Winch Installation on Mast

[dkyvars]

We recently bought a Catalina and have been making several improvements. We would like to add a small winch to the mast to aid in hoisting the main. We need to buy a pad for the mast that's shaped to conform to the curvature. Where can you purchase this item?

[skipmac]

Might be easiest to just make a pad out of a small piece of teak.

[Delancey]

Are you in a hurry. I will be dismounting my mast winches in favor of installing a set of halyard winches back in the cockpit. When I do so I will have a set of winch bases I can just give you.

They are Hat-Shaped and fastened to my mast with rivets. I have the halyard winches on hand but it might be a couple months before I get around to it. They're yours if you want them when I do.

[Jim Cate]

So, what size Catalina are we talking about here? If it has no halyard winch, I suspect it might be a 22, and Delancy's kindly offered bases might be a tad too big for that small mast.

And FWIW, many years ago when I had a C-22, I put a halyard winch on the cabin top and a small block at the base of the mast to turn the halyard. Means you don't have to go forward to hoist the main and removes the need for the fitted winch base. With a couple of cam cleats or sheet stoppers you can use the same winch for the jib as well.

Cheers,

Jim

[Delancey]

Jim's probably right about the size.

For what it's worth, here's a photo that might give you inspiration if you chose not to follow his recommendation of mounting a multipurpose winch on the deck.

It's a simple shape break-formed from 3/16" aluminum plate with black anodizing. That's for my forty foot boat. If your boat is smaller, you could likely go down in thickness.

Cheers

[dkyvars]

Thanks for the prompt replies. The Catalina is a 22 and placing the winch on the cabin roof sounds like the simplest solution...what size block do I need and how far down on the mast is it installed?

[Delancey]

My understanding is that if you use too small of a block, or too small of a shackle, or too small of a pad-eye, or too small of size of fasteners, or not use a backing plate where required, you may end up breaking something.

If it happens, it will happen out there, because that's where things happen.

Or in other words, as a starting point consider looking at other boats of similar size for comparable installations and pay attention to how lines are lead and connections are made.

For example, if you do a search for other boats like yours for sale, you may find maybe brokerage/for-sale-add photos that show you how others with the same boat have done their rigging and get a sense of the proper size for things before you go out there.

Barring that, you could search something like "Main Halyard Load Calculator" and get a real number to work off of.

Best of luck with your project! Cheers

[DeepFrz]

Perhaps you could talk to a local rigger and get some advice on the proper way to do it.

[Delancey]

Always sound advice!

[Jim Cate]

Well, don't overengineer this pretty simple task!

Mount the winch in a convenient spot beside the companionway. Put a backing plate on the inside to spread the load. IIRC, I used some 1/4 " aluminum that I had around.j Be sure to seal the bolt holes well with either butyl tape or some form of sealant like Sika 291 or Lifecaulk. I don't recall if the cabin top is cored in that area (or at all... I sold that boat in 1978), but if it is, read up on how to remove some core around the bolt holes and replace with epoxy and West 403 or such. This is to keep the bolt clamping force from crushing the core and deforming the GRP.

Again IIRC I mounted the turning block to the cabin top using a big saddle and a backing plate inside. The block was one with a half ton or so SWL, and that is overkill IMO. You could mount the block to the mast, but I think it is harder to get a suitably strong attachment there. Some sort of hound like for a dinghy forestay would do... Ronstan has some such in their catalog, as do other suppliers.

I've probably got some photos back in California... they might as well be on the moon!

Good luck with your project. It was quite worthwhile for us.

Jim