Tilting a sheet winch

forelle541

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Hi all, I have Antal sheet winches on my Sadler 29 and the lead of the winch is not correct so that rope builds up on the winch base slope. what is the best way of altering the winch angle, dose anyone make a sloped pad?
 
Before altering the winch you could try rigging up a turning block to try different lines of approach to the winch. This would allow some experimentation first and you may find there is an easier solution than alterating the winch.
 
.......can't i make or buy a tapered shim?

Of course you can.

A good local timber specialist supplier or a 'proper' carpentry workshop should be able to supply a pair of hardwood circular blanks of appropriate diameter perhaps 10mm wider than your winch bases, and about 55-60mm thick.

Clamp these on edge, one by one, and run a bandsaw through them - or have your carpenter do it - at an angle of perhaps 20 degrees, and you have your shims, both for above and below your mounting positions.

You'll need to drill out the wood shims to accommodate your new, longer fixing bolts, of course.

Round the uppermost edges, for appearance, and paint/varnish as your aesthetics dictates.
 
I did this using a bit of teak cut to a wedge and profiled to suit the winch.
You will obviously need longer bolts and will also need to make wedge shaped washers to set the nuts at the correct angle underneath,or as I did,make an alloy plate with holes tapped at an angle to take the bolts.

It did the trick and works perfectly.
 
Photo here

This is the only photo I seem to have which shows the winch. Hope this helps.
Autumn2010088.jpg
 
The sheet winches on Mojo have been angled with a wedge of tufnol glassed onto the original bases. To maintain the feed angle the line is taken to a block behind the winch and brought forward again. Although this makes the winch very well behaved, it also adds the friction of a 180 deg wrap on a small block - which has more than enough load already with a masthead rig.

It would be more sensible to add a block at the aft end of the genoa track for least additional wrap but still allows you to maintain a constant feed angle. Get a local shop to turn up some Tufnol or hardwood and when you cut it you get a wedge for each side.

Rob.
 
I moved my winches on Slippy to allow easier single-handing, and the original sloping winch arrangement was difficult to flick a turn off from the other side of the cockpit.
This meant mounting it horizontally and the sheet lead did mean the turns jammed on the base of the winch.
A simple bullseye fairlead on a bracket allowed me to get the correct sheet lead with hardly any extra friction.

(yes, they are handed winches. Much easier when single-handed)

mainsheetleads.jpg
 
Why? I'd find them confusing, I think, but then I'm easily confused...

Mine are handed like Lakesailors.... much better esp if single handed .

They weren't originally but it was possible to reverse the pawls in one. ( Bottom handle Bartons )

Lakesailor's fairlead has given me an idea !
 
Why? I'd find them confusing, I think, but then I'm easily confused...
It's because you don't have to orientate yourself to know which side to pass the sheet around.
You just take the sheet to the outboard side of the drum, whichever side you are at, whichever way you are facing.
 
Each to their own. I've had both and handed are far easier to use..........for me.
If they aren't handed one winch has a different sheet lead, along the outboard side, or, across the coaming, if that's where the winch is located. So when you grab a sheet tail and turn to the winch you have to momentarily think, "do I pass the sheet round the top or bottom (further or near side) of the drum?"
Handed winches you just take the sheet around the further side of the drum and wind on some turns.

That's my logic.
 
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