Stern Docking Capstans are they needed on a 60ft, views, opinons welcome

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Tesams

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Looking at a used 60ft F/B, are Stern winches needed or are they a nice to have? do they make life easier for the wife and kids? Should I add them as a retro fit? if so any reccomendations?

thanks in advance
 
Yep pretty much needed. The Lewmar ones are the nicest, but expensive. The Quick ones are ok and a bit cheaper. Consider mounting the footswitches away from the winches a bit, to avoid hands-in-nip injuries, imho
 
For berthing stern to the quay I think they're needed as you can't get enough tension by hand, and you can't rely on using the windlass because you'll encounter all different thicknesses of bow rope and you simply wont be able to get some of them round the drum.

For alongside berthing UK style they're probably not necessary
 
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Tesams said:
are Stern winches needed or are they a nice to have?
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Define needed.
You can live without them, also when mooring stern-to btw, because you always have the option of reversing with the engines after securing the bow lines.
Mind, I neither like it nor suggest it, but it is an option - actually used by many boaters.
Otoh, not fitting at least one stern winch on a 60' f/b is something the builder should be ashamed of, TBH...
 
Thanks for the info and comments, new to me boat currently does not have them. I guess it's best to retrofit. Can anyone make a suggestion for retro work in Mallorca?
 
Tesams said:
Thanks for the info and comments, new to me boat currently does not have them. I guess it's best to retrofit. Can anyone make a suggestion for retro work in Mallorca?
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Contact Total Marine, aquatom of this parish, we use ours all the time, wouldn't be without them. Concur with JFM about foot switch position, inexperienced users need to keep their fingers away from the winches!
 
MapisM said:
You can live without them, also when mooring stern-to btw, because you always have the option of reversing with the engines after securing the bow lines.
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Agreed. I have 2 stern winches but I prefer to use the engines (v gently and only one at a time!) via the cockpit controls to help with tightening up the stern lines. Winches are a PITA because some ropes don't grip the drum very well and you always have the problem of transferring the rope to the cleat without losing tension although I have now learnt a technique for doing that. Yes any builder that sells a 60 footer aimed at the Med market should be fitting at least one winch as standard
 
We use our stern winches every time we stern berth.
In fact, we now rig them so that we can quickly transfer all the line to a cleat after we have winched back.

However, in Mahon earlier this year, we watched a Squaddie 78 dock and the skipper did it all on the engines.
I told him that I wouldn't have done it that way - "thats what the winches are for".
He "poo pooed me" and said that the engines did a better job.
OK - it worked for him but I will stick to using the winches.

BTW - I think that the lack of stern winches on that particular Princess was pointed out at SIBS
I'm sure they will be fixing that deficiency soon.
 
Hurricane said:
Squaddie 78 dock and the skipper did it all on the engines.
I told him that I wouldn't have done it that way - "thats what the winches are for".
He "poo pooed me" and said that the engines did a better job.
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There's no doubt the engines work but I'm keen to get the engines turned off asap. I have to leave one engine running to operate the (hydraulic) bow capstan but then I turn it off and prefer to tighten the stern using the electric winches. Normally the gin and tonics are already being prepared while the stern winching is being done and an extra 2-3 minutes of engines off at this juncture is a good thing in my book!
 
I'd worry about sucking the lazy lines into the props if using engines to hold the boat close to the quay. Why do people like to take the stern ropes off the winch, there's hardly any load on them once the free end of the rope is cleated off
 
jfm said:
There's no doubt the engines work but I'm keen to get the engines turned off asap. I have to leave one engine running to operate the (hydraulic) bow capstan but then I turn it off and prefer to tighten the stern using the electric winches. Normally the gin and tonics are already being prepared while the stern winching is being done and an extra 2-3 minutes of engines off at this juncture is a good thing in my book!
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Even more of a worry now after the VW story. No-one wants a chunk of lime plus an adult portion of NOx in their G&T :D
 
benjenbav said:
Even more of a worry now after the VW story. No-one wants a chunk of lime plus an adult portion of NOx in their G&T :D
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Good point well made as ever, bjb. I suspect the diesel particulates sprinkled on top would take the edge off the bite of the Tanqueray as well
 
Yep GPWM, bjb. Mike, my boat is a Bombay Sapphire establishment. I like Tanq and BS equally; it's a colour coordination thing. I know you sometimes don't take this seriously but really you should :encouragement:

IMG_4968.jpg
 
jfm said:
Yep GPWM, bjb. Mike, my boat is a Bombay Sapphire establishment. I like Tanq and BS equally; it's a colour coordination thing. I know you sometimes don't take this seriously but really you should :encouragement:
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We're a lost cause, jfm. You can't teach taste to unsophisticated ruffians like us:D
 
Deleted User said:
We're a lost cause, jfm. You can't teach taste to unsophisticated ruffians like us:D
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Hang on, M.
I don't mind joining the "unsophisticated ruffians" club myself, but I can still have guests onboard who know better, occasionally (thanks again, P)!
With apologies for the less romantic colour matching, but I'll rather sip my G&T from a glass than a flower vase.... :)
GT.jpg
 
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