Mast mounted winch

May 22, 2020
76
Catalina 22 Iowa
Forgive my ignorance here but what is the purpose of the mast mounted winch?
 
May 22, 2020
76
Catalina 22 Iowa
Used primarily to haul up a mainsail and has the advantage over a deck mounted winch of no friction from turning blocks. Disadvantage is location requiring leaving cockpit.
Thanks! Well that definitely makes sense. I just have never had trouble raising the mainsail without it. I just hoist and sweat the line and I'm good to go.
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
The later models have turning blocks and winches on the aft cabintop.

Considering that the c22 mainsail has less area than the Sol Cat 18 beach catamaran I sailed as a teenager it seems overkill. We mainly use them similar to a ratchet block and rarely use the handle
 
Feb 22, 2015
10
Catalina 30 Redondo Beach
Also to haul crew up in bosun chair. Though haven't seen much of that lately.
 

greg_m

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May 23, 2017
692
Catalina Jaguar 22 Simons Town
Forgive my ignorance here but what is the purpose of the mast mounted winch?
Forgiven... the sails of a C22 are no bigger than a large dinghy! Why you need a winch to hoist them is anyones guess.

My answer is some people may have just a little too much money and not enough sense, some people like the bling factor, some people are really lazy and in case there are those out there they may be a little too frail to hoist the sails with manual muscle power!

I have seen youtube videos where the mast was raised using a winch on the mast. I think for me that would be the single most useful reason. Raising the mast single handed.
 

ambler

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Dec 7, 2013
60
catalina 22 11619 Watauga Lake, TN
Bobalong - not sure how stable it would be hauling crew in a bosun's chair on a C22. It would be 150lbs up a 25 foot mast versus a 500lb keel 5 feet below the water line.
Has anyone done it? Is it safe?
 

AaronD

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Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
Bobalong - not sure how stable it would be hauling crew in a bosun's chair on a C22. It would be 150lbs up a 25 foot mast versus a 500lb keel 5 feet below the water line.
Has anyone done it? Is it safe?
Good question. The boat's stability is a function of:
--Hull shape (form stability)
--Keel weight and center of mass
--Total weight aloft (and it's center of mass)
--Probably another factor or two I'm not thinking of.

I'm a math geek, so I tried (briefly) to figure it out once, and quickly gave up. In theory, it's pretty stable as long as the mast is fully vertical. But even a small wake or gust shifts the lever arm sideways; I sure wouldn't want to be the one. up there! :yikes:

Count me with the "drop the mast" side.
 
Jul 5, 2005
217
Beneteau 361 Sandusky Harbor Marina
I think some racers may use winches (cabin top / mast) to fine-tune the tension on a halyard to match the current conditions.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Forgiven... the sails of a C22 are no bigger than a large dinghy! Why you need a winch to hoist them is anyones guess.
I hear that point of view voiced regularly, and it always perplexes me. Getting the wrinkles out of the sails without benefit of a winch can be impossible for me when there's a good breeze blowing, and I'd like to think I'm in better shape than most. If we're talking about single-digit wind, sure. Or not caring about some wrinkles, sure. But proper luff tension in say, 15 knots or more, without a winch? I'm sorry, but I'll have to see that to believe it.
 
Sep 15, 2016
790
Catalina 22 Minnesota
I hear that point of view voiced regularly, and it always perplexes me. Getting the wrinkles out of the sails without benefit of a winch can be impossible for me when there's a good breeze blowing, and I'd like to think I'm in better shape than most. If we're talking about single-digit wind, sure. Or not caring about some wrinkles, sure. But proper luff tension in say, 15 knots or more, without a winch? I'm sorry, but I'll have to see that to believe it.
I love my winches and use the handles to tighten the luff however there not fully necessary either. If you have a nice clean sail track and a down haul or cunningham you can still get the luff tension you want. I have a 6:1 down haul (overkill I know) that will overtighten the luff if I am not careful. The winches however make it easier for my younger or inexperienced crew to raise the sails while we are pointed into the wind. Most racers have eliminated all winches and use a banjo technique for the sheets along with a cunningham or down haul for the mian. Most of us raise the main a bit to high anyway i suppose.
 
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greg_m

.
May 23, 2017
692
Catalina Jaguar 22 Simons Town
I hear that point of view voiced regularly, and it always perplexes me. Getting the wrinkles out of the sails without benefit of a winch can be impossible for me when there's a good breeze blowing, and I'd like to think I'm in better shape than most. If we're talking about single-digit wind, sure. Or not caring about some wrinkles, sure. But proper luff tension in say, 15 knots or more, without a winch? I'm sorry, but I'll have to see that to believe it.
Agreed fully if you are doing it single handed.

On our racing L26 we use someone at the mast to "bounce" the halyard while another crew member takes up the slack - with the halyard wound round the winch on the coach roof! It's way quicker than winding the winch... similarly for the racing genoa halyard.. it's a fractional rig setup.

We also take the load off the sails to trim them. Trying to put a reef in a fully loaded mainsail sail is just plain dumb IMHO. Use of the cunningham to trim the luff may require the use of a winch if the sail is fully loaded. Use of the outhaul to trim the sail foil shape may require the use of a winch if it's fully loaded. We cheat a bit on the halyard and outhaul = double purchase by using a block.

However if you start going to larger boats like the L34's then good luck with manpower brute force... It aint enough!

From my research the C22 did not come out / was not designed with a winch on the mast.

Maybe we have all gone soft over the years :laugh:
 
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Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
If you have a nice clean sail track and a down haul or cunningham you can still get the luff tension you want. I have a 6:1 down haul (overkill I know) that will overtighten the luff if I am not careful.

True that. I have neither a downhaul nor a Cunningham.
 
Jul 13, 2015
893
Catalina 22 #2552 2252 Kennewick, WA
True that. I have neither a downhaul nor a Cunningham.
saves my bacon in that regard as well-- main halyard by hand-- in my case a 4:1 cunningam rigged to the mast plate to set the tension