Glossary
Terms & Glossaries of Shipping and Trading
Cleat
Cleat is a device secured on the floor of a container to provide additional support or strength to a cargo-restraining device, or a device attached to a wharf to secure mooring lines.
A cleat is a tie-down point or securing device mounted to the deck of a sailboat. Cleats secure lines for rigging and docking. Cleats are an iconic piece of maritime technology that's not limited to sailboats. However, one could argue that cleats are more important on sailboats than any other kind of vessel.
