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Old 05-11-2016, 19:49   #1
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Winch cover useful?

Wondering if it is useful to cover my winch with a winch cover.

Is it worth spending money for a winch cover ?

Does it do anything ?

Thanks,

arch
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Old 05-11-2016, 20:14   #2
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Re: winch cover useful ???????

The only useful thing I can see winch covers doing is keeping sun off of any plastic parts. Otherwise,I think they are a waste of time and money. Winches are about the most durable items on any yacht. Mine are now 26 years old, the boat has been heavily used all her life and the winches (Barients for the most part) are fully functional... and they have never been covered. I believe this to be a common experience!

Much more important than covering is routine disassembly, cleaning and re-lubing. should be done annually or bi-annually IMO.

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Old 05-11-2016, 20:49   #3
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Re: winch cover useful ???????

Keeps the Suns harmful rays off the plastic as noted previously and acts as a dust jacket. I have a spare set of the self tailing jaws but I'd like to do what I can to preserve the originals.
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Old 05-11-2016, 20:49   #4
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Re: winch cover useful ???????

They help with keeping a winch's internals clean in dusty areas. Especially as in some of the trade winds belts, dust gets carried for thousands of miles to new continents by the prevailings.

Also, if they're lighter colored, they can help to keep darker hued winches cooler. And that helps to keep the winch lube from thinning out in the heat and melting out of the areas that need it.
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Old 06-11-2016, 06:58   #5
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Re: winch cover useful ???????

You can use old fender also. Cut them to length. Place them like a hat.
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Old 06-11-2016, 11:10   #6
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Re: winch cover useful ???????

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate View Post
The only useful thing I can see winch covers doing is keeping sun off of any plastic parts. Otherwise,I think they are a waste of time and money. Winches are about the most durable items on any yacht. Mine are now 26 years old, the boat has been heavily used all her life and the winches (Barients for the most part) are fully functional... and they have never been covered. I believe this to be a common experience!

Much more important than covering is routine disassembly, cleaning and re-lubing. should be done annually or bi-annually IMO.

Jim
We installed Harken primaries about 5 years ago. We keep them covered when the boat is in the slip. They look brand new. I have seen many examples of winches with composite components that deteriorate rapidly with UV exposure.

If the winch is all metal (bronze or chrome plate bronze) the only real benefit is keeping dust out as others have mentioned.

Never seal any metal parts, including winches, masts, etc. in plastic wrap. I see this all the time, and it just seals in moisture and promotes corrosion. Any cover should be similar to a sail cover, keeps rain and settling airborne grit off, but breathes, and allows any moisture to drain away / evapourate, without condensing inside the plastic covering again.
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Old 06-11-2016, 11:24   #7
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Re: Winch cover useful?

the ones that used to be on this boat flew off in a storm on san diego bay one winter.
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Old 06-11-2016, 12:58   #8
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Re: Winch cover useful?

As far as covers "keeping dust out", I have my doubts! The typical cover has only a band of elastic that grabs the winch roughly in the center of the drum. The skirt,if it comes all the way to the deck,and many do not, is loose. The place where the dust might enter the mechanism is at the gap between the bottom of the drum and the deck. If the wind is strong enough to blow dust around, it is strong enough to get it right under the loose end of the cover and into the winch...

But, as I said, it really does not seem to be a practical issue. Winches don't often wear out from internal abrasion. Poor maintenance allows the pawls to stick partly home into their receiving grooves (or whatever you would call that spot), and that overloads the contact area and eventually the pawls get sloppy. That is hard to fix. The chrome or anodizing wears off of the drum, very rarely there will be galling or other distortions in the areas where the needle bearings contact the drum or spindle, usually due to overloading... but not so much general wear from abrasion, at least in my experience.

So, IMO, with the noted exception of protecting plastic parts (which IMO should not be on a deck winch), I still believe that covers on winches are not very useful... about like the covers some folks put over stainless steel wheels!

But, if you like how they look... why not?

Jim
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Old 06-11-2016, 13:08   #9
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Re: Winch cover useful?

My ol' original bronze ones don't really need them except that without them, when they get hot in the sun, they probably lose more of their grease that way.
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Old 06-11-2016, 13:19   #10
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Re: Winch cover useful?

I have several unused winch covers... I do use one to cover my compass. I use my wheel/binnacle cover to store a small inflatable raft.
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Old 06-11-2016, 14:28   #11
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Re: Winch cover useful?

I have two Lewmar single speed winches and I inherited covers. I have never used them in the seven years I've had the boat. These are original winches from when the boat was built in 1979. Perhaps prior owners have used them but they weren't anywhere near the winches when I bought the boat. There are no plastic parts in these winches. They and the ones on the mast work fine. So I'm not convinced that covers accomplish anything worthwhile. But no self-tailing or speeds, etc.
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Old 06-11-2016, 14:58   #12
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Re: Winch cover useful?

I think keeping the dust off is a valid use in the areas that Uncivilized noted. From long ago I always thought the main reason for winch covers was to reduce the water flowing into the winch that removes grease. Can't say I have any proof that they actually accomplish this - just an old wives tale that may or may not be true.
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Old 06-11-2016, 15:58   #13
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Re: Winch cover useful?

Plastic selftailer jaws. I didn't make em' that way, but there you have it.

The rainwater thing probably cuts both ways; if they're saltwater-drenched a good rainwater rinse probably helps.
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Old 06-11-2016, 16:01   #14
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Re: Winch cover useful?

Here in the Canaries we often get sand clouds coming in from Sahara.
I am of the opinion they do a good job keeping most of it out.
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Old 06-11-2016, 16:05   #15
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Re: Winch cover useful?

I was just reading the Hudson Force had a frog in his winch once. Perhaps keeping the frogs out is the real value of a winch cover
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