Anyone have any general comments about how well, or not, "The Wincher" works?
Any specific comments about using this product on a Maxwell 18 winch?

From my limited experience on friends boats, they are not really effective
as a 'Self tailer'. You generally still have to tail with your free hand.

However, the seem to work briefly for gripping the line until you get a
chance to cleat it. If there were some sort of stripper in this setup then
they might work for self tailing.

I have also observed that the rubber eventually deteriorated from long (I
don't know how long) exposure to the sun and weather.


--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I used one on a halyard winch on the mast, and found it to be a big
improvement.
You do have to flick a wrap off about every turn of the drum, but you are
able to crank continuously, as opposed to having to stop cranking so you can
grab higher on the tail.
"Baybyter" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any general comments about how well, or not, "The Wincher"
works?
Any specific comments about using this product on a Maxwell 18 winch?

They're different from a self-tailing winch, better in some respects and worse in
others. I used 'em for many years on the jibsheet winches of a 35' sloop and
might use them again.

They're faster to 'engage', as when tacking. Throw (in my case) three wraps on
the winch, haul by hand 'til the sail is loaded, put in the handle and you're
ready to haul. No need to take the final wrap over the splitter and around the
gripper. I got pretty good at short-tacking.
THey're lower in friction. In light weather, you can hand-trim longer than with
a self-tailer.
When hauling, you need to strip off the tail fairly constantly. You can't just
crank several feet. I'd generally crank with one hand and strip with the other.
If the load was heavy, i'd crank with both hands and stop and strip every 1/3
turn of the drum. For this reason, I wouldn't consider 'em for a halyard.

When easing sheets, it's about the same drill as a self-tailer- remove a wrap or
two, ease the sheet, then replace the wraps. Crank in a few clicks to seat the
sheet.

On rare occasions, they'd release without warning. THis was rare enough to be
only a minor nuisance. Only on rare occasions, like a heavy night offshore,
would I cleat the sheet.

On balance, if i needed to save a few hundred dollars per winch, i'd use 'em.

Incidentally, the Winchers I used were a snug fit on the drum below the top
flange of my winch drums. This is critical. They were a sloppy fit above the
flange. I cleaned them with alcohol and shot then full of silicone. This worked
fine.


Baybyter wrote:

Anyone have any general comments about how well, or not, "The Wincher" works?
Any specific comments about using this product on a Maxwell 18 winch?

They're different from a self-tailing winch, better in some respects and worse in
others. I used 'em for many years on the jibsheet winches of a 35' sloop and
might use them again.

They're faster to 'engage', as when tacking. Throw (in my case) three wraps on
the winch, haul by hand 'til the sail is loaded, put in the handle and you're
ready to haul. No need to take the final wrap over the splitter and around the
gripper. I got pretty good at short-tacking.
THey're lower in friction. In light weather, you can hand-trim longer than with
a self-tailer.
When hauling, you need to strip off the tail fairly constantly. You can't just
crank several feet. I'd generally crank with one hand and strip with the other.
If the load was heavy, i'd crank with both hands and stop and strip every 1/3
turn of the drum. For this reason, I wouldn't consider 'em for a halyard.

When easing sheets, it's about the same drill as a self-tailer- remove a wrap or
two, ease the sheet, then replace the wraps. Crank in a few clicks to seat the
sheet.

On rare occasions, they'd release without warning. THis was rare enough to be
only a minor nuisance. Only on rare occasions, like a heavy night offshore,
would I cleat the sheet.

On balance, if i needed to save a few hundred dollars per winch, i'd use 'em.

Incidentally, the Winchers I used were a snug fit on the drum below the top
flange of my winch drums. This is critical. They were a sloppy fit above the
flange. I cleaned them with alcohol and shot then full of silicone. This worked
fine.


Baybyter wrote:

Anyone have any general comments about how well, or not, "The Wincher" works?
Any specific comments about using this product on a Maxwell 18 winch?

Jim,
I agree w/ you say, but it worked very well for me on a halyard, by the
technique I mentioned. I cranked w/ 1 hand, and didn't have to stop cranking
to grab higher on the line as I had to before. Very handy.
Wonder if anyone else is looking at this thread now.

"Jim Conlin" wrote in message
...
They're different from a self-tailing winch, better in some respects and
worse in
others. I used 'em for many years on the jibsheet winches of a 35' sloop
and
might use them again.

They're faster to 'engage', as when tacking. Throw (in my case) three
wraps on
the winch, haul by hand 'til the sail is loaded, put in the handle and
you're
ready to haul. No need to take the final wrap over the splitter and
around the
gripper. I got pretty good at short-tacking.
THey're lower in friction. In light weather, you can hand-trim longer
than with
a self-tailer.
When hauling, you need to strip off the tail fairly constantly. You can't
just
crank several feet. I'd generally crank with one hand and strip with the
other.
If the load was heavy, i'd crank with both hands and stop and strip every
1/3
turn of the drum. For this reason, I wouldn't consider 'em for a halyard.

When easing sheets, it's about the same drill as a self-tailer- remove a
wrap or
two, ease the sheet, then replace the wraps. Crank in a few clicks to
seat the
sheet.

On rare occasions, they'd release without warning. THis was rare enough
to be
only a minor nuisance. Only on rare occasions, like a heavy night
offshore,
would I cleat the sheet.

On balance, if i needed to save a few hundred dollars per winch, i'd use
'em.

Incidentally, the Winchers I used were a snug fit on the drum below the
top
flange of my winch drums. This is critical. They were a sloppy fit above
the
flange. I cleaned them with alcohol and shot then full of silicone. This
worked
fine.


Baybyter wrote:

Anyone have any general comments about how well, or not, "The Wincher"
works?
Any specific comments about using this product on a Maxwell 18 winch?

Jim,
I agree w/ you say, but it worked very well for me on a halyard, by the
technique I mentioned. I cranked w/ 1 hand, and didn't have to stop cranking
to grab higher on the line as I had to before. Very handy.
Wonder if anyone else is looking at this thread now.

"Jim Conlin" wrote in message
...
They're different from a self-tailing winch, better in some respects and
worse in
others. I used 'em for many years on the jibsheet winches of a 35' sloop
and
might use them again.

They're faster to 'engage', as when tacking. Throw (in my case) three
wraps on
the winch, haul by hand 'til the sail is loaded, put in the handle and
you're
ready to haul. No need to take the final wrap over the splitter and
around the
gripper. I got pretty good at short-tacking.
THey're lower in friction. In light weather, you can hand-trim longer
than with
a self-tailer.
When hauling, you need to strip off the tail fairly constantly. You can't
just
crank several feet. I'd generally crank with one hand and strip with the
other.
If the load was heavy, i'd crank with both hands and stop and strip every
1/3
turn of the drum. For this reason, I wouldn't consider 'em for a halyard.

When easing sheets, it's about the same drill as a self-tailer- remove a
wrap or
two, ease the sheet, then replace the wraps. Crank in a few clicks to
seat the
sheet.

On rare occasions, they'd release without warning. THis was rare enough
to be
only a minor nuisance. Only on rare occasions, like a heavy night
offshore,
would I cleat the sheet.

On balance, if i needed to save a few hundred dollars per winch, i'd use
'em.

Incidentally, the Winchers I used were a snug fit on the drum below the
top
flange of my winch drums. This is critical. They were a sloppy fit above
the
flange. I cleaned them with alcohol and shot then full of silicone. This
worked
fine.


Baybyter wrote:

Anyone have any general comments about how well, or not, "The Wincher"
works?
Any specific comments about using this product on a Maxwell 18 winch?