Self-Tailing Winches: Luxury or Necessity?

[Dick Barthel]

I've learned also that a couple of locking winch handles are also nice when single handing in any kind of blow. One less thing you have to worry about if you need them.

Responding to Dean....I don't think that angle is a problem on the 25D switching to the Andersens - The ST 12 is about the same height as the Lewmar it replaces. What you so have to make sure is that you have the tailer set at the right angle - If my memory is right, on my boat the arms are at about 10 O'clock on the starboard and 2 on Port. There are some variables to that but I don't remember what they are at the moment.

Go for it Joe...you won't regret it.

Dick

[RMeigel]

I've singlehanded for 10 years without self tailing winches. They were on my "would be nice to have list". Until last year.

My sailing club has a life size dummy that we can use to practice getting someone back on board from the water. The dummy easily weighs 180 pounds wet. I had worked everything out, fair leads for the lines, etc. But when put to the test I learned the hard way that if I'm the only person on the boat trying to get someone else out of the water using the life sling, I ought to have self tailing winches. They went to the top of the "the List" and I have them on order this season.

[Dana Sewall]

Joe,
I single hand my CD30c with a 130% genoa and Lewmar 40 self tailing winches. The suggestion I have, to go with your yet to be purchased self tailing winches, is the Lewmar "One Touch" winch handle. They too are a bit spendy but allow you to remove the handle with just one hand by squeezing the bar anywhere. These handles will also make your crew happy when they're aboard.
http://en.lewmar.com/products/index.asp ... age_id=470

[oldragbaggers]

My husband has often posed this question to me, "don't you think we really need self tailing winches?" Well, for the past 26 years we've been sailing together (4 different boats, from a Typhoon to a Newport 30) we've never had em, I do most of the winching and I've never once considered cancelling a sail for lack of them, so I would say "luxury".
Becky

[drysuit2]

One possible down side. OK two. Segue had the original NOT self tailing winches for her first 15 years. I loved them and had no trouble with them. You could pull the Genni all the way in through tacks because the winches had enough of a gear ratio. In fact I rarely needed the winch handle.

In the early 00’s my father decided to “upgrade” to self tailers. But and this is the big but… he replaced the old Lewmars with a winch with a different gear ratio.
This means that instead of simply: tacking, pulling in my Genni all the way on the new side, cleating it off, jumping to the windward side, and sailing off on my new tack.
I have to: tack, pull in my genni as far as I can [about ¾ of the way], find the winch handle, grind in the sheet the last ¼ of the way, then climb up out the leeward side, and sail away on my new tack.

So, don’t save a few bucks and replace your old winches with “undersized” or “under geared” self tailers. Spend the money on the right size and gear ratio.

Oh yea the second possible down side. The little protruding metal part on self tailers likes to catch on my sleeve and bang my funny bone.

They are how ever great for guests who are non-sailors. As they can be active participants in actually sailing the boat. They don’t have to learn how to actually tie a cleat, but they get to use the winch, be helpful, and be engaged in the sailing experience. Not just be ballast.

Just my contrarian 2 cents

[Bob Maguire]

I intend to replace the bronze, single speed winches on a '83 CD30 with single speed, self tailing winches and need to know what size Lewmar would adequately replace the old Lewmar 10's that are now on the boat. I have the self-steering and furler and am finding that I need a self tailing winch for a more comfortable single handing.

Bob Maguire
CD30
Anacortes, WA