Hello Everyone,
My first post on here. Towards the end of last year I purchased a 50-year-old Daysailer. I played around a bit on her in the Fall without changing anything (sailing out of Kingston, Ontario), but now I'm trying to sort out a couple of issues with the gear so she sails better.
Does anyone recognise this type of jib sheet cam cleat arrangement, please? Do you think it would've been the original?
I found that they don't have much grip any more. They wouldn't hold the jib sheets under any sort of tension, so I couldn't point the boat to windward very well at all unless I held the sheets myself.
The cam cleats, including the teeth, seem to have been covered with some sort of fabric that has worn away.
I have a couple of questions please:
1) I think it might be a long shot, but does anyone know where I could buy just cam cleats that would fit? I have tried looking on a few online stores also gone into my local chandler, but no luck. I guess there's a fair chance this part might be obsolete. However, if I could just replace this part that would be ideal. If anyone could at least tell me its proper name/brand (it’s half a cam cleat really!), then perhaps I’d have better luck searching.
2) Failing that, I was wondering if I could refurbish the existing parts - for example by sanding down the fabric, making the teeth sharp again and then perhaps coating the cam cleat? Has anyone tried anything like this, may I ask? I was wondering if I could paint the part with something like nonslip paint, because obviously I wouldn't want the cleat to be so sharp that it cuts into the sheets.
Any ideas gratefully received.
Great to see there is such an active owners’ association.
Andy