Maxwell #14 winch removal

[C Jones]

I just read the article by John Schaub in the Hunter 23 modification secton named "How to run your halyards to the cockpit on a h23" John removed his winch from the mast and relocated it to the cabin top and he has pictures of it. My questions are How do you remove a Maxwell #14 winch, Does the hole left in the mast need to be patched or covered, Will this weaken the mast, and does the new location on the cabin top need to have a backing plate to be stronger. Got to sail about 2 hours yesterday and it was great. First time out this year. 60 deg., 12-14 knot south wind and to cold for the admiral. She told me 70deg. and above. Thanks, Charles

 

[Jim Kolstoe]

I moved the halyard winch on my h23 from the mast to the cabin top about a year after we got it, some where around 1988. It was on a bracket secured to the mast with rivets. I just drilled them out and removed the winch and bracket from the mast. I did not fill in the holes, and I have not had any problems from them.
I would use backing plates to spread the load transmitted to the cabin top through the attaching bolts from the winch. Its simple, cheap insurance against damaging the cabin and having the winch pull out under load.
Go for it, having the halyards led to the cockpit makes life much easier.
Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo

 

[C Jones]

Thanks alot Jim, That answered everything except how to remove the winch on my mast. Does the drum just unscrew turning it backwards? I cannot see a bracket it is mounted to but that may be under the drum and out of site. Thanks, Charles

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Search on winch maintenance

I found the following article with a simple google search. It may help.
http://pacificnorthwestboating.com/2009/10/29/how-to-maintain-sailboat-winches/

 

[C Jones]

Dave, Thanks for your reply and help. I learned alot on that site but it didn't have a exploded view or instructions as to how to remove a Maxwell #14. I will go back out to my slip the first good weather day and try to figure it out again. Some of those winchs on that site had a keeper split ring on top to remove the drum so I will look for that. Thanks, Charles

 

[C Jones]

I just left my boat at the marina and cannot figure out how to remove my Maxwell #14. I do not see a split ring at the top to remove and cannot find anything online yet. They are still working good I just want to remove the one from the mast and move it to my cabin top. I will just run my main sheet halyard back to the cockpit and wait until I figure this out. I raise my mainsail with out it on deck so I hope I can from the cockpit as well.

 

[Clark]

Arco Hutton? Hutton Arco?

Sorry for the confusion. The web site is arco-winches.com

Try to contact them and get them to email to you the exploded diagrams of each size winch you need to service.

 

[C Jones]

Clark, Allen Hutton from the Australian Yacht Winch Co. just sent a reply to the email I sent him at the link provided by you. He had the exploded view of the Maxwell #14 and forwarded it to me. Thanks for all your help, Charles

 

[C Jones]

I removed the Maxwell from my mast this weekend. The box to catch everything would not work because the winch was mounted horizontal. I used 2 plastic grocery bags. One inside the other. I removed the retaining screw, #1 part in the diagram while holding the drum in place. Then I placed the plastic grocery bags over the drum while holding the handles together on the other side of the mast. Then I simply pulled the drum off slowly into the bag. It worked great and nothing flew apart. Then it was 4 screws to remove the base and 1 screw to remove the palstic part that fits to the mast. Thanks again everyone for all the help and advice. Charles