Winch Bases

[Foster Price]

Hello Guys

I'm in the process of mounting some long overdue sheet winches to my 23' boat. The sails they will handle are pretty modest, 80 sqft in the jib, or 120 sqft in the genoa.

To get fair leads I need to place them outside the cockpit coaming, and I think the bases should be wooden. The coaming is a hollow plywood box aproximately 6" high by 2.5" wide with no access possible to the inside unless I cut a hole and fit an inspection hatch or something.

It has a solid teak capping that is beefy enough to take a bolt through it, and currently has the sheet cleats screwed to it.

The big problem is that I can only fasten down into a deck beam that is inaccessible from below - so no bolts can be used. I can also fasten athwartships through the top of the coaming and could use bolts here.

My question really is "how much and what sort of forces am I dealing with here". I know that the current cleats are only fastened with two 3" #14 screws, and they are fine.

I think I will make the base from a piece of hardwood about 10" long by 4 3/4" wide and about 1 3/16" thick. It seems to me that three 5/16" bolts through the coaming should do it but am I being optimistic??

Regards Foster

[This message has been edited by Foster Price (edited 11-15-2001).]

[Classic Boatworks - Maine]

"I think I will make the base from a piece of hardwood about 10" long by 4 3/4" wide and about 1 3/16" thick. It seems to me that three 5/16" bolts through the coaming should do it but am I being optimistic??"

This should work fine.

[rbgarr]

The forces on the winch wouldn't be any greater than the force exerted on the current cleat.

[TomRobb]

Will the sheet go thru a fairlead? If so you could put the winches where ever they'd be handy. If you want to bolt to the coaming and internal access doesn't exist, make an access. That'd be better than watching the winch rip out under load.
Molly-bolts anyone? http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/biggrin.gif

[John B]

The thing I've noticed about winches is that they tend to be used for other things. It is assumed that they are a strong point like a sampson post. If your boat ever goes into a marina for example , she'll probably have her aft lines to the winch.If you haul in a cradle, or tie to a pier guess where the lines go.
In my opinion, they need to be bolted down.You might need to put a structural backing plate of timber or extra beam in.

What sort of winches are they as a matter of interest?. You can still get those lovely murray bases... you know.. the open frames.

[Foster Price]

Thanks for the thoughts Guys.

After thinking and considering things some more (especially JB's thoughts about the "other uses winches are put to") I think I will bolt them like I thought, but I'll also make up wooden "1/2 turrents" or solid fills between the deck, coaming and winch base. Rather than bolt these I'll epoxy them on to the coaming and deck. They will be softwood probably and not quite as strong as a fully bolted setup, but better than just three bolts throught the coaming.

JB I hear you loud and clear on the Murrays, I already have two doing duty on halyard and reefing gears. There is another one for sale on Boatbits . . . but the $$$$, I seem to be always "hemorraghing money" to a hole in the sea. The winches I have are nice little Barient #8's, if I ever get rich I'll get the chrome stripped off them.

Regards to all

Foster