[Public-List] Wire reel winch - information needed

[David Tessier]

     Thanks all.  It was with some trepidation that I posed my query for information on my wire reel winch.  The resulting responses spot on my question (albeit one conditional on my making a pulic confession!), the commendable restraint shown in pointing out dangers of wire reel winches, and the useful reminder of using a Handy Billy (presumably with a rope or rope/wire halyard) instead of a winch, are a telling tribute to the experience, maturity and eccentricity of our group.
1) Information received on wire reel winches
     Larry#501: How can I not accept your promising offer, though conditional, of assistance? I may contact you off line.  In the meantime, and by way of confession, and just between us (I especially want to keep Don Campbell out of the loop on this one.), I'd like to remove my wire halyard from the winch drum briefly in order to re-route it foreward of the spreader.  Pretty bland story and not spiced up much by the fact that I noticed this mis-routing whilst putting in a reefing on Georgian Bay. 
     John Boor, MAHSEER #380: Thanks for the information.  I will wind the wire off of my winch and see whether I can figure out how it is attached.  And perhaps consult you if I get stuck
 
2) Danger of rotating winch handle
     I got a slap on the arm in May last year while delivering our A30 from Fairport Harbor Ohio to Georgian Bay; a bruise but no broken bones or skin.  I have tried to be cautious since.  Good idea to remove the handle when not in use.  I apply some clockwise strain on the handle before releasing the brake. I find letting out the halyard a little at a time while flaking the mainsail rather tricky.
      Richard Henderson in his book "Singlehanded Sailing" shows a wheel handle for wire winches which eliminates the danger of being hit by a handle; but it would add weight, windage and something for lines to get stuck on.  Nonetheless I may rig one of these up as a matter of safety.
 
3) Elimination of winch for mainsail halyard & Handy Billy
     I was familliar with the Handy Billy but not with the idea of linking it to the halyard by means of a ring through thalyard.  Thanks for the tip. I had been thinking of using a rolling hitch or some sort of clam or cam cleat on the end of the Handy Billy.
     In contrast with wire winches, my understanding is that raising sail with a rope or wire-rope halyard is done manually (and quickly) with the winch used only for the final tightening of the luff.  Have I got this right?  This would be especially easy with a "slippery" plactic strong track such as I have on TROIS BOULEAUX #319. With my "slippery" mainsail track and a low stretch rope halyard, very little pull length might be needed to tension the luff so other simple means of getting mechanical advantage might work... 
   I recall that Hiscock, in one of his books, describes raising the mainsail manually, cleating off the halyard and then tightening the luff by pulling down on a sliding gooseneck, e.g., with a small tackle. I no longer have this option as I have just installed a fixed gooseneck using a custom mast fitting (through bolted with 1/4" machine screws to nylok nuts welded to two backing plates!) made for me by Garhauer. Compromises, compromises.
 
4) Note on use of wire winch
     I realized early on that since a wire winch is used to wind in the halyard as the sail is hoisted all the way up its track, any interference on the way up is sensed through the mechanical advantage (actually disadvantage as far as sensing an obstacle goes) of the winch.  So I take care to investigate any increase in force needed to turn the winch handle, e.g., due to a mis-routed halyard as confessed above, lest I wreck something.
 
Cheers and many thanks,
David
Trois Bouleaux #319,


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