Self Tailoring Winches

ATCBird

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 Feb 2012
Messages
93
Location
Gosport
Visit site
Hi, I am new to this forum so not sure how long this will take to post but I hope someone can help me?

I have seen a device that fits on top of a standard winch to convert it into a self-tailer. Does anyone have any experience of these? Do they work or should I wait until I can afford to replace my current winches with proper self-tailers??
 
Known as the Winchers. Many people report some success with them. Clearly much cheaper than new winches, so worth a go if they will fit the winches you have.
 
Welcome, ATC bint. Tell us more about your '8m' thingy in your profile.....

The 'Wincher' device, first manufactured in Sweden, is now a Barton product. Among the chandlery outlets is this one

They're fitted to the top of NON self-tailing winches to give much of the convenience of the ST types. It is important that the right size ( of 3 ) be selected and fitted to your winches.

Here's a YouTube vid which gives you some idea how they're used.

I have some, and they're OK - but not quite as good as the real thing...... ;)
 
Last edited:
Thank you all for the responses. I was aiming to use them for the genoa sheets. The kids (12 and 15 yrs) who are just learning are struggling a bit with cleating off the sheets in anything more than a F3.

I have just bought the Offshore 8m and I am really pleased with her. She is well balanced, sails and handles really well. She also needs a bit of tlc so I will, I am sure, be asking more questions!
 
Welcome, ATC bint. Tell us more about your '8m' thingy in your profile.....

The 'Wincher' device, first manufactured in Sweden, is now a Barton product. Among the chandlery outlets is this one

They're fitted to the top of NON self-tailing winches to give much of the convenience of the ST types. It is important that the right size ( of 3 ) be selected and fitted to your winches.

Here's a YouTube vid which gives you some idea how they're used.

I have some, and they're OK - but not quite as good as the real thing...... ;)


ATC BINT? Freudian slip Bilbo?
 
Thank you all for the responses. I was aiming to use them for the genoa sheets. The kids (12 and 15 yrs) who are just learning are struggling a bit with cleating off the sheets in anything more than a F3.

I have just bought the Offshore 8m and I am really pleased with her. She is well balanced, sails and handles really well. She also needs a bit of tlc so I will, I am sure, be asking more questions!

We had them on all the winches but the roller reefing, excellent and makes singlehanded working of the sheet winches on a bigger boat practical.
 
They work quite well but I wouldn't want to use them for the genoa sheets.

I fitted some to the non ST Lewmar 30 winches we had when we bought the boat. They definitely did the job as far as winding in was concerned, and as already said you do not need to fit the sheet into the groove, however I found their main drawback was when releasing the sheet, fine if letting go completely for a tack, but awkward if you just wanted to ease it a bit.

Eventually we fitted larger ST 40s which have made life a lot easier.
 
Thank you all for the responses. I was aiming to use them for the genoa sheets. The kids (12 and 15 yrs) who are just learning are struggling a bit with cleating off the sheets in anything more than a F3.

I have just bought the Offshore 8m and I am really pleased with her. She is well balanced, sails and handles really well. She also needs a bit of tlc so I will, I am sure, be asking more questions!

i remember the first one coming into the factory to be fitted-out, i wore short trousers in those daze :o
 
I know the lady - definitely more 'bird' than 'bint' ;)

As an Arabic speaker from my time in Oman during the 70s, I use the term in its proper sense of 'daughter', the equivalent of 'Miss', signifying and acknowledging family-gender status. The languages of many nations have a similar structure e.g. Icelandic, Scots, Xhosa....

It has been brought to my attention that ill-educated and scurilious usage by some British low-lifes has imputed a discourteous and common inflection in the 'argot' that passes for language on the BigMac-littered terraces and in the rank and rat-infested tunnels of the footie-following fraternity. That is not the interpretation I place on the word.

And another thing.... :D
 
Top