Winch Replacements
When we purchased Yara we knew going into it that eventually, we’d have to replace the primary winches. The winches that came with the boat were three-speed, Lewmar size 55 but non-self-tailing which means a person needs two hands to handle the lines properly. Needing two hands for one boat task breaks one of the rules we have onboard: “one hand for you, one hand for the boat.”
“One hand for you, one hand for the boat” is a rule Matthew learned while sailing halfway around the world aboard a friend’s boat and we’ve adopted it aboard Yara. It means that for people with two hands, one hand is for their personal needs and one hand is for what the boat needs. One hand for you and your drink, food, groceries, phone, book, handhold/grab rail to steady yourself. One hand is available for whatever you want to make yourself safe and comfortable. On the other hand, one hand for the boat means one hand is available for boat tasks such as handline a line, cranking a winch handle, opening a hatch, steering the boat, making food, etc. One hand for the boat to ensure the boat is running optimally.
With non-self-tailing winches, it usually requires two hands to properly work the winch to ensure the line does not slip off the winch or become fouled. One hand is used to crank the winch handle and the other hand is needed for keeping the line taught. Therefore, requiring two hands for one boat task means we break our rule.
We understand that using two hands for a winch may be needed even for self-tailing winches. But for most everyday tasks a self-tailing winch is a more modern and convenient method of line handline that requires only one hand. Self-tailing winches are certainly not required to operate a boat or Yara. They are a bonus nice to have but for many boats of our size, they are a standard default. And with our personal rule and for the level of quality and comfort we are trying to achieve aboard Yara it made sense to plan to eventually replace the existing winches.
But new winches were a long-term goal, not something we needed right now. And let's be honest with ourselves, currently (as of the time we installed the new winches) we cannot even get the boat off the dock! So why would we need new winches? We didn’t. But we also couldn’t pass up a deal we spotted on eBay.
Refitting an old boat is expensive. But one of the strategies we leverage to keep costs down is to purchase used equipment where it makes sense. Most independent chandleries will have used gear for sale or on consignment. And of course, there is Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and others. One of the features of eBay is to set up a saved search so that when a new item is listed that matches the keywords of your saved search you can receive a notification. High-quality winches from a well-known brand, when used and maintained properly, are virtually indestructible (which may also be why they are so expensive new?) and replacement parts are typically readily available or interchangeable. Shopping the used market for this type of item is beneficial and worthwhile. So we set up an eBay notification for the brand, size, and type of winch we wanted. And then we sat back and waited to get notified when a new item was posted that matches our keywords.
This pair of new-in-box winches popped into our notification feed. We watched the item for a few days and submitted an offer. It was accepted! And the purchase came with free shipping (which is usually very expensive for these heavy items)! The deal was too good to pass up at about 50% off from new so we could not pass it up.
Once the winches arrived it was time for installation. We removed the old winches, and patched the existing holes. And used the drill/fill/drill method for the new holes to install the new winches.
The hardware and winch base was installed with 3M 4000 Adhesive Sealant:
Backing plates were made from half-inch King Starboard which is a name brand of HDPE:
316 Stainless Hardware purchased from McMaster-Carr:
https://www.mcmaster.com/
Hardware was protected with Loctite LB 8023 Marine Grade Anti-Seize:
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Youtube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHS_A41kXCk&list=PLrOb_PGBmmZ1jhqy4NhQRDRkhvw0l-aoI