Self tailing winch conversion

[srevir]

Anyone out there tried the rubber moulded rings that can be added to the top of an old winch to provide self tailing capability.

Interested to hear experiences of both fitting and using them

 

[damo]

Several threads in the past - search for "Winchers"

My experience is they are Ok as an aid, but don't really compare well with s/t's. They aren't hands-free because they still need stripping.

Fitting can be a nightmare, if you don't know the tricks /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Alfie168]

If you do a search this one crops up fairly regularly. I will try and summarise for you.

They are called Winchers, and enable you to use a non self tailing winch in a sort of, but not entirely self tailing mode.

Most people (me included) have found them quite useful, and an awful lot cheaper than buying a pair of ST winches. They do enable you to secure a sheet which gets gripped at the top of the winch drum against the Wincher. You can then fix the sheet in the slot in the wincher.

Some people however, think they are useless appendages, and I would concede they are nowhere near as good as a proper self tailing winch...but yer pays yer money etc.

They can be very difficult to fit even following the instructions. I have also seen them fitted 1) upside down on the rim 2) One winch ad on ebay had the wincher round the main drum and not round the rim of the winch...wrong.

No doubt others will add their pennorht again, but I think I've given a fair summary for you.

Tim

 

[Mandarin331]

We bought a pair during the winter, however we've now found that as the sheet does not rise up the winch drum (and so press against the rubber grip) they probably won't work. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Not sure why this is, either the sheet lead is wrong or the old (27 years) winch drum is too rough for the turns to slide up - I always imagined a bit of grip was good.

Luckily we haven't fitted them - if we can't work it out there will be a pair of unused winchers on ebay this summer (in which case they'll be the best thing since sliced bread). /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW fitting them seems to involve persuading a solid and totally inelastic peice of rubber to stretch about 2 inches!

 

[Leighb]

I have used them and found them not too bad. As said here and elsewhere they are not anything like as good as proper S/Ts but at the price a fair imitation.

Not easy to fit, washing up liquid helps. They do self tail after a fashion, the turns build up against the bottom of the rim, but I found the main problem was easing the sheet and letting it off when tacking.

The turns build up very tight and you have to pull quite hard to unwnd them, which slows down tacking.

I now have fitted new S/Ts which are hugely better.

 

[damo]

[ QUOTE ]
BTW fitting them seems to involve persuading a solid and totally inelastic peice of rubber to stretch about 2 inches!

[/ QUOTE ]

Stand them in boiling water, put a smear of detergent on the winch rim, don a pair of gloves, work the Wincher onto the rim then pull the last bit hard towards you (a bit like a bike tyre on steroids /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

 

[MarkJohnson12345]

I put them onto my mainsail winches last year, they went on without too much of a struggle.

They work for me, probably not as good as the real thing, but a fraction of the cost.

Better that a bare winch , and value for money.

Helpful for singlehanded sails.

 

[smeaks]

where do you measure the winch drum? at the rim?

regards

smeaks

 

[Mandarin331]

No, you measure the barrel.

In the instructions there's also a list of winch models / wincher size.

 

[Leighb]

[ QUOTE ]


In the instructions there's also a list of winch models / wincher size.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is true, however it is misleading, as I initially got the size suggested for my Lewmar 30s, and there was no way it could fit, Fox's changed them for the next size up which were perfect. I would suggest caution, or at least make sure you can change them if wrong.

 

[Stork_III]

If fitting to lewmar winches, take off the top and fit from underneath as the top flange of Wincher is thin and flexible, easy peasy. Fitting from above is a pain if not impossible if the Wincher is the correct size.