I pulled my old winches and line clutch (port side) due to some water penetration through the cabin top. All cabin-top hardware was installed on teak mounting plates. Failed sealant under the old, cracked teak plates was causing the leaks. As per recommendation received here, I plan on having new mounting plates made from G-10 (or similar material). I was okay reusing the old original Shaefer triple rope clutch, but I couldn't find a matching one for the starboard side. It was probably time for new ones anyway. I went with Garhauer 11-13s, which I'm very pleased with.
The part I'm scratching my head over is more the location and the shape of the new mounting plates. Like most of the later Bruce King designed Ericsons, my coach roof has a down-slope angle from both fore-to aft and from center-to-outboard. The teak mounting plates served, in part, to level the hardware on this sloping surface.
Here's the original configuration:
With the smallish Shaefer clutch, I thought the original positioning was fine. The Garhauer clutches are about 40% larger, though, so if I install them in the same positions, they only leaves 3 in between the clutch and winch. I'm thinking that's not enough spacing.
If I re-position the winch to the back of the cabin-top, I can get the spacing up to about 8 inches (the actual winch for this location is a 17-ST).
Enter the pros and cons..... Moving the winch means I'll have the always visible scars from filling the original 5 mounting holes. I might also have to make the winch pad higher as the aft position will cause it to sit lower than it is now. Keeping it forward is simpler, but I think 3 inches might be too cramped for working 3 lines around a winch. Either position is readily accessible through the headliner zipper below.
I have a similar situation on the starboard side . There was no rope clutch here to start, so I'll have to move the #18 winch inboard to get the alignment right, and aft to get the spacing. The cleat behind the #18 will likely go (is there any reason to keep the cleat once I put in a clutch?) The #10 winch and the forward cleat will likely stay where they are.
I'm curious what other have done.
How much spacing I should shoot for between clutch and winch?
How important it is to set the angles right on the mounting blocks?
What's the best way to patch the old holes to hide my re-working of the area?
Thanks....
The part I'm scratching my head over is more the location and the shape of the new mounting plates. Like most of the later Bruce King designed Ericsons, my coach roof has a down-slope angle from both fore-to aft and from center-to-outboard. The teak mounting plates served, in part, to level the hardware on this sloping surface.
Here's the original configuration:
With the smallish Shaefer clutch, I thought the original positioning was fine. The Garhauer clutches are about 40% larger, though, so if I install them in the same positions, they only leaves 3 in between the clutch and winch. I'm thinking that's not enough spacing.
If I re-position the winch to the back of the cabin-top, I can get the spacing up to about 8 inches (the actual winch for this location is a 17-ST).
Enter the pros and cons..... Moving the winch means I'll have the always visible scars from filling the original 5 mounting holes. I might also have to make the winch pad higher as the aft position will cause it to sit lower than it is now. Keeping it forward is simpler, but I think 3 inches might be too cramped for working 3 lines around a winch. Either position is readily accessible through the headliner zipper below.
I have a similar situation on the starboard side . There was no rope clutch here to start, so I'll have to move the #18 winch inboard to get the alignment right, and aft to get the spacing. The cleat behind the #18 will likely go (is there any reason to keep the cleat once I put in a clutch?) The #10 winch and the forward cleat will likely stay where they are.
I'm curious what other have done.
How much spacing I should shoot for between clutch and winch?
How important it is to set the angles right on the mounting blocks?
What's the best way to patch the old holes to hide my re-working of the area?
Thanks....
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