Winch webbing failure

[verena]

While pulling our boat last weekend our brand NEW winch webbing failed. Luckily we always watch the boat as it comes out of the water and pull up very slowly. We also attach some line between boat and trailer just in case. Happy to report all is well....



S/V Webfoot
http://www.pacificsailors.com
http://www.galleyswap.com

[Divecoz]

WOW! How could that have happened? Was It the ....Stitching? Frayed? Damaged? Sabotaged by The EX!

[pokerrick1]

I'll repeat this story:

I was hauling my up the mountain to Big Bear Lake when the webbing became slit and broke. I was able to tie it back together to get up and then back down the mountain.

I approached Mike Inmon and suggested I wanted a replacement steel cable and he said "no way - - they are too prone to twist and snap - - - let's find out what caused your strap failure and fix it" - - - which we did - - - turns out there was a sharp piece of metal on the winch that had nipped the strap and caused it to fail. So we replaced the winch and the strap and I never had a problem again - - - but Mike was emphatic in his advice to NOT use a cable.

Rick

[dennisneal]

Our winch strap failed as we were pulling our boat up the ramp. I was in our F-150 and heard a big "Crack". I immediately stopped and saw that the strap had failed. We tied the boat to the trailer using several wraps of a heavy-duty dock line. We pulled the boat out of the water, did the Mac "bump", and then retied everything.

When we got home I replaced the strap with a very heavy-duty model. No problems since then.

[Highlander]

You should aways be using a dock line as a back-up when launching or retreiving the boat more so if you pulling the boat out with ballast
These straps are prone to failure due to rot from dampness & UV it does not matter what you use but their is nothing wrong with SS cable my electric boat winch & suv electric winch both have SS cable Its a lot more expensive than the cheap strapping your winch comes with & the reason you hear of so many failures of these straps is because the winch is only rated 1100# so the strapping will most likely be the same your boat weights in @ 2500# mty zero motor, sails, fuel , gear ect so you do the math & you don't need to be a professor to figure that one out EH !
That 1100# winch might be OK in Calf. nice shallow short ramps but my ramp is a steep 30ft and my winch is now almost pulled off the post the strapping is almost ready to break you can here it starting to rip/tear out Bertrands "Q1" ramp is at least a very steep 60ft at high tide
So if I get the time I may fit my electric boat winch to my mac trl & wire up the trk for it with a 30amp circuit breaker I already have the trk harness just not the time right now to install it , I took the winch off my fishing boat when I sold it two yrs ago as I bought it for that boat as it was a heavy pita to winch on the ...boat trailer on steep ramps and that was with a roller trl not a bunk trl

J

[pokerrick1]

J you are correct - - - the ramp you use and your weather are important considerations. I tend to forget that everyone doesn't live in CA

Rick

[Divecoz]

Rick I see yours and there by several other posters points..Not every owner and every ramp is what I have become accustomed to .. I have always been able to, no matter the ramp design, been able to back my trailer in far enough that the winching has seldom been a problem .

J you are correct - - - the ramp you use and your weather are important considerations. I tend to forget that everyone doesn't live in CA

Rick

[esc]

My strap broke the weekend before last, which happened to be the first time I've had my 26X out since I bought it in September. The strap had obvious deterioration as a result of sitting in the sun. As soon the boat started to clear the water I heard a "Creek-Creek-SNAP". I went back to see what had broken and found it was the strap. I pulled out a couple of feet to get to some that wasn't suffering from UV deterioration, tied it to the boat and finished pulling it out. The boat had only slipped a few inches down the trailer.

It was just the icing on the cake for a day when EVERYTHING went wrong. Luckily neither this nor any of the other mishaps caused any real damage. I replaced the strap today.

[Pacamac-uk]

Strap failure can result in this.........



Glad it wasn't steel wire!

(BTW I do bruise easily as I have to take Warfarin/Coumarin)

[pokerrick1]

I was just going to post - -- aren't you glad it wasn't a cable - - - when I see you already did!

Rick

[Divecoz]

That's the major reasoning against the use of cable..In all my years 37 of them. I have Never seen a cable break..Unless Your a Professional Rigger Millwright or Iron Worker? I have worked with more cables than most the guys on this board.... combined..What I have seen fail ...is Attachments and low and behold "Splices!" If your on a job I am running ? In my trade or not , I will repair your cable properly..and for free.I do insist you use a thimble ( I think they are called) for Hook attachments and I use a Big... Electric over Hydraulic Pump that drives a Press with the proper sleeves for the size of the barrel I am using and I will use two barrel's . When I use that Press system on copper wire connections it cause Cold Flow..What do most use ? 1 oversize U bolt improperly tightened..frayed ends flying....

I was just going to post - -- aren't you glad it wasn't a cable - - - when I see you already did!

Rick

[seahouse]

Agreed Divecoz –

I'm gonna guess Rick meant “aren’t you glad it wasn’t underrated cable”.

I’ve found the issue with cable is more that it tends to bind and twist, particularly on a winch spindle that has any appreciable length routinely payed out during launching. It’s not always possible to maintain a constant tension on the cable throughout the winching process, and if the last windings are tighter than the earlier windings they can wedge down into the roll pretty tightly. In time you can end up with some nasty barbed wire that is no fun on ungloved hands.

I also often notice the u-bolt type improperly installed, even when 2+ are used. The unqualified have a greater than 50 percent chance of installing them backwards. I refer, of course, to having the bitter (OK, "dead") and live ends reversed relative to the ubolt and saddle. For anyone installing these, the mnemonic for it is “Never saddle a dead horse.”

Regards - Brian.

[Catigale]

Brian, dive

Thanks for the lesson on cable. For the morons like me, does this mean the saddle goes on the live end, and the unbolt goes on the clipped off end?..did i get that right?

[Divecoz]

Yes , you did Cat... My other issue, is the bitter end . It all too often becomes frayed.... Except of coarse when cutting with a torch...Just tape where your going to cut with a couple laps of good plastic tape ( 3M 33+ is great..) and cut in the middle of that . Heck you could even use shrink tube , but secure it, so it doesnt fray...
After reading this thread I am no less than amazed that straps have failed.. I have lots of straps I use here around the house and the one on this trailer ( 5 years old) and we had them / used them on the Job Site as well. I never saw one "Give Way" or Rot.. Oil Soaked in the botto of a gang box hahahah seems to be common though ... Of Coarse nothing at work or at home sits in the sun 24/7/365. Sliced? For the love ,if you see an issue taking place , check it out!!! Something is wrong!!! Fix it...

[pokerrick1]

I’ve found the issue with cable is more that it tends to bind and twist, particularly on a winch spindle that has any appreciable length routinely payed out during launching. It’s not always possible to maintain a constant tension on the cable throughout the winching process, and if the last windings are tighter than the earlier windings they can wedge down into the roll pretty tightly. In time you can end up with some nasty barbed wire that is no fun on ungloved hands.
.

EXACTLY - - - especially the bind and twist part - - - and DIVE - - - I have experience with cable - - - I handled a cable - - - once - - - by accident

Rick