle requires an additional single block such as the RL-305-A shown below.

For a greater mechanical advantage, you can use the D-100 with a single block and a becket block to achieve a tripple purchase (below). The brilliant folks at Race-Lite thought to include an extra clevis pin on the D-100 to install an additonal block. The single block is our RL-305-A and the becket block is the RL-304-A.

When a 4:1 advantage is required, you can rig the tackle shown below. You will need the becket block: RL-304-A, as well as the Rl-378-A fiddle block. You will also need a 3/4" x 3/16" clevis pin and a ring.