Installing a Winch

[Julian Swindell]

Hi Sam. Thanks for all your responses on your fit out. I have actually just bought a Lewmar winch and a double jammer because I think your set up looks really solid. I'll have to eat humble pie over all my previous claims I would never use a winch. I was slightly put out that it came with absolutely zilch instructions on how to fit it, but I managed to open it up, find the screw holes and get it back together again with out losing any of the pawls or springs. Mine will be on the starboard side as I don't have a kite. I also see your point about the topping lift and I will fit one either this weekend, if I can find a suitable berth for lowering the mast, or over the winter. When does your sailing season end on Lake Superior? I'll be hauling out at the end of September which will be all too soon.

[Jim Levang]

Julian:

I think that most people would consider late September the end of our sailing season as well but we did a lovely trip in the Apostle Islands last year in mid October. I have very occasionally sailed in November and I remember sailing and skiing on the same weekend a number of years back. I think that it largely depends on how foolish you are as well as how much Scandinavian blood you have, and those two factors may be related (I am 1/2 Finnish and 1/2 Norwegian).

Jim Levang

[Sam Levang]

Julian, an unrelated question for you. Can you give me some more details about the mainsail cover SB put together for you? Currently we have no cover, which isn't an issue when the boat is stored in a garage but we are trying out the slip thing for the rest of the season. I am interested in a stack-pack type design like you have. I can't tell how yours is attached to the boom, looks to be something continuous along the length, then with a dart for the clew reef lines. Have you rigged the lazy jacks directly to the eyes in the cover? Any info is appreciated.

[Julian Swindell]

Hi Sam
The stack pack is a standard Swallowboats fitting now and I got it when I had to replace my lost mainsail and boom. It is fixed on using a plastic channel which is screwed the length of the boom, but stopping short of the reefing points at the boom end. The bag is U shaped in cross section, with a luff tape sewn along the bottom, which slides into the channel. At the reefing points the U splits open at the bottom so all the lines can pass up through it. I fix the lazy jacks to the eyelets in the bag, and I had been relying just on them as topping lifts. That was OK, but when puuled tight, the lazyjacks are quite close together and the sail doesn't drop freely. Yesterday I fitted a seperate topping lift and it makes a huge difference, as I think you know. The lazyjacks can now be slackened off as much as you like, and the sail drops between them. Having seen your video with the halyard winch I have copied your setup, almost exactly I think, and I am a complete convert to a halyard winch. I have never had the mainsail so flat or the rigging so taut. I would really recommend it. I will have to retract all I said above about muscle power and a handbilly being all you need.
 I also noted your furling drum for the mizzen, and I just tried wrapping a rope around the base of mine and giving it a yank to see what happened. It spun round and rolled up the sail! Furling the mizzen underway always used to be a real hassle and now it takes just about three seconds. So, many thanks for that idea. I think I need to come to Lake Superior and have a really good look at your boat.

[Julian Swindell]

Further to my winch conversion, below are two photos showing how I have rigged all the lines coming back to my cockpit, which might be of interest to other BayCruisers and maybe BRes. I spent all of Sunday morning rigging them in the marina, and all of Bank Holiday sailing around enjoying using them.

In the port photo, going out from the companion way, the lines are:
-Centreboard downhaul, rigged with a purchase and an automatic release cleat.
-Kicking strap (red cleat)
-Boom topping lift (Black cleat) Brand new fitting and really useful.
-Lazy jack line (green cleat) Pulls down a block at the front of the mast which pulls down the lazy jacks themselves
-Port jib sheet ( which has a cheek block to guide it under the spray hood)

In the starboard photo, going out from the companionway again:
-Centreboard uphaul, rigged with a purchase
-My lovely new winch (Lewmar no. 6)
-Through the double jammer, first he main halyard (yellow) and then the jib halyard (red and white)
-Then the starboard jib sheet
-Finally, you can just about make out in the bottom right the jib furling line, which runs outside the cockpit coaming.

I rigged a double-block deck organiser just behind where the centreboard up and down hauls come through the roof behind the mast. This allows them to be taken out to the deck organisers. This has a lot of friction, which is why I have rigged them with purchases. Originally they came straight back to cleats on the far side of the sprayhood, which wasn't great if the sprayhood was up.

[Knowlton]

Julian
Many thanks for posting the photos of your control line set-up. I have a BC20 on order and for folks like me such things are immensely helpful/interesting.
I am sure you will keep your deck organisers well lubricated. I failed to do so on my present boat and the (Dyneema) main halliard wore a flat on the sheave of the organiser which was then held in a position in which it could not rotate, with rapid deterioration (expensive!)

Paul

[Julian Swindell]

It has never crossed my mind to lubricate the organiser! Now you have got me worried. Also the owner of another BC20 told me that one of his organisers just pulled out of the deck, which is a bit worrying.
Have you got a delivery date for your boat? How many BC20s have been built?

[Knowlton]

Hi Julian
I don't know how many BC20s have been built since yours but I am hoping to see Matt N at the Southampton Boat Show and I will ask him.
I am attaching a couple of photos showing what happened to the sheave of my deck organiser when I failed to keep it lubricated. The plastic of the sheave had worn right down to the bare metal of the axle/spindle.

Paul

[Rob Waller]

I'm posting here to bring this topic back into play, as a lot of the posts are very relevant to the discussion we're having in the 'Newbie' thread.

It seems getting the sail all the way up is a common BRe problem. Last year Nick
Peters made a great effort on behalf of the yard to put it right, so they are aware. But it would be good to get a definitive view and perhaps an 'official' mod kit or even a recall. I'm reluctant to add yet more string to already festooned boat unless I'm really confident it will make a difference.

[David Hudson]

Hi Julian
I don't know how many BC20s have been built since yours but I am hoping to see Matt N at the Southampton Boat Show and I will ask him.
I am attaching a couple of photos showing what happened to the sheave of my deck organiser when I failed to keep it lubricated. The plastic of the sheave had worn right down to the bare metal of the axle/spindle.

Paul

The last time I fitted out a 20 footer, I looked at all the high load sheaves and the deck organisers came out on top. I spec'd Harkens but I suppose any unit with ball bearings would probably do the job.

Thank you for jogging my memory, I am in the middle of finalising my order spec!

[Jonathan Stuart]

Matt has now answered the point about raising the BRe's sail in another thread. Here's the link:

http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1008.msg6740.html#msg6740

[Peter Taylor]

The winch on my BC20 was installed to help raise the mast after going under a bridge. However I use it so much I'd find it hard to manage without it: raising the rudder (I'm too weak!), bringing down the asymmetric single handed (a couple of turns round it provides control in letting out the tack line and then the halyard), getting tension in the jib luff, and yes, tensioning the main halyard. For me it's a vital piece of equipment,

Peter