Replacement winch handle

[Heckler]

Are they fairly rigid, or do they flex as you apply the torque?

I bought an 8" Barton that allows me to use the genoa winches wiith the greenhouse up. They look plasticky and the locking thing is a twot to operate until you get used to it but it will take all my 14stone winding the genny in!
They are glass re inforced.
Stu

 

[Dockhead]

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

Indeed. The plastic ones don't flex. We have both heavy bronze ones and light plastic ones and they all work just fine.

The plastic ones do less damage when you drop them on your toe, too.

 

[flaming]

I have snapped a plastic one. Did look like an especially cheap charter model though.

To be honset I see the floating ones as a gimick, having lost one over the side once and then failed to find it, despite a near perfect MOB drill (was on a course).

I would second the reccomendation for the Lewmar one touch though, excellent bit of kit.

 

[georgeo]

I have snapped a plastic one. Did look like an especially cheap charter model though.

To be honset I see the floating ones as a gimick, having lost one over the side once and then failed to find it, despite a near perfect MOB drill (was on a course).

I would second the reccomendation for the Lewmar one touch though, excellent bit of kit.

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

Not much good for dispatching fish though

 

[rogerthebodger]

Has anyone considered fitting a loop to the rotating handle that can be slipped over the wrist so that if you loose you grip on the handle the winch handle will not fall from you wrist.

 

[jwilson]

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?

I use two plastic ones and hide the original heavy chromed ones - plastics cause a lot less chipping damage to glassfibre edges when banged around and dropped. I have retrieved a floating one once, but you do have to reach it with a hand.

 

[agurney]

Not much good for dispatching fish though

Actually, it is, and it's less painful on your thumb if the beastie tries to dodge it.

Alisdair

 

[agurney]

Has anyone considered fitting a loop to the rotating handle that can be slipped over the wrist so that if you loose you grip on the handle the winch handle will not fall from you wrist.

I lost mine when fishing, the line wrapped around the handle in the middle of a cast.

A rope around your wrist while winching is asking for trouble.

Alisdair

 

[rogerthebodger]

" A rope around your wrist while winching is asking for trouble "

Why ?

 

[agurney]

" A rope around your wrist while winching is asking for trouble "

Why ?

Fankle

 

[Quandary]

Has anyone considered fitting a loop to the rotating handle that can be slipped over the wrist so that if you loose you grip on the handle the winch handle will not fall from you wrist.

I used to do this with the lanyard of our outboard when transferring from transom to dinghy,
one of the crew asked 'why do you do that';
'in case I drop it' I replied.
'So you value it so much you would rather go down with it'
Now the lanyard is long enough to tie to the pushpit.

 

[ditchcrawler]

The Lewmar One Touch winch handle with the yellow knob on top is one of my better buys.I would not be without it.

 

[Danny Jo]

Dangerous lanyards

I used to do this with the lanyard of our outboard when transferring from transom to dinghy,
one of the crew asked 'why do you do that';
'in case I drop it' I replied.
'So you value it so much you would rather go down with it'
Now the lanyard is long enough to tie to the pushpit.

I was a great fan of lanyards around the wrist until I had a fright with one underwater. I had it on to prevent me losing the knife I was using to cut rope from a prop, and it got tangled in the rope as I turned the prop.

(Entering Loch Foyle last year, I sailed over a salmon net, stopped immediately by heaving to, but was a little late releasing the genoa to sail away, and was blown back onto it. After being towed into Greencastle by the owner of the net, I donned goggles and snorkle to unwrap the cut portion of the net which was half-hitched over the prop. I had barely got out of the water before I was radioed by another yacht that had also fouled a salmon net, but under power. Being already wet and smeared with fishing port oil, I offered to swim over to the yacht and take a look. Finding a great ball of net on his prop, I asked for a sharp knife and was offered a very expensive-looking one, so attached it to my wrist with a lanyard. Never again!)

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The Lewmar One Touch winch handle with the yellow knob on top is one of my better buys.I would not be without it.

Indeed - and one thing not mentioned here is that the greater length of these handles gives you a lot more leverage than the standard length handles.

 

[Resolution]

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

Totally agree.

 

[penfold]

I have used what I think was a early iteration of floating winch handle by Barton, and it was hopelessly bendy. How the hell do you keep a bead on it if it falls in anyway? Once you're more than a boatlength away it will be all but invisible in anything other than a flat calm, and if you're racing you won't be going back for it. Lewmar 'onetouch' handles are the business; they're on the christmas list this year.

 

[mdonnelly]

Out of curiosity, what is the difference between the standard grip and powergrip? is it significant?

 

[SailBobSquarePants]

Lewmar One Touch

A third vote here for the Lewmar One Touch handles...sailed with a friend who had them, and couldn't wait to get one for my boat. Expensive, and you don't want to be dropping it overboard, but that double handle gives lots of grip, and the One Touch release is a revelation...

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

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?

Before buying just check they are standard star shaped sockets, not the earlier 1/2" square winch handles. They were also heavily made chrome jobs from Lewmar. Standard winch socket sizes came in about 1974.

 

[Leighb]

We bought a One Touch handle and like others find it great, however we did not buy the ones with the Yellow knob or double handed grip, partly the extra cost but also as there is not much clearance, we only have room for the short handle anyway.

The plain One Touch still is way better than trying to get the handle in and out using the little locking catch.