Stripped Wench Base Screw

[fiatlux]

Greetings,

Somehow over the years one of the screws that hold our main sail wench to the hull has given way to stress. Our thought is to take the entire exterior of the wench to a machine shop and see if they can perform some magic to get a solid screw hole. Has anyone ever attempted to do this and if so was the outcome positive?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[kappykaplan]

Somehow over the years one of the screws that hold our main sail winch to the hull has given way to stress.

Do you have a photo or two you can share?

 

[Justin_NSA]

I want to see the stripped wench too!

 

[Justin_NSA]

You're sure it's not thru-bolted? That would be strange to just be screwed in.

 

[fiatlux]

I emailed my son for a photo...

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I emailed my son for a photo...

Of the wench or the winch? The former might be more entertaining.

 

[jssailem]

Somehow over the years one of the screws that hold our main sail wench to the hull has given way to stress….. take the entire exterior of the wench to a machine shop … see if they can perform some magic to get a solid screw hole. Has anyone ever attempted to do this and if so was the outcome positive?

I want to believe this is a sailboat question. It just had me laughing, and hopeful for a positive outcome.

Now I understand there are going to be pictures.

 

[rgranger]

No one is going to rip on finding

“…a solid screw hole”. ?

 

[Belzoni]

I recently replaced the primary winch (starboard coach top) on my Vision 32. These are through-bolted and you can access the nuts & washers from inside the head. They're behind/above a light fixture and the instruments panel.



With those two panels removed, you'll see the nuts and washers that hold the winch down.



Shouldn't require service of a machine shop - just need to wrestle out the screw(s) and replace them. BTW: You can see that the washers here are rather light and have deformed a bit. That's likely to result in loosening of the winch (loose wenches are in a completely different forum) over time. You'd do well to replace with heavy duty washers or multiples of the normal kind. Also, there was a lot of squeeze-out of some kind of white bonding compound from the factory. That stuff presented an uneven surface for the washer and nut to press against. I used a dremel to cut and grind away excess, leaving me a flat face for better seating of my new washers.

FWIW, I upgraded to a Selden 40e, which required some cutting of the ceiling in the head to accommodate the motor. I will eventually make a wooden wedge to enclose this. I'll ditch that old dome light and replace with some other, small fixture once I've made the new enclosure.