Upgrading winches

[mrbpj]

Has anyone upgraded their sheet winches?
It seems the standard Lewmar No. 6 is very underpowered.
Any advice gratefully received.

[c130king]

Upgrade???

I don't even use my winches. Just the EZ-Cleats.

I can't see a need for more winching power.

Where do you see the need?

Jim

[tangentair]

Just my opinion based upon my usage....

I used my winch one time. I thought I had a problem with the main sail track, the sail would seem to jam about 1 foot from the top. Brought it down, sprayed with sailkote, checked the track as best I could, then winched it that last foot, went I got the boat back on the trailer I checked the mast track at the top - it was fine yet when I tried to put it up the next time the same thing happened. This time I did a "pre-sail" and saw that my outhaul - the line that streatches the base of the sail along the boom - was still tied off from a previous sail, I was trying to leave the main on the boom between launchings, and when I loosened it, the sail went up just fine. I have to rememberthe order is - reef if necessary, raise the sail, tighten the outhaul, set the traveler, check you telltails/adjust the sheet, the tighten the vang. (and then start the engine and pretend there is wind)

Point of the story is, unless your racing and tweeking that last mm of sail trim, something is wrong if you need the winch to raise or trim a sail on the MAC. They do make suitable bollards on occassion and marginal handholds.

[Indulgence]

I intend to upgrade my winches.
Beer just slides off the Lewmars over the side.
Very frustrating and makes the main hard to control.

[Divecoz]

I too have seldom used the winches on our boat. I did use them to try and winch myself off a shoal..... to no avail.
But many here have had issues with lifting the Center board and even the rudders and have added pulleys for those .
I too have had difficulties with lifting the Main Sail ! It quickly comes to mind , What Bill at Boats 4 Sail told me in the very begining........
If things dont move....... DON'T force it! Your doing something wrong! Each and Every Time, his advice proved to be correct. Most often for me I had not released the boom.... to allow for the sail to be pulled to the top.
Same is ALWAYS true when lifting the mast........ IF IT STOPS or GETS HARD TOO CRANK..... YOUR HOOKED... on Something! Release pressure and look for the problem.

[Rick Westlake]

[/quote]

Very indulgent of you!

I was playing with the notion of self-tailing Lewmar 16s aft of the genoa tracks, till I got a pair of those Garhauer Swivel Cam Cleats from Kelly-Hanson. They allen-screw to the aft bolt-holes of the genoa tracks, so I can reach the jib sheets from the helm. I put turning blocks onto the rail at the front of the cockpit, to provide a clear lead from the cabin-top jib tracks; for the gennaker (or the 150% genoa if I choose to use it), I can go straight to the cam-cleats.

They make Bossa Nova safer and simpler - and that's where it's at!

[Indulgence]

Rick, I have those same Garhauer cleats on tracks. We fly a 150 genoa. The problem is when you furl the genoa down the sail shape gets all wonky with the lines run straight back to the helm. Do you have a picture of the turning block of which you speak? I'm thinking maybe I would switch the lines to the cabin top cars if there was a way to keep the line free. Thanks, Laurie

[delevi]

I use my winches all the time. No idea how you guys do without. If the wind is above 10 knots, you just can't get proper headsail trim without mechanical advantage. I know Bill speaks of an easy trick of heading up and trimming in, then bearing off, but IMHO, that's just bad form. I also use the starboard winch for halyard tension, particuarlry when reefing as well as hoisting up the last bit of sail. Full battens at the top and a heavier sail do require some mechanical advantage. The #6 Lewmars may be slightly underpowred but not too bad. Not worth upgrading at least. Would be nice to have a pair of self-tailing #14s near the genoa tracks, but just not enough surface area to mount and no reasonable way to mount without cutting stuff up.

Leon

[EasyLuckyFree]

I was playing with the notion of self-tailing Lewmar 16s aft of the genoa tracks, till I got a pair of those Garhauer Swivel Cam Cleats from Kelly-Hanson. They allen-screw to the aft bolt-holes of the genoa tracks, so I can reach the jib sheets from the helm. I put turning blocks onto the rail at the front of the cockpit, to provide a clear lead from the cabin-top jib tracks; for the gennaker (or the 150% genoa if I choose to use it), I can go straight to the cam-cleats.



Very Interested in this... do you have any pics of the setup? Would like a set up from the helm but the factory cleats and setup just does not cut it. Any info on your mod would be appreciated! Thanks.
-Tom

[Indulgence]

Delevi, if I sailed like you do? I'd want huge winches too! We're never out in the kind of conditions you thrive on, so my little cleats hold up just fine. The few times it's blown really hard here I was still able to control to the (reefed) sails with the Garhauer cleats. I'm sure they wouldn't stand up to your SF wind.
Laurie

[bscott]

delevi X 2 as I use mine all the time as my wife adjusts the halyard tension on the main for down wind vs a close reach. I also adjust my jib halyard. I would really like a two speed to get that last inch of tension but we accomplish this as I tail the biter end while my wife uses our extra long winch handle. I fall off slightly and quickly so that she can harden up the sheets.

If cost was no object I'd go bigger but cost is an object so we tuff it out

bscott

[Highlander]

why not buy one of these adj winch handles thats what I did
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... /0/0?N=377 710&Ne=0&Ntt=winch handles&Ntk=Primary Search&Ntx=mode matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keyword=winch handles&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=2&subdeptNum=374&classNum=375

in this video watch on the port side you'll see my easycleat set-up on the genny track
http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 010102.flv

J

[bubba]

When I am soloing I use the starboard winch to raise the main to finish tightening the main sail and I was thinking about a self tailing winch then I was looking at a West Marine catalog and saw a "Barton self tailer winches" a rubber slip on device that turns any winch into a self tailing winch about $40.00, I usually am trying to keep the boat heading into the wind with one hand on the wheel and the other pulling up the main sail in a 15 mph breeze and 2 ft swells.

Has anyone had experience with these ?

[bscott]

Practical Sailor tested the Winchard brand of bubber donuts and said they were OK for halyards but not sheets. I think they are too slow to release the sheet in an emergency otherwise they have OK holding power. I think it's use could be optional for halyards and still use the stock cam cleats for jib sheets. I am thinking about one on the port side to help my wife in mast raising.

bscott

[bubba]

Thanks bscott I was thinking of putting one on the starboard winch only for the halyards.