When my wife is raising the mainsheet and starts to use the main winch the winch drum does not hold the rope halyard and she has to hold the rope tight as well as using the winch handle. What is wrong?
Main Halyard
- Thread starter Lost Parent
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Unless your winch is a self tailing winch, it will not hold. Try more wraps on the winch. If you hold the bitter end while she grinds, it will work smoother.
Wife is raising the main??? And what would you be doing? Pointing into the wind I hope!
Anyway to make it simple Ma'am, wrap the rope (halyard) around the winch clockwise. 2 turns around... hold the tail (the line coming off the winch is the tail) and pull on that to create friction as you crank up the main. If the boat is not pointing into the wind you will have a difficult time raising the main.
Anyway to make it simple Ma'am, wrap the rope (halyard) around the winch clockwise. 2 turns around... hold the tail (the line coming off the winch is the tail) and pull on that to create friction as you crank up the main. If the boat is not pointing into the wind you will have a difficult time raising the main.
On a self tailing winch, you will need to put as many turns as the drum will take. In my J-36 I have to use 5 turns. For the last adjustment I still need to hold the tail. Probably the same with your boat.
Here is what Stu and Lost Parent are talking about. They are cheap and easy to install (a little soapy water) and they give you some extra hold on non-self-tailing winches. They worked rather well, although you still have to help tail.
Disclaimer: the pic is from my old boat so excuse the messy sheet. The boat is still in the same slip an hasn't moved in 3 years. It saddens me to see her uncared for by her new owner... but that's a story for another time.
Disclaimer: the pic is from my old boat so excuse the messy sheet. The boat is still in the same slip an hasn't moved in 3 years. It saddens me to see her uncared for by her new owner... but that's a story for another time.
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Heck, how did you get your wife to do that job. Do you use a knotted rope or are you just a very pursuasive guy ?
Don't waste your money on winchers...... you still have to "tail" the halyard or sheet to make the winch work. Here's what you should do: let her steer while you raise the main. Or have her pass you the end of the halyard so you can pull on it while she grinds the winch. Either lock the wheel, or steer with the tiller between your legs...while you're tailing.
Unless something is wrong with the sail track...
... you should only be winching the last foot or so, for tension. If you cannot hoist the sail on that size boat hand over hand there is another problem.
With 4-5 wraps on the winch the tailing pressure required should be very small. For a foot or so, this is an easy one-person job.
Many halyard winches will sort of self tail if you completely fill the drum, because there is some fall (unlike deck winches).
Yup, the wife prefers to steer.
... you should only be winching the last foot or so, for tension. If you cannot hoist the sail on that size boat hand over hand there is another problem.
With 4-5 wraps on the winch the tailing pressure required should be very small. For a foot or so, this is an easy one-person job.
Many halyard winches will sort of self tail if you completely fill the drum, because there is some fall (unlike deck winches).
Yup, the wife prefers to steer.
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