Winchers

[Zen]

Winchers are rubber disks that fit over the top of your non-self-tailing winches to make them perform like self-tailers. Loading up the winch drums until the line contacts the underside of the Wincher creates friction which allows the line to self-tail. A rope groove holds line reasonably securely around the top of the winch. Practical Sailor Magazine suggests Winchers for halyard winches, but not sheet winches.

Anyone using/used these?

[oded kishony]

Hi Zen,

Good Old Boat has an article this month by Louk Wijsen on solo voyaging-they list 'Wincher Self Tailers' as one of a dozenor so item that you must have. They claim that it works.

Oded Kishony

[Zen]

Thanks, I'll check it out. One of the few things a saved for a quiet time read

[CapnK]

Zen,

I tried 'em on my old boat, didn't find that they made much of a difference for me. Nothing wrong with them, they just didn't really do much for me as far as saving time or effort. I traded them in and got a tiller extension. Now *that* was a good buy. :)

[Firesail]

Bought and used a set of these for three seasons. Didn't think they worked too well. Got a pair of self tailers at a consignment shop - best $300 I have spent on this old boat! ;D

[AllAboutMe]

Zen,
I have them on my Columbia 8.7 on the sheet winches and love 'em. I single hand alot, and it makes it quick and easy to secure the working sheet with out cleating it off. Need to buy new ones, these are 10 or 12 years old and going fast.
Larry Wilson

[Oldrig]

Zen,

I've got a pair of Winchers on my Cape Dory 25D, and I find them very helpful as I singlhand most of the time. But I think that's because I'm only using a working jib. It seems to me that when I upgrade to a genny, I'll probably have to rely on muscle, or get a set of self-tailing winches.

That's just a guess.

In any case, they're a lot cheaper than self-tailers. And they do work for my current suit of sails.

--Joe

[Fortis]

I have a pair on our cabin-top halyard winches...eh...good thing I got them cheap. They are kind of nice for reducing the amont of tug you need to give for tailing, but they do not turn the winch into a self tailer by any stretch of the imagination. The rope needs to have "fall room" immediatly after the winch as it is the weight of the rope tail that disengages the wound through rope from the rubber jaws (there is no stationary lug like on proper self tailers)...so if you do not have at 20inches or so of fall height for the rope and are using a decent weight of rope then these will be of no use to you.
It is for this reason, rather then their likelyhood of letting go that they are not recommended for sheet winches (which are normally mounted lower down).

You still MUST use rope clutches! Unlike self tailers, where you can sometimes just leave the rope sheeted ontot he winch jaws, this is a much less certain deal with these rubber add-ons. Always secure the rope!


Alex.

[s/v Faith]

Anyone using/used these?

  I had looked into them before I bought my self-tailers (which I have yet to mount.....) and found pretty much the same opinions expressed here.

  Couple things I got from a charter capt. friend of mine who uses them on his boat were that; they work great once you get used to them, and use a tugboat hitch when securing the line

  I have used this, and think it is the best thing since sliced bread!

  Give it a shot next time you go out.

[s/v Faith]

Here is another place to read about the tugboat hitch;

_{(also called the Lighterman's Hitch)}

Lighterman's Hitch
This knot is also referred to as a tugboat hitch. This knot is useful when taking a tow because it can be released under great tension. To form the lighterman's hitch, take a round turn on the post then pass a bight under the standing part. Drop the line over the top of the post as you take another turn on the post again. Once you have taken the turn, pass a bight under the standing part and drop it over the post. This can be repeated as often as required to prevent load slipping.

[Captain Smollett]

Kinda like a cleat hitch without the cleats...(it uses the standing part of the line for the 'horn' of the cleat).

Cool.

Grog for Craig.

[Fortis]

Also called a bargee's knot...if you search for it as such on google you ought to find a better diagram.