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03-03-2021, 13:59
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 29
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How many winches is enough?
I'm fresher than a newbie. Just started looking into sailboats for a possible retirement thingy. I keep seeing sailboats with 2 to 4 or even more winches. How many do I actually need? Is it solely dependent on number of sails?
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03-03-2021, 14:09
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Somewhere in French Polynesia
Boat: Dean 440 13.4m catamaran
Posts: 2,333
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Re: How many winches is enough?
it is dependent on how the boat is set up
older boats tend to have lots of winches...basically each winch doing a single task
newer boats have capitalised upon better fittings and design to lead multiple tasks to a small number of common winch/s
for my money this is a better system as winches need maintenance, cost money and are heavy. on the other hand spare winches add redundancy...
the only important thing is to ensure the layout works efficiently
cheers,
__________________
"home is where the anchor drops"...living onboard in French Polynesia...maintaining social distancing
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03-03-2021, 14:12
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#3
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,362
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Re: How many winches is enough?
Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, floater.
EXACTLY 3 or 4.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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03-03-2021, 14:31
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 29
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Re: How many winches is enough?
OK thanks for the replies. I was hoping the get away with the least amount possible.
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03-03-2021, 14:44
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: puɐןsuǝǝnb 'ʎɐʞɔɐɯ
Boat: Nantucket Island 33
Posts: 4,864
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Re: How many winches is enough?
rope clutches are your friend!
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03-03-2021, 16:37
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Lake City MN
Boat: C&C 27 Mk III
Posts: 2,647
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Re: How many winches is enough?
I have 8
Two on the mast which I don’t use since I run lines to 2 on the cabin top
2 for running lines
And 2 that just sit as spares or can use for a spin Omer.
So mostly just 4 are used
__________________
Special knowledge can be a terrible disadvantage if it leads you too far along a path that you cannot explain anymore.
Frank Herbert 'Dune'
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03-03-2021, 16:51
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#7
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cruiser
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 333
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Re: How many winches is enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by floater88
OK thanks for the replies. I was hoping the get away with the least amount possible.
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In that case consider a kite sail...only one winch needed. We're also considering that. Less work too.
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03-03-2021, 17:04
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 2,714
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Re: How many winches is enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Ess
In that case consider a kite sail...only one winch needed. We're also considering that. Less work too.
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What type of boat do you own that you are considering a kite sail for? This thread is listed under Monohull Sailboats. Are you suggesting that the mast be removed and go with a kite sail instead?
__________________
_______________________________________
Cruising our 36-foot trawler from California to Florida
Join our Instagram page @MVWeebles to follow along
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03-03-2021, 18:31
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#9
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cruiser
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 333
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Re: How many winches is enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mvweebles
What type of boat do you own that you are considering a kite sail for? This thread is listed under Monohull Sailboats. Are you suggesting that the mast be removed and go with a kite sail instead?
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To me any monohull boat that has a kite sail, along with or without other sails, is a sailboat. And my suggestion meant only.one winch. But if that was not really your point, no problem.
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04-03-2021, 10:06
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Guilford, CT
Boat: Bristol 35.5 1978
Posts: 747
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Re: How many winches is enough?
Floater88: assuming you are buying used, so would keep the winches as is until you've sailed the boat you buy for a bit before make changes that may include winches. I have 4 at the mast (3 lewmar 16's + 1 Lewmar 8) and 4 in the cockpit, all Lewmars (2 44ST, 1 40ST, and 1 40). Use 1 at a time at the mast. Most I've ever used at once in the cockpit was 3. They are "bullet-proof", 43 yrs old, easy to clean and re-build. Stinkin' heavy as noted earlier. enjoy your search for a boat.
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04-03-2021, 10:09
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 12
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Re: How many winches is enough?
I've seen older yachts with winches all over them like warts....and I've seen a 100' Wally with only 2 (gigantic) winches. Hydraulic and electric furling does a lot of the work in the latter case.
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04-03-2021, 10:51
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Boat in Greece
Boat: Lagoon 400
Posts: 1,432
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Re: How many winches is enough?
There is no simple answer, only guidelines.
All depends on the running rig setup.
What you need to ensure is that every line that needs power enhancement when deployed, has a winch that the line gets to.
The other consideration is that if you want to work with more than one line at the same time each line has its free winch for use, i.e. you do nit have to free one of the lines while the other line is waiting because of lack of free winch.
For instance, if you intend to use spinnaker or gennaker, you may want additional pair of winches, although you may manage with the genoa winches for this.
Go onboard, check the paths of all lines, or better, sail the boat and see how the sails are operated. Ensure that the lines have easy access to the winches and that operations are streamlined.
Some modern boats have less winches than they properly should, not because of weight considerations but because of cost saving.
__________________
Mark, S/Y Bat-Yam
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04-03-2021, 12:58
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 155
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Re: How many winches is enough?
Just one comment out of experience : if You have a furling jib, and You want to roll it in in a gale, be sure to have the sheet on one winch and another to winch the furling line in - bit by bit - slack the sheet a bit, roll it in a bit. Because if You slack the sheet at once to do the roling in, the fluttering sail will be to haevy to roll in, and it will induce such a violent movement in the loose sheet, capable to destroy everything in its way including even Your hand and arm. Happend to me in the middle of the South-Atlantic, destroeyd a good part of the handrail, and ripped the sheethorn of the jib. And we had only one jib !!! The jib finnaly roled in but without its sheet it fluttered so violently that we had to take it down before the forestay would brake taking the mast down. We spent the whole next day stiching and gluing the sheethorn on again. Fortunatly it holded on, taking care not to stress it to much, until we reaches South Africa.
Capt. Claus - ocean tramp of the eighties
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04-03-2021, 13:53
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#14
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cruiser
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 333
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Re: How many winches is enough?
Quote:
Originally Posted by clakiep
Just one comment out of experience : if You have a furling jib, and You want to roll it in in a gale, be sure to have the sheet on one winch and another to winch the furling line in - bit by bit - slack the sheet a bit, roll it in a bit. Because if You slack the sheet at once to do the roling in, the fluttering sail will be to haevy to roll in, and it will induce such a violent movement in the loose sheet, capable to destroy everything in its way including even Your hand and arm. Happend to me in the middle of the South-Atlantic, destroeyd a good part of the handrail, and ripped the sheethorn of the jib. And we had only one jib !!! The jib finnaly roled in but without its sheet it fluttered so violently that we had to take it down before the forestay would brake taking the mast down. We spent the whole next day stiching and gluing the sheethorn on again. Fortunatly it holded on, taking care not to stress it to much, until we reaches South Africa.
Capt. Claus - ocean tramp of the eighties
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The guys with the junk rigged sails say they avoid all that by just yanking one line and it all falls down into its jacks. They have a lot of other benefits too.
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04-03-2021, 14:19
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#15
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, in Tasmania, Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,524
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Re: How many winches is enough?
I don't agree with Gord, which is unusual, but does happen.
As a minimum, I say you need 6: 2 on the mast, for the halyards, and 4 in the cockpit, 2 primary winches and 2 secondary ones. In addition, our boat has two more, under the dodger, and led through sheet stoppers, for the reefing lines and for moving the main sheet traveler.
And of course, there's the anchor windlass.
Ann
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Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
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