Cleat Location

My thinking was basically, just to put it where the factory put them on the factory optioned cleats, so it would look original etc. Not sure on the thickness. But, your boat is new enough that you could probably call Correct Craft Corporate and someone should be able to tell you.

I was poking around http://www.nautique.com/models/ski-nautique-200-open-bow/ a bit.

Does your boat have a cleat at all, or where they optional. It looks like the 2012 puts the cleat toward the end of the motorbox on the outside top of the gunwale. In other words, on the outside, vertical, surface, not the horizontal surface.

I don't think putting one on the top, horizontal, surface would be a good idea. The place you're talking about could be right in line with the ski rope under certain conditions. Even though the cleat pops down, it could potentially catch a little and be a serious annoyance.