I would like to replace my old two speed winches with newer self tailing ones. is the corect size a 40 ST (Lewmar) for the Genoa of 130%. Are Harkens just as good and more available? Do other folks just shop ebay? Any concerns about this?
replacement winch
- Thread starter Ben Albritton
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http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...ogId=10001&page=Sailboat-Winches#.UYg4W8rp9vY
Harken or Lewmar are among the most seen. Make sure what you buy will handle the size of jib sheets you normally use.
Harken or Lewmar are among the most seen. Make sure what you buy will handle the size of jib sheets you normally use.
Lots of bucks..... but here's a beautiful #40 Anderson ST stainless steel model that would fit well. There is a $150 factory rebate, putting the price down to $1250, and what ever you can get for your used winches. You could probably get $200 or more apiece for your standards if they are in good shape.
Check defender too, but you may not get the factory rebate on ebay.
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there are attachments available that convert winches to self tailing and i guess these are a lot less expensive than new winches, but i know nothing about the qualty of these parts so i suggest investigating them. saving big bucks can be fun.
I just ordered a pair of the Barton Self Tailing rubber conversions for the standard Lewmar 30 2 speed winches. Will let y'all know how they work when I try 'em out. At 60 bucks, its not much of a risk, but it sure is a heck of a lot cheaper then new self tailers! I never understood why Lewmar never made a self tailing conversion for their old winches. But then I realized that why would they, when they can sell you a new pair for 1,200 bucks a piece, or more!
If you are referring to the oft discussed "winchers" then most people here have an opinion on their value. I had a set on my halyard winches, but eventually removed them when I installed rope clutches a few years back.
At the expense of getting flamed by some of the wincher loyalists here, I think the product's "self tailing conversion" advertising is misleading. They DO NOT make your winch self tailing...because they will not strip the line off the drum. In addition, the winch drum must be fully wrapped for the self winching feature (not self tailing) to work... because it must make contact with the ribs on the bottom of the ring.
You CAN use the winchers as a cleat because there are gripper jaws moulded into the rings.... and in my opinion, this is their primary value.
However, as primary sheet winches I would definitely NOT RECOMMEND them. Since there is no stripper arm to duplicate the self tailing winch you will still have to manually tail sheet.... and as I mentioned before, the drum must be fully loaded for them to grip the sheet anyway.
When casting off the sheet for a direction change the rubber ring actually becomes a hindrance, since you can't simply pull straight up on the line to clear it off the winch...you have to unwrap it...
So as a cleat or halyard winch aid, they could have value... but... as a substitute for a true self tailing winch.... sadly, there is no inexpensive way to get around converting to self tailing winch.
Ben... have you checked with the manufacture of your existing winches if there is a self tailing conversion option for your winches? If not check your local boaters resale shops. Brand new winches may cost more then a good chunk of the value of your boat. It maybe cheaper to buy another boat with the winches you need already mounted.
This was the best upgrade I ever did on my Cat 30 (1982) besides the Garhauer Straight Traveler to replace the horrible curved track. I had Lewmar 30 and replaced with Lewmar 30ST. The 30's were perfect and I had 140 genny with the Tall rig bow spirt.
I polished up my old real nice and took lots of pictures and even stuck them in the new box and put on ebay as some hard core racers prefer non-self tailing for faster tacks. I was totally honest and said they came off my Catalina and included photos of the inside to show how clean they were. I was shocked I got over $650 for the pair?? That was close to the price of one so I was HAPPY!
Defender has the 30ST for about $750 each today. You need to add to your basket to see the price, then delete if you don't want. I just checked.
Anyway I loved them and the straight traveler added a new dimension to sail trimming. I could adjust a loaded main with my finger tips on the traveler control. I think it was 5:1?
Enjoy......
For my C27 I replaced the old winches with new 40st from CD. I actually ordered the 32st but what they received was the 40st. I agreed to pay the small amount more and got the 40st. got both for around $1400. They were like night and day compared to the old single speed with winchers. I didn't think much of the winchers.
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