Cleats are fittings on ships and boats that ropes are tied to; they are often shaped like horns, although other types exist.
Ship's cleats can be the cause of serious accidents if they break or are misused. For example, in 1998 at Disneyland's Columbia sailing ship ride, a rope was tied to a cleat while the ship was still in motion. The cleat broke loose and flew into a crowd, killing one man and seriously injuring two women. [1]
Cleats are also often used to tie off the strings for folding window blinds, to prevent the weight of the blind from pulling it down.
See also
- belaying to a cleat — the hitch to tie a rope to a cleat
Cleats can also be a type of shoe designed especially for sports played on grass or dirt, such as baseball or soccer. The shoes generally have large studs on the bottom, to assist in gripping the surface, preventing sliding and assisting in rapid changes of direction.
