Vision 32/36 Motorized Winch

[Rob Sherrill]

I was under the general impression that all Vision series Hunters had a motorized winch. Recently reading an owners review from a Vision 32 West coast owner I realized that all Visions didn't have the factory installed motorized winch.What a difference it makes..... My colleague from the West coast was about to trade in the Vision 32 for a boat that could be single handed. With the motorized version of the winch there is no need to trade. I looked up the boat specifications today and you need to go up to a 36' series to get the weight, width, or sail are to equal a Vision 32.I made several measurements and pictures of the motorized series of the Vision 32 and I believe that it would also work on the Vision 36. If any of you Vision owners are out there without a motorized winch email me and I will send you the details on what you can do to make the Vision a real dream to single handed sail.Let me know and the pictures are on the way. I am listed in the Owners section on this sight. Email me and my data will be out ASAP Rob Sherrill"Endless Adventure"Jacksonville, Florida

 

[Mike Webster]

Motorized Winch Not Necessary but Maybe Nice

Rob, I've owned my 89' Vision 32 since it was a year old in 90'. The 89' Vision didn't come with the motorized main halyard winch. I think they added that in 1990.At first, it was a real grind (literally) to raise the mainsail. I could only raise it about a third of the way by hand, and had to winch it the rest of the way up. The only fun I had with it was when a big friend would come onboard and I would bet him he couldn't raise the main by hand. No one ever did it on my boat.I don't know why it took so long to figure this out, but one day I went up to the mast and jumped the halyard from there Less than 20 seconds and the main was up. No fuss and pretty easy. I finally added a cam cleat on the mast just below where the main halyard exits the mast so I could cleat it off when alone. Then I would casually walk back to the cockpit and pull the tail of the halyard in. A couple raps on the winch, a couple cranks to tighten it up, and I was back on the helm. This is, of course, assuming you have an autopilot. The autopilot gives me the extra hand necessary to single hand the boat.I've never used the electric winch, so I don't have a comparison. But with the methode above, I would never consider adding the winch to my boat.Going forward is also assuming you are raising the sail in protected waters. It would be no fun to do it this way in large waves. I have had my boat on the Cheasapeake, the Atlantic, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and now Lake Lanier, and I always tried to raise sail before entering the big water. With the full batton main, its nice because you can motor upwind without flogging the sail to death.Anyway, this is just one persons opinion.

 

[Charles Richardson]

What kind of cam cleat did you install

Mike--the idea of a cam cleat at the mast is a good one, and a heckuva lot cheaper than an electric winch. What size/model did you use?

 

[Mike Webster]

Cam Cleat Instead of Motorized Winch

Hi Charles,I'll reply online for others benefit, but will follow up with more detail offline.I used a Harken Cam cleat, but others would probably work as well. The important thing is to get a cleat that opens easily as you push the line down into it. The ability of the cleat to open as you pull the line across it isn't really relevant here. With the weight of the main sail, its hard to get the halyard into the cleat while you're pulling down on the halyard. Instead, I get the main raised a far as possible and then push the line into the cleat. Maybe a metal, not plastic, clam cleat would even work better here.Anyway, good luck. I'll send another personal e-mail covering more detail.Mike