[Public-List] Winch for wire halyard

[David Tessier via Public-List]

Hi all. We are cruising the North Channel of Lake Huron. We had a fine sail to windward, long zigs and short zags, eastward from Bear Drop Harbour to Thomas Island anchorage. On arrival, I found that‎ the wire halyard winch was very very hard to turn CCW with its clutch open to lower the mainsail; fortunately, with more force than I like to apply to an old reliable friend like this winch, I got the mainsail down. The issue is clearly localized within the wire winch. My mental picture of how the clutch and other internals work is non existant. 

Can someone out there suggest what may be wrong, based on knowledge of these winches? I am inclined to take the winch apart and see the problem and perhaps make a fix. 

In addition to sailing on tomorrow under Genoa alone, I have options to improvise a mainsail halyard, including one which does not require me to go to the mast head as I had to do on Tuesday morning at Croker I (that is another story of the type Gord Laco tells so very well!). 

Thanks in advance for your help.
Cheers,
David Tessier, Waterloo ON Canada‎, #319