Winch set up.

[luigisante]

My old Mark 1 has a couple of stainless brackets that held its 2 lewmar 2 speed winches. It mounted the winches outboard of the superstructure on the outside of the cockpit molding, up near the coach roof. The winches were not self tailing. I noticed that the new boats mount the winches right on the coach roof of the cabin. Could someone post a photo or two of the winch set up. Are they mounted on a base or right to the coach roof? Are they reinforced with a backer below? I think I might prefer this set up.

I noticed that the boats now use self tailers. Anybody prefer one or the other? Which winches come standard on the 28 these days. Brand? Size? Speeds?

Finally, I am inclined to lead the halyards back to the cockpit so I am consideirng a few lewmar clutches. I am installing a bowsprint for an asymetric or screacher. I would assume that a bank of 3 clutches would suffice. Anybody have a picture of the clutch set up? How have you led the halyards to the winch from the clutches? I was considering mounting the sheet winches on the stainless brackets that came with the boat and a halyard winch with a bank of clutches to control the halyards on the coach roof above the doors. Mounting the winches directly on coach roof would eliminate the need for a separate halyard winch. Any help would be appreciated.

Lou Giansante

[Dan]

Lou-

The winches are mounted directly to the cabin top, but have a fairly large plywood backer plate underneath, inside the cabin IIRC. The winches are Lewmar 40STs. If you look at my blog, you'll see how I did the halyards led aft. How many clutches you need really depends on what lines you're leading aft.

I led the following lines aft:

Main Halyard
Spinnaker Halyard

Topping Lift
Outhaul

Reefing lines for three reefs (six lines total, since it is a double line reefing system).

Boom brake

That was a total of five Lewmar double line clutches and a Spinlock PowerCleat for the boom brake.

I am also adding a double line clutch for the two furling lines on the starboard coaming.

[luigisante]

Wow Dan do you have a computer set up to help you operate that aray?

I've been giving the winches a lot of thought and it would be easy while the cabin is bare to reinforce a spot for the winches. I could easily bond in a strong plywood support.

Thanks for the inf. I'll check out the blog.

Lou

[luigisante]

Hey Dan

Had the chance to look at your halyard set up. Do you have any pictures of the stainless plate you made for the turning blocks before it was installed?

If all of the halyards are led to the cockpit, so you still use the mast winches for anything?

I am still toying with the idea of replicating the new telstar's placement of the winches.

Thanks.

Lou G.

[Dan]

Yes, I use the mast-mounted winches for the genny, which is not lead back to the cockpit.

[luigisante]

I've been giving this winch set up a lot of thought. I like the idea of the coachroof winches. I think I will build support on the underside of the coachroof so that I can mount the winches in the spring. The coachrood winches can handle the halyards and jib when the sheet is on the inside track. Those two will be 2 speed - self tailers and dont need to be too large.

I also see no reason to do away with the winches mounted outside the cockpit on stainless brackets. I want to go a bit larger than original as these winches will control any sheets run through the outside track and/or rear turning block, such as the Genny or an asymetric. Although I intend to install a bowsprit on the foredeck, I don't think I will use it, at first, for anything but an asymetric. I am leaning to installing non-tailers there and have cam-cleats available to hold the lines. They would install in a very natural position along the sheet's run from the turning block to the winch.

I also like the redundancy that 4 winches gives me. My ultimate goal here is to outfit the boat to be able to make short blue water trips such as St. Augustine to the Bahamas, Key west to Havana (after it opens up) and Bermuda from Anapolis (the biannual race). It couldn't hurt to have a back-up winch offshore.

Lou