mounting winches on sloping comings

[simon_sluggett]

I have some lewmar self tailing winches to replace the old ones and where they are currently located on top of the comings is sloping away from the cockpit centre to the sides a good 20 degrees from the horizontal level. Should I put angled pads underneath to bring them back to vertical. I know there is a recommended 5 to 10 degree angle to the baseline for the rope to wind onto the drum properly but that is in the fore to aft plane. Does it matter if the winches are tilted outwards towards the rails.

 

[boatbuilder]

If the old ones worked ok then put the new ones in the same place. I have even put them on a job upside down and they still worked ok.

 

[Lakesailor]

There was a thread on this a few weeks ago. I think the concensus was that for single handed sailing in a small boat having them flat to the coaming made more sense. Trying to flick a coil off the leeward winch from the windward side of the cockpit is very tricky if they angle outwards.

 

[simon_sluggett]

[ QUOTE ]
If the old ones worked ok then put the new ones in the same place. I have even put them on a job upside down and they still worked ok.

[/ QUOTE ]

They may have worked OK but I want the new ones to work better.
Self tailing winches have a different action to non self tailing ones and so I wondered if it is affected by being on an angle

 

[boatbuilder]

They merely rotate around the vertical axis, where is the difference. You can move the stripper to give the best peel off.

 

[Ships_Cat]

I suggest you have a look around for other examples if unconvinced about orientation - plenty of self tailing winches with drum horizontal on masts, reefing winches at all sorts of angles, for example. They work any way up as long as the lead of the line onto them is correct and access to use them is satisfactory (along the way LakeSailor pointed out).

John

 

[Graham_Wright]

………………and don't forget that the lead is different on port and starboard.