Sooo many winches

[dmksails]

Getting used to my Tashiba-31. She has 4 winches on the mast, 4 on the cabin roof and 2 large winches in the cockpit.

The cockpit winches should be for jib sheets. Cabin roof winches would be for halyards ( she's a cutter)

What would the 4 winches on the mast be used for? Could you give me ideas by winch location?

Port upper?
Port lower?
Stbd?
mast back?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by dmksails

Getting used to my Tashiba-31. She has 4 winches on the mast, 4 on the cabin roof and 2 large winches in the cockpit.

The cockpit winches should be for jib sheets. Cabin roof winches would be for halyards ( she's a cutter)

What would the 4 winches on the mast be used for? Could you give me ideas by winch location?

Port upper?
Port lower?
Stbd?
mast back?

The mast winches are for halyards, of course, and the one on the aft side of the mast is for the reefing outhauls. This arrangement was the standard for many years. Nowadays the fad is to run those lines back to the cockpit, so that sailors don't need to go on deck for mainsail work. There are good things about both systms, and lots of arguments about which is better.

FWIW, I prefer having it all at the mast...

Jim

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by dmksails

Getting used to my Tashiba-31. She has 4 winches on the mast, 4 on the cabin roof and 2 large winches in the cockpit.

The cockpit winches should be for jib sheets. Yep
Cabin roof winches would be for halyards ( she's a cutter)
- 2 for Staysail Sheets
- 2 for: Spin Halyard(s), or Tight Sheeting Angle Jib Sheets (like a #3 or #4, or "Other" such as(possibly even for weighing a rope anchor rode from the cockpit

What would the 4 winches on the mast be used for? Could you give me ideas by winch location?

Port upper? Staysail Halyard
Port lower? Jib Halyard
Stbd? Main Halyard
mast back? Reefing; Tacks, & Clews

The "spares" on the cabin top could also be from when a previous owner tried leading all of the halyards back to the cockpit, up to & including the reefing lines. There may be some filled in holes in the deck from where hardware was mounted that'll give you more clues.
And even on a boat as small as that, people will do some funky things, like dedicating winches to roller furling control lines. Again, look for signs of where hardware's been previously mounted, along with where fairly led lines to said winches would meet up with something they might be used to control. AKA sleuth.

[Alan Mighty]

+1 for Uncivilized's diagnosis.

By tradition, the mainsail halyard is to starboard on the mast. That's based on the idea that you will reef the main on starboard tack to take advantage of the preferred status of starboard tack under ColRegs.

You should be able to confirm the functions of the winches on the mast on port and stbd sides by inspection of the sheaves at the masthead (and wherever the sheave for the staysail halyard is located).

Does your Tashiba have any reefing winches on the boom? If so winches on both sides or only on stbd? How are the reefing pendants led?

How is the mainsail outhaul led? To where?

[JPA Cate]

dmk, maybe post a picture of the top of your deck house and side decks....I'm sure we'll all be glad to help you sleuthing.

Ann

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

dmk, maybe post a picture of the top of your deck house and side decks....I'm sure we'll all be glad to help you sleuthing.

Ann

Good point Ann.
To add to it, a few snaps of; the foredeck, both ends of the boom, & telephoto shots of the masthead from below, as well as at a distance in front of the boat, & off to the side, would help too. We're trying to see your mashead sheaves & blocks via these ones. To thus deduce what sails she's set up for, & how halyards are, or may have been, rigged. Ditto the boom ends, & various possible reefing setups; now & in the past.

A list of your sails might help as well.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

By tradition, the mainsail halyard is to starboard on the mast. That's based on the idea that you will reef the main on starboard tack to take advantage of the preferred status of starboard tack under ColRegs.

Crikey, that's subtle! Would never have picked that logic in a million years.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by dmksails

Getting used to my Tashiba-31. She has 4 winches on the mast, 4 on the cabin roof and 2 large winches in the cockpit.

The cockpit winches should be for jib sheets. Cabin roof winches would be for halyards ( she's a cutter)

What would the 4 winches on the mast be used for? Could you give me ideas by winch location?

Port upper?
Port lower?
Stbd?
mast back?

Guys, I think that you are overthinking this query. The OP notes that the cabin roof winches ARE set up for the halyards. I think some PO has made the change to lead them there and abandoned the mast winches (silly bugger IMO). May also include the reefing lines... not much sense in having the halyards lead back without also doing the reefers!

And this is a simple cruising boat, not a sophsticated racer, so inboard sheeting and tweaker lines are likely not in the picture.

Jim

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by dmksails

What would the 4 winches on the mast be used for? Could you give me ideas by winch location?

Port upper?
Port lower?
Stbd?
mast back?

I agree a few more photos would help as it looks a bit busy even for an original mast setup

I guess they didn't believe in Jam Cleats, halyard stoppers and cleats

Above the Mast Back winch, is that a furled sail?

[noelex 77]

10 winches is a lot for a 31 foot boat, but I would see this as a good thing. The modern trend to use a lot clutches instead of winches is mostly about cost cutting. Winches are expensive, but having a dedicated winch for a line is generally a better solution.

Winches are complex, but with a little care they will outlive most of us. They tend to have a longer and more trouble free life than clutches and with larger boats many clutches are often undersized.

Just don't invite me around when it's service time for the winches

[Sandero]

Used for halyards... you likely need one on each side at most.... and add line stoppers

[Blue Stocking]

Those ( very expensive ) un-used turning blocks at the mast base, and the cheek block higher up tell me that some-one has tried various arrangements.

[Suijin]

Four winches at mast: main, jib, staysail halyards, reefing outhaul. Four winches at cabin: port/stbd staysail sheets, main sheet, downhaul (?). Cockpit: primaries.

Halyards at mast vs aft, pros and cons, cons particularly if you cannot complete reefing without going to mast. If you single hand a lot all led aft is great for 98% of sailing and sucks when things get rough and don't have single line reefing (which is sketchy itself)