What Winches?

onesea

onesea

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Oct 2011
Messages
3,841
Location
South West
Visit site
The pair of 30 year old Halyard Winches that came with the boat are getting passed it..

Lewmar 40's self-tailing (early 80's variety). It seems that Self tailer's tend not to appear second hand very often...

So what would you recommend as a replacement?

2 speed and capable of lifting 120kg (heavy person and gear MOB).

Halyards 10 & 12mm

Boat old 3/4 tonner...
 
I can recommend Andersen winches but they are expensive. I've got two speed ST size 46 for the genoa on my 33' Moody which are a bit large but do make it easy but I doubt even they would have difficulty winching someone up - I got someone to try winching me(10½ stone) up the mast and it was very hard work!
 
I guess part of the question is how do you compare winch sizes, I certainly do not want any more powerful. She is lightly built and they might pop out!

Are there any sizing guides out there? Apart from the possibility of an emergency situation they are only used to nip up the halyards.

The size seems to make a big difference to the price...
 
onesea said:
The pair of 30 year old Halyard Winches that came with the boat are getting passed it..

Lewmar 40's self-tailing (early 80's variety). It seems that Self tailer's tend not to appear second hand very often...

So what would you recommend as a replacement?

2 speed and capable of lifting 120kg (heavy person and gear MOB).

Halyards 10 & 12mm

Boat old 3/4 tonner...
Click to expand...

Why not refurbish them? If they are the right size then why change. There is certainly one company that refurbs them but to be honest most things can be fixed yourself and re-chroming is easily done by professionals.
Yoda
 
yoda said:
Why not refurbish them? If they are the right size then why change. There is certainly one company that refurbs them but to be honest most things can be fixed yourself and re-chroming is easily done by professionals.
Yoda
Click to expand...

Can it be done?

I see them basically as worn out, the bearings have worn a grove in both the main shaft and the inside of the winch drum. They are Black Aluminium to be honest if it was just chrome falling off I would not worry...
Ears are open if there are people out there that can rejuvenate old winches.


A bit more home work tells me:
My boat Sail Area (Fore.):230ft2 / 21 m2 (Main):330 ft2 / 31 m2

So by these counts:
Lewmar: http://www.lewmar.com/cms/assets/1/categories/winches_selection_guide.pdf
Replace like with like a 40 @ about: £580

Harken: http://www.harken.com/article.aspx?id=12853
I make it a 35 at around £527

Anderson Standard Self Tailing Winch size 40ST: £882.36

Are there any cheaper X Eastern block manufactures out there yet?

Is there any real difference between: Aluminum, Chrome and Stainless? or is it just a looks thing?
 
onesea said:
Can it be done?

I see them basically as worn out, the bearings have worn a grove in both the main shaft and the inside of the winch drum. They are Black Aluminium to be honest if it was just chrome falling off I would not worry...
Ears are open if there are people out there that can rejuvenate old winches.


A bit more home work tells me:
My boat Sail Area (Fore.):230ft2 / 21 m2 (Main):330 ft2 / 31 m2

So by these counts:
Lewmar: http://www.lewmar.com/cms/assets/1/categories/winches_selection_guide.pdf
Replace like with like a 40 @ about: £580

Harken: http://www.harken.com/article.aspx?id=12853
I make it a 35 at around £527

Anderson Standard Self Tailing Winch size 40ST: £882.36

Are there any cheaper X Eastern block manufactures out there yet?

Is there any real difference between: Aluminum, Chrome and Stainless? or is it just a looks thing?
Click to expand...
Ali drums wear on the internal bearing surfaces bronze do not
 
A word of warning about recent Harken self-tailers: they are very lightly built. The hook that guides the line into the self-tailing part is not solid, as in other makes, but just plate steel pressed into form. We found out to our cost as it buckled under load on a charter boat. The hook stripped a layer off the drum before we noticed.
 
onesea said:
Can it be done?

I see them basically as worn out, the bearings have worn a grove in both the main shaft and the inside of the winch drum. They are Black Aluminium to be honest if it was just chrome falling off I would not worry...
Ears are open if there are people out there that can rejuvenate old winches.


A bit more home work tells me:
My boat Sail Area (Fore.):230ft2 / 21 m2 (Main):330 ft2 / 31 m2

So by these counts:
Lewmar: http://www.lewmar.com/cms/assets/1/categories/winches_selection_guide.pdf
Replace like with like a 40 @ about: £580

Harken: http://www.harken.com/article.aspx?id=12853
I make it a 35 at around £527

Anderson Standard Self Tailing Winch size 40ST: £882.36

Are there any cheaper X Eastern block manufactures out there yet?

Is there any real difference between: Aluminum, Chrome and Stainless? or is it just a looks thing?
Click to expand...

You should be aware that like Antal the Harken winches are smaller than the Lewmar for a given gearing.

If the doomsayers, about alloy drums had ever stripped one they'd realise that there are big roller-cage bearings to avoid the internal wear on the drum. External wear will be negligible, my 25-year old Enkes show none and the boat has done about 50,000 miles mainly under sail. the parts that do wear on winches are the pawls and springs.
The benefits of self-tailers are so great that I wouldn't (on cost grounds) consider anything else, except for snubbing winches. Of the winches listed Andersen are generally considered the best engineered.
I'd definitely, for sheet winches, go for one size larger than the table recommends - on that reading I'd suggest these as the most suitable http://www.lewmar.com/products.asp?id=8845&lid=27510. The Harken 35s you mention are just OK for a gorilla, but totally inadequate for most week-end landlubbers.

As UK chandlers prices and service are the universally highest and lowest, respectively, in the civilised world, I'd ignore them and look at German or French on-line chandlers
 
A word of warning about older Harken self tailers in this size range - you have to remove them from the deck to service properly!!
Lewmar much better.
 
onesea said:
Can it be done?

I see them basically as worn out, the bearings have worn a grove in both the main shaft and the inside of the winch drum. They are Black Aluminium to be honest if it was just chrome falling off I would not worry...
Ears are open if there are people out there that can rejuvenate old winches.


A bit more home work tells me:
My boat Sail Area (Fore.):230ft2 / 21 m2 (Main):330 ft2 / 31 m2

So by these counts:
Lewmar: http://www.lewmar.com/cms/assets/1/categories/winches_selection_guide.pdf
Replace like with like a 40 @ about: £580

Harken: http://www.harken.com/article.aspx?id=12853
I make it a 35 at around £527

Anderson Standard Self Tailing Winch size 40ST: £882.36

Are there any cheaper X Eastern block manufactures out there yet?

Is there any real difference between: Aluminum, Chrome and Stainless? or is it just a looks thing?
Click to expand...


Try these guys, they seem to know what they are doing. http://www.winchspares.com/

Yoda
 
Yoda & Troubadour

Thanks I will take some photos and email see what they think...

If that does not work I will try and contain my enthusiasm till I have been to a Boatshow to see the winches first hand...

Keep the ideas thoughts coming though...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top