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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Two-speed winches

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/19/2002 : 17:57:14

Has anyone upgraded to 2-speed winches on their Catalina 25?

If so, what brand and size did you purchase. Are they adequate, underadequate or overkill?

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5932 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2002 : 09:09:40

I bought 2-speed Lewmar winches as an option when I bought my boat new. I don’t remember the size, and my boat is stored 50+ miles away for the winter, but the factory could tell you what size they installed. The size they used is just right for the boat. No matter which way you crank the winch handle, it pulls in the jibsheet. If you crank it one way, it pulls the sheet in fast, and the other way pulls it in slow, but with more mechanical advantage. I keep a cheap $12.00 winch handle in each cockpit pocket (beneath each winch), so that I never have to hunt for a winch handle, or transfer it from one side to the other after tacking. I could get along without them, but like them very much.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2002 : 11:59:17

I also upgraded to 2-speed Lewmars (and, like Steve, I don't know the size) - I bought the pair from a fellow racer for $150.00 (and then sold my original Lewmars to a C22 owner for $100.00). Especially in high winds they are a godsend and also help greatly when single-handing. If you intend to do any racing don't buy self-tailers.
Incidentally, with the larger winches I had to put 2 plastic risers under the cam cleats to get a fairlead from the winch.
Derek

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2002 : 12:18:47

I had 2 one speed and 2 two speeds on Wind Lass. Unless I was in very heavy air I never used them. Nice toy though,

Doug&Ruth
Boatless in Seattle
Tacoma Wa.

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osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2002 : 15:11:45

osmepneo came with 2 - 2 speed winches for the jib. Lewmar, i have no idea of size.

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2002 : 15:16:23

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I keep a cheap $12.00 winch handle in each cockpit pocket (beneath each winch)
we use the floating handles

so that I never have to hunt for a winch handle, or transfer it from one side to the other after tacking
ditto
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2002 : 15:22:18

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I bought the pair from a fellow racer for $150.00
You're killing me here Derek! Anymmore deals like that at Canyon Lake?

Especially in high winds they are a godsend
Exactly
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

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Ellis Bloomfield
1st Mate

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USA
85 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2002 : 22:23:52

I discovered something this summer which I'm sure many do but I haven't seen it mentioned in a post. I singlehanded most of the season and found that I could handle the jib lines much faster by throwing a single or double loop around the winch, pulling it in as I moved to the other side of the boat and then just wrapping it around the cleat and sinching it in by hand. If you pull back in the center of the sheet and then take up the slack in the wrap around the cleat (there is a name for this but I don't recall it) you can actually get more tension than with a winch, and accomplish the whole thing in less time than it takes to grab the winch handle. The winch rachet serves to hold the line while you sinch it in. I don't tie the line to the cleat, just wrap it a time or two around it and this and the tension on the opposite winch hold fine. I use the same technique when I've got a non-crew guest on board. It probably doesn't look very professonal but it sure is smooth. I use a handle to raise the jib and then put it down in the cabin.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2002 : 10:23:52

Ellis,<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>... handle the jib line [sheets] much faster by throwing a single or double loop around the winch, pulling it in as I moved to the other side of the boat and then just wrapping it around the cleat and sinching it in by hand. If you pull back in the center of the sheet and then take up the slack in the wrap ...<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>I have used a very similar technique which I believe is called "cross sheeting". I put the usual number of turns on the leeward winch, and then lead the tail to the windward winch where I also put on the appropriate number of turns. By tugging aft on the middle of the line between the winches, and then taking up the resulting slack by tailing the windward winch, I'm able to get quite a bit of tension on the jib sheet without having to move my weight "down" to the leeward side of the cockpit or use a winch handle. If I hold the (windward) tail in the same hand that is doing the tugging ("sweating"?), I can still steer with the other hand.

-- Leon Sisson

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LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2002 : 15:13:43

I'm amazed you guys don't know the size of your winches. (Sounds kind of funny, though, doesn't it?) Anyway, the Leigh-Marie came with a single speed Lewmar 7 on the mast for the jib, and two double speed Lewmar 16's for the jibsheets. I did put on cam cleats with a 1" riser just aft of the the jibsheet winches, and for single handling it, the cam cleats are just the ticket! My winches are not self-tailing, and I came close to replacing them this past Spring, until I found out the price of new ones. It was somewhere around $450 each! I have to say, my old winches did just great this year, and despite my continual desire to have new things, the cost of $900 for new winches is even too much for me. I don't sail much in heavy air (yet!) and it was even rare when I had to break out the winch handles.

Dave & Sharon on "Leigh-Marie"
Hull #5128

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2002 : 16:10:30

"Even Chance" has Lewmar 16s as primary winches, but they are one speed. I didn't know there were two-speed L 16s. At any rate, I find it much easier and faster to pull the sheet in by hand until snug, and then grind to the proper trim. I also suspect it's hundreds of dollars cheaper.

Brooke

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2002 : 17:09:23

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
"Even Chance" has Lewmar 16s as primary winches, but they are one speed. I didn't know there were two-speed L 16s. At any rate, I find it much easier and faster to pull the sheet in by hand until snug, and then grind to the proper trim. I also suspect it's hundreds of dollars cheaper.

Brooke

Brooke, I wanted to replce my 2-spd 16's with 2-spd self-tailers nut Lewmar no-longer makes them.

Al
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

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