Replacement winch handle

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alcyone
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Alcyone

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Dropped one over the side on Saturday. The ones we had with the boat (Lewmar 2 speed winches) were heavy solid chromed things, and looked quite expensive.

Any opinions on the plastic floating ones? Are they worth getting, or should I replace with a solid metal one as we had before?
 
No, go the whole hog and get the real bronze ones. Knowing how much they cost helps prevent you from throwing them over the side!
 
I don't see much value in floatiness - the shape is pretty much un-boat-hookable so even if you manage to keep a handle in sight having dropped it you're going to have a job getting it back.

Personally I get round this issue by having sails small enough that I don't need winches :-). I do have a handle (and spare) on board, but it only gets used for the anchor windlass.

Pete
 
Tranona said:
No, go the whole hog and get the real bronze ones. Knowing how much they cost helps prevent you from throwing them over the side!
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I'm tempted to go down that path. I've a doubt that we'd find a winnch handle that went in the drink even if it was floating......

How does one prevent the missis throwing one over the side........?
 
Either trade her in for somebody more careful or give her the easier job of steering rather than make her sweat hauling in the genoa!
 
You obviously have one left so why not stick a "Wanted" on YBW and set up a search on Ebay until one comes along. You can spend some pennies on a plastic fantastic in the meantime if your paranoia about losing the other one is too great. The things only cost <£50 - a mere bagatelle in the spectrum of boat costs and if you threaten to extract it from the perpetrator gives you great moral power.
 
Tranona said:
Either trade her in for somebody more careful or give her the easier job of steering rather than make her sweat hauling in the genoa!
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We do this thing where I hide below and she sails. She says it gives her a lot more confidence if she does it all. She managed to navigate us back from St Davids to Dale, vie the Sounds and islands in a force5 with rain 'single handed' on saturday. Unfortunately, we are now also single winch handed.

Thanks for your advice, as always, guys.
 
Plastic winch handles are fine, I use mine in preference to my metal one.
It's lighter, marginally softer, and I'm not so worried about it being kicked overboard.

Alisdair
 
agurney said:
Plastic winch handles are fine, I use mine in preference to my metal one.
It's lighter, marginally softer, and I'm not so worried about it being kicked overboard.

Alisdair
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Are they fairly rigid, or do they flex as you apply the torque?
 
I have one big chromed bronze Lewmar lock-in on board, (left over partner in a shiny pair) I also have a pair of Harken alloy handles also lock in, with the ball bearing knob on top of the handle. I find the lighter handles much better to use because of the double grip, and easier to stick in the holes one handed, mainly because of their weight, and can't see me wanting to revert to using the heavy Lewmar again. Incidentally the original pair were swapped for a half shot Sigma 33 spinnaker back in my racing days.
So I recommend trying a Harken if you like going to windward.
 
Alcyone said:
We do this thing where I hide below and she sails. She says it gives her a lot more confidence if she does it all. She managed to navigate us back from St Davids to Dale, vie the Sounds and islands in a force5 with rain 'single handed' on saturday. Unfortunately, we are now also single winch handed.

Thanks for your advice, as always, guys.
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If thats the case, then the odd lost winch handle is a small price to pay!
 
What is going on? I lost one on the way to Lundy, Vince lost one on his Scillies trip, now you have lost one. Has the gravity been turned up in the Bristol channel?
A French friend of mine said the difference between floating and non-floating handles is that you waste time watching a floating one until it disappears.
Allan
 
Lewmar one touch

Get yourself one or a pair of Lewmar One Touch. So much easier to use. None of this farting around trying to flick the little knob to disengage the handle from the winch. Lighter too than the old standard Lewmar handle. Expensive if dropped overboard, but the ease of use makes the investment worthwhile

Tudorsailor
 
Winch recovery

prv said:
I don't see much value in floatiness - the shape is pretty much un-boat-hookable so even if you manage to keep a handle in sight having dropped it you're going to have a job getting it back.

Personally I get round this issue by having sails small enough that I don't need winches :-). I do have a handle (and spare) on board, but it only gets used for the anchor windlass.

Pete
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Spent a very enjoyable 45 minutes practising MOB and retrieving floating winch handle three weeks ago - mind it was flat calm and F1/2...
 
Allan said:
What is going on? I lost one on the way to Lundy, Vince lost one on his Scillies trip, now you have lost one. Has the gravity been turned up in the Bristol channel?
A French friend of mine said the difference between floating and non-floating handles is that you waste time watching a floating one until it disappears.
Allan
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Whoa, there.

I did not lose one.

She lost one whilst I was puking.
 
The red/black Barton floating type are plenty strong enough. I have found however that they tend to disintegrate - ball bearings falling out of the handles and the lock-in mechanism breaking and coming off. We dropped one overboard in quite calm weather. We turned back straight away but couldn't find it.

They are also pretty hopeless for opening coconuts - you really need a heavy metal one for that.
 
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