Halyard Winch Alternative

Submitted by Jay Kenney on Fri, 04/30/2004 - 21:04
Has anyone come up with a good working alternative for the existing winch system on the FS? I'm fleet captain of an active college sailing club, and our novices have trouble with the winches, and they break often. Thanks, Jay Kenney Washington Yacht Club
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Comments

Jay, What is breaking? If it is the handles, they are intended t

Submitted by Transom on Mon, 05/03/2004 - 15:59.
Jay, What is breaking? If it is the handles, they are intended to do so when too much pressure is put on the winches. If it is the halyard, it probably means that the sails are being raised too high. I cannot remember the exact measurement, but the sail does not go all the way to the exact tip top of the mast, because the masthead is not in direct line with the mast and sticks out slightly. Therefore as the top of the sail reaches near the top of the mast, more outward pressure is exerted then upward pressure.

CASCO BAY METHOD I am getting use to the winch system of the F

Submitted by DrScow on Tue, 07/27/2004 - 00:27.
CASCO BAY METHOD I am getting use to the winch system of the Flying Scot. It is very easy to over drive the winch when raising the main. I suggest using the CASCO BAY Method: Right hand winch handle; left hand chop stick. Use the chip stick to center the wire on the stool when raising the main. This avoids using two hand on the winch handle and keeps the wire from winding off the stool. The crew should feed the main sail luff up the mast and make sure the vang and main sheet are free. yours; DrScow; Caso Bay Maine. [:p] Hard Starboard; FS#803

Jay, Your sailors don't need a new winch system, they need a lit

Submitted by jfssail on Tue, 07/27/2004 - 17:49.
Jay, Your sailors don't need a new winch system, they need a little commom sense. I have raced a Flying Scot for 30 years and have NEVER broken a winch handle . I keep a SS winch handy in case I need it, but if you are breaking Aluminum handles you should look at what your sailors are doing wrong. Jack Stewart FS1342

Jay, I put an enamel red paint mark on the main halyard wire to

Submitted by Barry277 on Wed, 07/28/2004 - 08:38.
Jay, I put an enamel red paint mark on the main halyard wire to leave the proper 2-3 inches of headboard to masttop clearance. Raise the main to this mark (as referenced to the upper winch housing crossbar) and click it in. Any adjustment of the luff can then be done with the cunningham. The jib tension is set at level toggle or looser, as needed. My boat is 44 years old and still works smoothly, the setup is excellent once you clear the paradyms of rope halyards/winches/cleats from your sailing. Fair winds!

Hull #267 "Yellow Submarine" Halyard winch oldschool styled "woo

Submitted by martydufour on Mon, 07/07/2008 - 23:53.
Hull #267 "Yellow Submarine" Halyard winch oldschool styled "wood" My winch is very old but assumed to be in good shape except: The wooded parts seem to be too wide. With only 2 bolts thru the mast and wood plates look like the are not parallel. It seems like I need to drill a hole and add a spacer bolt to pull in the wood plates with a spacer holding it parallel. This way the gap that the cable likes to jump in will be eliminated.. My winch has a small floppy gear tooth that locks the spool from unwining. Was there ever a spring there to give it a rachet-like operation? Would anyone have closeup pictures of an oldschool winch and how it might work.. my email is mart...@yahoo.com if you do..

For the first time in 28 years of Scot sailing I broke an alumin

Submitted by karafiath on Tue, 07/08/2008 - 11:58.
For the first time in 28 years of Scot sailing I broke an aluminum winch handle for no readily apparent reason when hoisting the main. I think I broke it because it was not fully inserted into the square hole. Only about 1/2 inch of the handle broke off, leavint another 1/2 inch of recatangular cross section on the handle. The remaining part can still be used to work the winch. So, Advice INSERT THE HANDLE ALL THE WAY. Karafiath 3512

quote:[i]Originally posted by karafiath[/i] [br]For the first t

Submitted by JHS on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 09:57.
quote:
[i]Originally posted by karafiath[/i] [br]For the first time in 28 years of Scot sailing I broke an aluminum winch handle for no readily apparent reason when hoisting the main. I think I broke it because it was not fully inserted into the square hole. Only about 1/2 inch of the handle broke off, leavint another 1/2 inch of recatangular cross section on the handle. The remaining part can still be used to work the winch. So, Advice INSERT THE HANDLE ALL THE WAY. Karafiath 3512
Good advice! I am relatively new to the FS world and have zero trouble with the winches and I have single-handed rigged every time. They're not the greatest but certainly not the worst. The paint idea on the line sounds like a great idea and should be followed. "If the sea did wild or wicked things, it was because she could not help them." - Hemmingway

I placed a mark (red tape) on the halyard and on the mast at the

Submitted by fhauffe on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 11:04.
I placed a mark (red tape) on the halyard and on the mast at the opening for the boom gooseneck. I merely hoist the halyard until the two marks align. This avoids over tensioning the halyard and should help with the cranks.

Marking the halyard so a novice does not hoist too high is good.

Submitted by flyingscot704 on Sun, 12/28/2008 - 21:16.
Marking the halyard so a novice does not hoist too high is good. Also, make sure that you hold the winch handle with your hand close to the winch. If you hold the winch handle near the end, away from the winch, the handle is more likely to break.

quote:[i]Originally posted by martydufour[/i] [br]Hull #267 "Ye

Submitted by wojtase1 on Thu, 03/05/2009 - 10:03.
quote:
[i]Originally posted by martydufour[/i] [br]Hull #267 "Yellow Submarine" Halyard winch oldschool styled "wood" My winch is very old but assumed to be in good shape except: The wooded parts seem to be too wide. With only 2 bolts thru the mast and wood plates look like the are not parallel. It seems like I need to drill a hole and add a spacer bolt to pull in the wood plates with a spacer holding it parallel. This way the gap that the cable likes to jump in will be eliminated.. My winch has a small floppy gear tooth that locks the spool from unwining. Was there ever a spring there to give it a rachet-like operation? Would anyone have closeup pictures of an oldschool winch and how it might work.. my email is mart...@yahoo.com if you do..
I do not think that there was ever a spring in there because it would make lowering the sails difficult. The first time I saw one of these winches I was not even sure if it was original but the owner has not complained. Here is a picture... http://tinyurl.com/c3ymk8

Hi : An older Flying Scot couple retired from sailing gave me

Submitted by whr241 on Wed, 04/22/2009 - 00:44.
Hi : An older Flying Scot couple retired from sailing gave me 4 new aluminum winch handles when I first got my boat . I immediately took a long galvanized marine bolt 1/2"x10" & shaped it to the curve of the Aluminum winch handle & used a grinder to shape the part that inserts into the winch . I drilled a hole at the bolt head & attached a piece of line with a sister clip fastened to it . I put another sister clip with a line attached to the mast base & store the new handle in the wooden space below the mast . Before using the new winch handle I open the sister clips to release it from it's safe storage .... it works just fine & never breaks .... Bill , Bill...@hotmail.com