Using self-tailing winches

[petery]

Just about to replace my genoa sheet winches with self tailers - never used them before. Once I've winched the sheet in, do I have to cleat it or will the self-tailing mechanism hold it all conditions?

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[starboard]

winch is designed to hold it in all conditions but can be easily knocked by passing foot, hand, bum etc.and thefore slip off winch so belt and bracces would be to cleat as well if possibble

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[Dominic]

Dangers of Using self-tailing winches

After all is done and tailed, put another loose turn around the winch.
This prevents the sheet being nudged out.


Much more importantly - Never sail naked in a yacht with self tailing winches.

(Work it out...)



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[AndrewB]

Make sure there are at least three and preferable four turns on the winch so that it, not the self-tailer, is taking the load.

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[Boathook]

Having used Lewmar self tailers for over 20 years they have never slipped, though I normally 'cleat off' as well. They seem to work best when the winch drum is 'filled' up with the sheet and some times need a gentle pull on the rope tail to start with. I would not like to sail without them as tweaking the sail only involves one hand allowing the other to hold ....

.... a beer !

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[peterb]

Lighterman\'s hitch

Most manufacturers seem to assume that self-tailing winches don't need cleats, so they don't fit them. Try using a lighterman's hitch. Take a loop of the line coming off the self-tailer, pass the loop under the line coming on to the bottom of the winch, drop the loop over the top of the winch then take the slack out by pulling the running end. See Sailing Today, Dec 2003 (sorry, Kim!). Very useful hitch to know; ought to be in the RYA syllabus.

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[MainlySteam]

If the winch is correctly sized to the winch diameter you definitely do not need to cleat the sheet as well. You should also avoid any other knots, hitches etc, as that just complicates matters in the case of needing to urgently release the sheet or if the knot jambs. If one is going to cleat as well then maybe one shouldn't be buying self tailing winches.

One frequently sees the stripper incorrectly placed so that the tail end of the sheet does not fall loosely to the desired place, maybe that is the cause of some comments of the likelihood of the sheet being kicked out of the crowns.

My suggestion is to set them up properly and see what you think, you can always add cleats later if you remain unconvinced.

John

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[TheBoatman]

Re: Lighterman\'s hitch

It is, or at least I teach it to all my RYA PB2 customers its the best knot for towing too!
BTW in our area it's known as a tugboat hitch?

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[peterb]

Re: Lighterman\'s hitch

Yes, I teach it to all my DS, CS and YM customers. But it's not in the syllabus. It's also about the only hitch that can be made with chain without jamming.

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[john_morris_uk]

Re: Lighterman\'s hitch

Agree -I have always called it a Tugboat Hitch - great hitch for lots of uses...

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[peterb]

Re: Lighterman\'s hitch

According to the article in the 12/03 Sailing Today, it can be called the 'Lighterman's Hitch', the 'Tugboat Hitch' or the 'No-name Knot'. I've never heard the the last of these, but both the other two are common. Remembering that it was originally used by tugs towing lighters, I reckon that the name used depended on which end of the tow rope you were on!

I'm told, though, that one of the major reasons for its use on lighters was that many lighters only had one set of bits (the things like cleats with two bars sticking up) at each end of the vessel. Using the bits with a figure-of-eight twist (like a cleat) meant that when two warps were attached to the same set then the upper warp had to be taken off before the lower. By using the lighterman's hitch the two warps could be secured separately. Most tugs would have enough securing points to make this unnecessary.

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[john_morris_uk]

Re: Lighterman\'s hitch

I'm not going to argue over the name - but I always believed that its vertue on a tug boat (or lighter) was that it can be undone when its under load. If you need to let go the tow quickly, its very easy to take the turns off and let go...

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