www.iFourWinns.com

I have been considering upgrading my 1999 200 horizon with new pop up cleats from the stock four footed fix ones. Has anyone done this. If so what brand and how hard is it. My biggest concerns are, will it cover the four holes left from the old ones and two cleats on the stern look very hard to access from inside to get the backing plate and nuts on. Also will they fit flush an the rounded area on the bow. There are a total of six on my boat. 2 bow, 2 midship and 2 on the stern just above the swim step. I want to use the ACCON brand that dont show the screw heads.

Any input would be great!

Thanks,
Ross

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1999 200 Horizon

Hey Ross,

can you post some pictures of where the cleats are? We can probably chime in a bit more with some visuals.

Flush mounting really depends on the surface and your ability to add in the backing plate.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

I Will try to post some pics ASAP. My boat lives in lake Havasu AZ and I'm in So Cal. I'll be there the day after christmas and can take some pics then,

Thanks,
Ross
.

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1999 200 Horizon

I havedone it in the past. Just the bow and stern ones, couldnt get to the mid-ship ones. Remember cleats are installed before the cap is mounted on the hull.

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I remeber asking if this could be done by the dealer when I was looking at a H180 (before I finally bought the 190) and he said they were not an option for the 180 and could not be retrofitted either - something about not enough room behind them.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but pop-up cleats are not usually a viable replacement for factory ones. Most pop-ups aren't designed to handle the same loads as a regular cleat. The amount of pulling force exerted on a cleat is tremendous. That's why there's so much material set up behind them. The last thing you want to do is have a a pop-up end up ripping a large chunk of fiberglass out. Where they work is if they're designed in from the factory or there's a lot of clear space behind the area to accommodate a good bit of added backing plate material (usually stainless or wood, that's glassed into place). But even with all that, nothing beats the durability of a fixed cleat. I don't know that I'd want pop-ups used at the four corners of the vessel. You never know when towing or other serious load needs will be required.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I've got the factory pop-ups and wouldn't trade them. They've been through some serious stress with no apparent ill effects. However, unless you've got room behind there not only to install them but to put serious backing reinforcement behind them, I wouldn't switch them.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

There's some great points...

Yes, it's very do-able to put in pop up cleats - but there are some major considerations
1) You have to have the physical room to get to the areas in which the cleats reside
2) Major bulk up of the area where you are mounting them. This could be larger backing plates and addistional fiberglass support.

Nobody has really mentioned this - but a quick call to the FW Customer service line might provide enough detail as to whether or not the areas on the new boats are built any different to support pop up vs standard cleats.

Better safe than sorry. having your boat tied up in rough seas and snap - there goes a chunk of fiberglass - that would really suck.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

Pop-ups are rated the same as stand off cleats. If backed proper a line will break long before a cleat

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Yep. Embarrased to say I found this out first hand.

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum