How do you know when to replace winch?

Apr 6, 2013
139
Catalina 310 Annapolis
I have a '77 C-22 swing keel that I am slowly restoring as I can afford to. I am going to be replacing the turning ball, keel cable, hose and clamps this spring with the Catalina Direct kit. My question is, should I also replace the original winch? It appears to work fine. Just has a little rust. And it is mounted firmly.

Having said that, I can't really tell if there are some hidden problems. Is it better just to replace it before something fails? I would rather not spend the $200 for a new one unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!
 

Kestle

.
Jun 12, 2011
702
MacGregor 25 San Pedro
$40 vs ruined boat. Easy call.

My general rule is to replace anything, when I wonder when I should replace it.

Except my wife. She's a keeper.

Jeff
 
Apr 6, 2013
139
Catalina 310 Annapolis
$40 vs ruined boat. Easy call.

My general rule is to replace anything, when I wonder when I should replace it.

Except my wife. She's a keeper.

Jeff
I hear you. It is a $156 dollar upgrade though. Makes sense if the old winches with new lifting hardware are prone to failure but I haven't seen anything like that in my searches.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
You don't have to spend $156 for a winch. I have the exact same winch that is called for, correct size and galvanized, the only difference is that you have to drill one new mounting hole because the pattern is only slightly different. Basically the exact same winch but has a diff model number because of the hole pattern difference, at half the price. The details are in my build thread. I'll get the link and repost on this page.

I hear you. It is a $156 dollar upgrade though. Makes sense if the old winches with new lifting hardware are prone to failure but I haven't seen anything like that in my searches.
 
Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
Cost of boat ownership

If it works fine why replace it? Here's the thing: I always try to keep my costs as low as possible on boat projects. This is because boat stuff is expensive and boats always need something so it's easy for the cost of owning a boat to skyrocket if you don't try to control it.
 
Apr 6, 2013
139
Catalina 310 Annapolis
You don't have to spend $156 for a winch. I have the exact same winch that is called for, correct size and galvanized, the only difference is that you have to drill one new mounting hole because the pattern is only slightly different. Basically the exact same winch but has a diff model number because of the hole pattern difference, at half the price. The details are in my build thread. I'll get the link and repost on this page.
Thanks. Look forward to seeing the link.
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
the winch is a simple device... if its working fine, why replace it.

you could just as easily purchase a new winch, install it, and have it fail on you prematurly.... it HAS happened before!!!

with a reasonable inspection, it will tell you if there is a problem that would warrant replacing it, and if you dont have the skills to inspect it properly, then you should budget to replace it again in a few years, even though they are meant to last many years as long as they are not allowed to rust up and are inspected periodically for any problems.

how is the winch that is installed on the trailer?... I can almost guarantee that it has had a much rougher life than the keel winch while living its life outside for all these years. and i would also bet its still working fine.

extreme rust or over stress is about the only thing that hurts these winches, and the damage will be fairly obvious, as the frame will be warped or have flaking rust, maybe both. I am relatively sure the keel has not stressed it even to its working load limit, where as i would bet the tongue winch has likely been stressed past its limits, without damage.

look at the winch and if the bushings at the ends of the shafts are good, the frame doesnt look like it has warped where the mounting bolts are and it only has a bit of surface rust on it, and it works fine, I would consider that it has passed inspection and not worry about it any more.

the cable MAY need replacing, but not likely the whole winch.
 

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
It sounds like you are pretty handy. Why not just take them off, take them apart and clean and lube them? When I bought my C22, both winches were not ratcheting. Easy job really. Just don't lose any pieces :) Btw, use light oil on the pawls. My PO used grease and got dirty and gunked up.


Edit: Never mind. I thought you were talking about your jib winches :)
 
Oct 4, 2010
159
76 Catalina 22 Three Mile Harbor, East Hampton, NY
I replaced my cable after having the winch mounting fail. So I agree you should inspect it. This was due to the previous owner putting a piece of wood in the void on top of the winch which wasn't visible without removing it. See photos.
 

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