Do "Winchers" work

[NateHanson]

Anyone try the cheapo Self-tailing rubber mods?

Has anyone tried those little rubber cuff things you can put on the top of a winch to supposedly make it work a little like a self tailing winch?

I can't imagine they work, but wouldn't it be nice if they did? Anyone have an experience to share?

 

[Graham Cole]

I tried 'em. Think they were called the wincher. junk.

 

[Emerald]

Well, it wouldn't be any fun if you didn't get contrasting emails

I had them (Winchers) on my E-27, and for the loads involved in most sailing they were OK. Certainly not as good as true self tailing winches, but for 15 bucks, I found them worthwhile. I would say it took a learning curve in that they worked best when I allowed the sheet to take more wraps than I would have expected and bunch up a bit on it. My first inclination was to try to keep the sheets from bunching under them, but that turned out to be what was necessary to make them work.


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

 

[NateHanson]

Cool. Good to hear both sides. I'll probably hold off for now, to see how troublesome it is not to have self-tailers on the primaries, and then decide whether to cheap it with these, or bite the bullet and get new ones.

Thanks

 

[escapade]

yup!

I concur w/David. They ain't self-tailers and never will be but if you load them up w/wraps they will work. Helpful if singlehanding/shorthanded in that you don't have to tail and if you don't want to take advantage of them just put 3 wraps on the winch. Are they worth the $15-20, yea. Are they a replacement for self-tailers, no. Just my $.02 worth.
Have fun & sail fast
Bud E34 "Escapade"

 

[rgoff]

I put them on my E27 last year, but haven't used them a lot yet.

First of all, they were dern hard to get on! I almost gave up. I used their tip of heating them in hot water to finally do it.

You do have to put enough turns on the drum to fill it up so that the top turn reaches the ribbed bottom of the rubber, but it did hold in the few times I tried it.

A BIG difference in price between these and real self-tailers, so the results couldn't be expected to be the same. However, since I've never used self-tailers, the Winchers seemed to have some advantages over a plain winch.

 

[NateHanson]

I assume you have to cleat the line when you're not handling. You can leave a jibsheet in a self-tailer without cleating, but I'm guessing these aren't that secure?

 

[Emerald]

There is a recess in the top so that you can wrap a line around like you would want to do on a true self-tailer, but I still cleated mine off when not actually using the winch.


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

 

[hcpookie]

There was an article in Good Old Boat or Sail last month that recommended these for short-handed sails, and they reached the same conclusion as here - that the big "gotcha" was wrapping enough turns to seat the line and they were a good cheap alternative. FWIW.

 

[escapade]

cleating

I found that they worked fine to cleat the line off. As a matter of fact that how I used them most often. Never used the cleat after installation. FWIW
Have fun & sail fast
Bud E34 "Escapade"

 

[u079721]

Sort of a pain

I had these "winchers" on my 23 foot Precision, and while they do work, just like everyone else says, you have to wrap the drum full first. In my case wrapping the drum full was such a pain that I never bothered (which may have something to do with the comparative size of the winches and the sheets). But they are cheap enough to be a reasonable experiment.

I second the suggestion of putting them in boiling water first to soften them up before trying to mount them.

 

[Gumdoc]

I have a pair of Barlow 20's, probably original to my '72 Ericson 32 just abeam to the wheel. They are single speed simple winches that I use on the jib sheets when single handling Zealous. Nothing fancy, just winches. I have a jamb cleat that I use next to each. If I had the bucks, hey if I were still working, I might consider two speed self tailing winches, that I have forward in the cockpit for when I have a crew (anyone else). My question is, has anyone had success with "Winchers". They fit over a winch to make it self tailing. They are only fifty bucks a pair. The West Marine catalog says in the review say they aren't the best for sheets. That's how I would be using them, pulling on a 135 Genoa in S.F. Bay. Any inputs? Thanks

 

[tripper_dave]

I had them on my previous boat, a Catalina 27 and was very satisfied. They did the job provided you had 4 or 5 wraps on the drum. They allowed me to single-hand much easier. My race srew, however, hated them. So I don't know that I will install them on my


Dave Robinson
Dragonfly
1978 Ericson 30-2 #25
QCYC, Toronto

"Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk".
-Sir Francis Chichester while loading his boat with gin.

 

[Tom Metzger]

They worked well on my previous boat with Lewmar 25s. I bought them about thirty years ago so they may have changed since then. I know I have.

 

[Loren Beach]

Same sort of thread

I decided to merge this with a prior thread that was covering pretty much the same territory.
LB

 

[Mark F]

Good move Loren

 

[Gumdoc]

Thanks Loren. I got all the information I needed....and all in less than 24 hours. Thank you everyone.

 

[steven]

Had them on my former Hunter 27. Found them very useful. Was ok with 2 wraps and sheet held fine in the top part (except in heavy air - then would need a third wrap anyway to get enough purchase and to be safe also ran the sheet to a cleat).

Got them on with soap and water.


--Steve