Fort Adams Cleat (Select the photo to see in a larger format)

Fort Adams CleatA cleat on the pier of Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island. Rose Island and the Newport Bridge in the background.

A cleat on the pier of Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island. Rose Island and the Newport Bridge in the background.

I have read that piers are much cherished as the focal points of their towns. If that so, then the cleat on the pier is the most overlooked item and the most useful.

This is the object that vessels tie off to. This allows for ships to visit, ferries to offload, and the loading and unloading of cargo. If not for the modest cleat, there would be no spring lines for maneuvering. The cleat is the one item that makes the pier work.

Sitting on the pier at Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island in spring, we see potential in the cleat. This is where ships arrive and the throngs visit. This is where it all happens.

© Keith R Wahl, Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Keith R Wahl and Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.