Abstract: A rope holding device including an improved cam cleat useful on a sailboat for maintaining sail ropes taut. The improved cam cleat contains two cam-type jaws to grip the rope, one of which has a serrated or tooth-like surface for gripping, while the other has a smooth gripping surface which permits easy rotation of the smooth cam member to the release position. The smooth cam member has an arcuate face with a radius of curvature for the gripping surface substantially greater than the smooth face of the release surface adjacent it. Consequently, when the smooth release cam is pivoted so that the retained rope is slipped from the smooth gripping surface to the smooth release surface, the rope is automatically released without the need for the operator to exert a force on the rope to pull it away from the cam cleat as is usually done.