Hello all,
I'm wondering if anyone has ever had a chance to try one of the
electric power winch handles available. We were considering powered
winches for the primaries to make it easier for my wife to grind when
the air is heavy. Before committing the funds to those winches, we
want to find out some user experience with the powered winch
handles....
Can anyone comment?

thanks,
Richard Black
S/V Saeta

Richard,

Those things coat a small fortune (like th coat of a new working jib),
But Google around some and see if you can find the site where a felloe
took a cordless BIG-ASSED angle drill motor and made an adapter to use
that in stead for a nearly reasonable cost.
Good Hunting!
Matt Colie

Richard Black wrote:

Hello all,
I'm wondering if anyone has ever had a chance to try one of the
electric power winch handles available. We were considering powered
winches for the primaries to make it easier for my wife to grind when
the air is heavy. Before committing the funds to those winches, we
want to find out some user experience with the powered winch
handles....
Can anyone comment?

thanks,
Richard Black
S/V Saeta

The problem with electric winch handles is that you still have to hold onto
them. If your wife can't develope enough power to grind, how will she
develope the power to hold the electric handle? The only thing that an
electric handle solves is that it applies torque while you hold the handle
at the position which gives you the most mechanical advantage (eg: 3:00
and 9:00). You can do the same thing with a 2 speed winch by ratcheting
back and forth (say between 2:00 and 4:00).

You mention this will be used on the primaries. You might try puting your
wife at the helm while you grind.

David
S/V Nausicaa

napisal(a):
Hello all,
I'm wondering if anyone has ever had a chance to try one of the
electric power winch handles available. We were considering powered
winches for the primaries to make it easier for my wife to grind when
the air is heavy. Before committing the funds to those winches, we
want to find out some user experience with the powered winch
handles....
Can anyone comment?

How do such winches work at all? I've never seen one.
--
Samotnik
www.zagle.org.pl - rejsy morskie

Well, if you need to be in low gear, you can't really ratchet with a 2
speed, unless you have a ratcheting handle.

"dbraun" wrote in message
lkaboutboats.com...
The problem with electric winch handles is that you still have to hold
onto
them. If your wife can't develope enough power to grind, how will she
develope the power to hold the electric handle? The only thing that an
electric handle solves is that it applies torque while you hold the handle
at the position which gives you the most mechanical advantage (eg: 3:00
and 9:00). You can do the same thing with a 2 speed winch by ratcheting
back and forth (say between 2:00 and 4:00).

You mention this will be used on the primaries. You might try puting your
wife at the helm while you grind.

David
S/V Nausicaa

The handle can be longer, also she won't be be exerting the effort in holding
that is exerted in the pumping motion of operating the winch.

****************************

The problem with electric winch handles is that you still have to hold onto
them. If your wife can't develope enough power to grind, how will she
develope the power to hold the electric handle? The only thing that an
electric handle solves is that it applies torque while you hold the handle
at the position which gives you the most mechanical advantage (eg: 3:00
and 9:00). You can do the same thing with a 2 speed winch by ratcheting
back and forth (say between 2:00 and 4:00).

You mention this will be used on the primaries. You might try puting your
wife at the helm while you grind.

David
S/V Nausicaa

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

http://www.mytoolstore.com/milwauke/3109-24.html

Works like a charm. $350 +/- all up.






Fri, 24 Sep 2004 14:43:56 -0400, "dbraun"
wrote:

The problem with electric winch handles is that you still have to hold onto
them. If your wife can't develope enough power to grind, how will she
develope the power to hold the electric handle? The only thing that an
electric handle solves is that it applies torque while you hold the handle
at the position which gives you the most mechanical advantage (eg: 3:00
and 9:00). You can do the same thing with a 2 speed winch by ratcheting
back and forth (say between 2:00 and 4:00).

You mention this will be used on the primaries. You might try puting your
wife at the helm while you grind.

David
S/V Nausicaa

Hi all,
Interesting idea about using a power drill. Have you done it?

I suppose one could also try to find one of the old Barient racheting
handles. Or maybe take a very large rachet wrench and adapt it to the
winch socket. If that were possible, then one could make it as long
as needed to get the horsepower.

Sure I could crank while my wife steers, but then the autopilot almost
always steers anyway and the whole idea about making my wife
self-sufficient is so that I can get some solid sleep.

If money were no object, then self-powered winches (at the cost of a
small car) would be the solution. That may prove necessary, but I'd
like to see all the alternatives first. Thanks for the suggestions so
far. I'd like to hear more about the drill.

Richard Black

I use it to hoist a 500 sf main.

On 26 Sep 2004 13:45:40 -0700, (Richard Black)
wrote:

Hi all,
Interesting idea about using a power drill. Have you done it?

I suppose one could also try to find one of the old Barient racheting
handles. Or maybe take a very large rachet wrench and adapt it to the
winch socket. If that were possible, then one could make it as long
as needed to get the horsepower.

Sure I could crank while my wife steers, but then the autopilot almost
always steers anyway and the whole idea about making my wife
self-sufficient is so that I can get some solid sleep.

If money were no object, then self-powered winches (at the cost of a
small car) would be the solution. That may prove necessary, but I'd
like to see all the alternatives first. Thanks for the suggestions so
far. I'd like to hear more about the drill.

Richard Black

"Marc" wrote in message
...
I use it to hoist a 500 sf main.

On 26 Sep 2004 13:45:40 -0700, (Richard Black)
wrote:

Hi all,
Interesting idea about using a power drill. Have you done it?


Marc - do you have a lanyard or similar to take the torque reaction or do
you just hold the drill?

I have a 500+ square foot genoa on my catamaran - it's a pain to grind in
because the inner staysail means it takes forever to blow through and then
there is a lot of sheet to handle.

Having a good double handle winch handle helps a lot, but short tacking up a
channel is a real workout, with Andersen 46 self tailers.


--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)