So which winch would you recommend, and why?

  I'm not Rob, but I'll add my fifteen cents worth of opinion (because I can't restrict it to two cents, particularly since you're asking from a non-sailing perspective).


RECOMMENDATION

  I plan on Seldén self-tailing reversible winches once they are re-released:

    https://www.riggingandhardware.com/c-1602-selden.aspx
    https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Product-of-the-Week-Selden-Reversible-Winch/-77485?source=google

  They have stainless drums with vertical ribbing like the Andersens, but also have the ability to ease sails.  They cost 50% more than the equivalent Andersen winches, but since there are only two winches on the boat, the total penalty is $800, and I wouldn't mind paying the extra.

  Currently we have Lewmar chromed-bronze-drum self-tailing winches on our catamaran, with a knurled drum surface and black composite self-tailing grips.  They are nice, but not as weatherprpoof as the all-stainless Andersens.  I also think the vertical ribs on the Andersens (and Seldéns) will end up being nicer to sheet covers over time.

    https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|2358547|2358549&id=105412

  So we went with the all-stainless Andersens when renovating a Pearson Ensign for slow daysailing.  My do they gleam in the sun -- I can't wait to get the boat in the water, partially just to see it, and partially to give my daughter something slow and easy to sail for learning purposes.

    https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|2358547|2358549&id=4412097


REASONING

  Stainless drum.  The anodized aluminum drums look nice new, but they get ratty after a while, and they aren't as strong or corrosion-resistant as stainless.  That's why we went with the Lewmars on the cat -- the original aluminum Harken winches looked awful and were almost useless when we bought the boat.  Composite winches are definitely corrosion-resistant, but they are more fragile than stainless in terms of getting smacked with winch handles and/or worn out due to UV light exposure. 

  Self-tailing.  Self-tailing is a wonderful feature to have if you're every by yourself, in big weather, in a rush, or get distracted.  Take a look at normal winches versus self-tailing:
   
    Classic
    https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|2358547|2358550&id=3905877

    Self-tailing
    https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|2358547|2358549&id=4412097

  The standard winch has a smooth top.  The way you use it is to put a few wraps on the drum, pull the line tight, and then winch in with the insertable winch handle (goes into the star-like opening at the top), while also keeping the exiting line taught the whole time.  It's really a job for three hands if you want to winch continuously:  one on the winch handle, two on the existing line. 

  But if you don't have someone to help, which is standard, then it's a matter of cranking a bunch of turns on the handle, pausing, grabbing the line with the right hand, moving the left hand up towards the drum while keeping the line taught, and then going back to winching with the right hand while keeping the exiting line taught with the left.  When you're done winching, you cleat the line.

  If at any time you stop keeping the line taught, the winch could suddenly let go, and that ranges from inconvenient to really bad.

  For the self-tailer, you wrap the line into the self-tailing jaws, and then winch away.  Good practice is to keep the left hand on the exiting line, just in case, but that's a precaution, not a necessity.  A self-tailing winch is a lot faster, safer, and more convenient.  You should still cleat the line, but some people flirt with risk and leave it uncleated because they're not thinking about what could go wrong.

  Reversible.  Almost all non-electric winches go in one direction:  tighten the line.  To ease the line you take it out of the self-tailing jaws and let up on the tension until it starts to slip around the drum and run out, pulling it taught again once you've eased it as you'd like.  It works, but it's not always smooth.

  A reversible winch lets you fine-tune the sails by winching in reverse and smoothly letting out as much line as you'd like.  It's great for getting fine trim on sheets, and also for safely letting out a bit of line when it's very highly loaded.  Doing that by hand sometimes it just lets go too quickly and too much line gets let out, while with a reversible winch you can let out an inch, three inches, whatever.

  Two-speed.  Many larger winches have two or more speeds, just like bikes.  You can reel in a lot of line quickly when it's not under a high load, then shift into one or more granny gears to bring in the hard stuff.  Some newer winches auto-shift, older ones shift by going backwards with the handle until it clicks, then moving forward.  It's probably not a big deal for a harry proa since the mainsheets are never highlty loaded the way they are in a traditional cat or monohull.


ELECTRIC

  I agree with Rob that electric winches are expensive components just asking for a breakdown over time.  Salt has a way of doing that.

  For the most part there's no need for anything electric on a harryproa because of the light loads.  But... there's something to be said about not getting super-sweaty hauling up two mainsails when getting underway on a hot summer day.  An electric winch handle lets you be lazy and cool.

  I'm not sure I'd go with a drill and a winch-handle-bit because salt loves to ruin electronics. 

  I'd consider an electric handle as well, though for $800, it isn't cheap:

    https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|118|2358554&id=2553334

  You could argue that for $800 you could get three drills, a few extra batteries, still have money left over, and then not cry when the sea claims one of them.  And you'd have at least one spare drill on board (packed in a sealed box with silica gel) for maintenance.

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  So if Seldén is again shipping their reversible winches when I move on to the proa, that's what I'll get.  Otherwise the all-stainless Andersen.

  The electric handle is a different story.  I want one in July, but now that it's 50 degrees outside, it seems like a silly expense.

        - Mike

 

Ah, so an addon to a winch, that add electrics.

So which winch would you recommend, and why, rob?

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Posted by: Mike Crawford <mcrawf@nuomo.com>

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