Installing Midship cleats on Ericsson 34- Advice?

[ALEXIS FERNANDEZ]

Hi everyone,

I’m considering installing proper midship cleats on my Ericson (Paloma) primarily for spring lines, docking, and dinghy tie-offs.

Before I start drilling holes in the deck, I wanted to ask if anyone here has installed midship cleats on an Ericson 34 (or similar Ericson model).

A few things I’d love advice on:

- Best location for the cleats
- Recommended cleat size/style
- Access underneath the side decks for backing plates
- Any hidden issues to watch out for (wiring, core, liners, etc.)
- Whether you had to remove interior trim/headliner panels
- Photos of your installation if you have them

I understand the top-side install is fairly straightforward, but I’ve never done the backing plate side of this kind of project before, so I’d really appreciate any guidance, lessons learned, or “do’s and don’ts.”

Thanks very much!

 

[Dave G.]

Pretty sure you have a toe rail ? I would buy a couple rail cleats, no drilling and you can put them anywhere along the rail. Like these below but there are many choices, Schaefers are a bit pricey....

https://defender.com/en_us/schaefer-mid-rail-stainless-steel-chock-cleat-7-1-2-long-70-75

 

[ALEXIS FERNANDEZ]

Thanks Dave, that’s actually a really interesting idea and something absolutely to consider.

Avoiding major deck drilling and backing plate access would definitely simplify things quite a bit.

For those familiar with these Schaefer-style rail cleats on Ericsons:

- Are they considered strong enough for full spring-line docking loads?
- Any concerns using them regularly for docking in current/wind?
- Does anyone have photos of them installed on an Ericson 34 or similar model?
- Any concerns about loading the toerail itself?

I mainly want something practical for:
- spring lines
- short-handed docking
- dinghy tie-offs
- temporary dock lines

Appreciate the guidance very much.

 

[gabriel]

it’s kinda hard to put a regulat mid cleat on these boats without creating either an eyesore or a toesore due to the molded toe rail. the cleat Dave suggest mounts to T track, not a toe rail. That wouldn’t be a bad solution actually.

I wouldn’t tie my dinghy to the center of my boat as it will bump against the hull all night!