How to Repair a Winch While Sailing
Imagine, you're a day from landfall, cruising hard waters in your friend's 35-foot sloop, a good wind astern. The wind shifts. The jib luffs. Prepared to gybe, your buddy points the bowsprit across the wind; you let out the port jib sheet. Yet, when you grind the starboard sheet, nothing happens. The arm barely budges. What now? Chances are it's dirt trapped within the drum. Barring something worse, like a carbon fiber crack in the drum, the following are some steps you can take to repair your winch while sailing.
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Things You'll Need
- Clean rag
- Paper towels
- Light oil (WD-40)
- Grease
- Mineral oil
- Small can
- Small paintbrush
- Hot water
- Small sack
Instructions
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The Dirty Winch
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1
To disassemble the winch, unscrew the bottom of the winch handle socket, pull out the socket and lift the drum off. Remove the gears and bearings and stow everything in the sack.
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2
At your cleaning station, commence cleaning winch components, placing the smaller pieces in the can first; add the mineral spirits. Allow the components to soak.
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3
After soaking, take each component and, using the small brush, work away the old, dirty grease. Rinse them in hot water, removing the mineral spirits. Dry parts with clean rag.
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4
Replace the gears to their housing; observe that the pawls open and close with ease. Lubricate pawls, using light oil---do not grease. Then replace remaining components. Repack the winch drum with fresh grease.
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5
Slip the drum back into the winch housing and screw in the winch handle socket. Spin the shaft and gears to ensure that everything works.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Draw in sails and put the vessel under motor. If you must remain under sail while repairing the winch, let out the sail to reduce speed (and tension on the line) and then tie off the line to its cleat.
Prepare a secure spot below deck with all the cleaning supplies laid out, beforehand. Cleaning the winch is a messy process; you don't want to fumble about for supplies with caked grease on your hands.
As you remove the drum, watch out for the winch roller bearing cages. They might stick inside the drum and drop out. The winch assembly is amongst the most expensive basic equipment aboard and these parts do not float.
Even though the winch is commonsense in its assembly, take a good look at everything, especially washers and other small items, as you are taking it apart. If any complications arise, examine one of the other winches aboard for clues. There must not be any extra parts when you are done.
If you're a racer faced with a jammed winch, find a way to either jury-rig it or replace it with a less important winch from somewhere else aboard.
