Hi Dave:
I intend to go out to my boat this weekend and check out the handle for you. Our boat and yours are sister boats. Only 4 Vegas separate us. We are Vega #3228 and you are #3233. Like you, we have a Selden mast and boom with through the mast roller/mainsail furling. For its time you must admit this was top of the line. Selden is a wonderful company that has a world class website. The handle you describe on my boat has a red handle to set it apart from other winches. It has a crest and some lettering visible but I cannot honestly recall what it says. My vague recollection is that it is an initial and the letter may well be "S" in a crown shaped crest denoting Selden. There are three things I would do if I were in your place. (1.) I would contact Selden (asap) which is famous for service and quality. (I bet a cup of coffee they answer your call). They are the mast of Choice for the Nautor Swan super luxury line of boats from Finland for example. (2.) I would contact Steve Birch on the Vega Britain website who always seems to have a kind idea or a source to go to for a part. (3.) Lastly, you could get in touch with Mr. Gustafson in Sweden at the Vega Parts place. I have seen this handle in an old catalog fron the late 80's. I bet you do ok on this, Dave. I was thinking that temporarily you might Rube Goldberg something by starting with a heavy ratchet handle, attaching an inexpensive extension, to which is attached a socket into which was flush welded a square bolt head that could adequately turn the system until we locate you the real McCoy. Once you get a replacement the socket could be an emergency substitute. I share your pain. I was heartbroken when some numb nut ran into our boat at its mooring last year. It's feels like you lost a piece of yourself, and you failed in your stewardship because you know you can't always come up with OEM on a classic no longer made. I hated to replace my Vega running lights because one was damaged beyond repair. Please let me know what Selden says. Selden has great new state of the art mainsail mast furling systems but Selden now states they work exclusively with boats which are 30' and up these days. Dave you I are in a more exclusive club than we ever knew. Good thing we don't have to replace the Selden mast and boom............Cheers and
Good luck............
Jim
I intend to go out to my boat this weekend and check out the handle for you. Our boat and yours are sister boats. Only 4 Vegas separate us. We are Vega #3228 and you are #3233. Like you, we have a Selden mast and boom with through the mast roller/mainsail furling. For its time you must admit this was top of the line. Selden is a wonderful company that has a world class website. The handle you describe on my boat has a red handle to set it apart from other winches. It has a crest and some lettering visible but I cannot honestly recall what it says. My vague recollection is that it is an initial and the letter may well be "S" in a crown shaped crest denoting Selden. There are three things I would do if I were in your place. (1.) I would contact Selden (asap) which is famous for service and quality. (I bet a cup of coffee they answer your call). They are the mast of Choice for the Nautor Swan super luxury line of boats from Finland for example. (2.) I would contact Steve Birch on the Vega Britain website who always seems to have a kind idea or a source to go to for a part. (3.) Lastly, you could get in touch with Mr. Gustafson in Sweden at the Vega Parts place. I have seen this handle in an old catalog fron the late 80's. I bet you do ok on this, Dave. I was thinking that temporarily you might Rube Goldberg something by starting with a heavy ratchet handle, attaching an inexpensive extension, to which is attached a socket into which was flush welded a square bolt head that could adequately turn the system until we locate you the real McCoy. Once you get a replacement the socket could be an emergency substitute. I share your pain. I was heartbroken when some numb nut ran into our boat at its mooring last year. It's feels like you lost a piece of yourself, and you failed in your stewardship because you know you can't always come up with OEM on a classic no longer made. I hated to replace my Vega running lights because one was damaged beyond repair. Please let me know what Selden says. Selden has great new state of the art mainsail mast furling systems but Selden now states they work exclusively with boats which are 30' and up these days. Dave you I are in a more exclusive club than we ever knew. Good thing we don't have to replace the Selden mast and boom............Cheers and
Good luck............
Jim