Self-tailing Genoa winches for a Cape Dory 25D

[Neil Gordon]

The good news is it's not "electronics" like GPS and radar might be. You plug it in, point the boat in the direction you want and push one button. If you pushed the right button, the pointy end continues pointing the same way.

The hard part is getting the installation exactly right... precise measurements before you drill a hole in your tiller, exact distance to mounting the unit and making sure all is square and level. Measure three times. Yes, the unit needs to be wired up but it's only two wires if you're not integrated with other instruments.

There's lots of advice on here about ST2000 installation.

[rtbates]

Andersen St12s. There are NO better winches, period! You may find that hard to believe until you dis-assemble one for maintenance. And this you need only do every TWO years not ONE. They use about 1/2 to 1/10 the internal parts of others winches

[Sea Hunt Video]

Randy:

Someone else mentioned Andersen winches to me. However, I am told they are stainless steel, not bronze. Does Andersen make bronze winches I could not find bronze on their website.

I am old-fashioned and traditional. If I eventually decide to replace the current bronze winches that are not self-tailing I would prefer to install bronze ST winches.

I still have and use a rotary dial telephone. There is some type of writing or signature etched into the base of the phone. It looks like "Alexander Graham Bell" but I am not sure.

[RIKanaka]

Defender has them. A lower price is quoted if you add one to your cart (I hate when they do that; do they really think I'm gonna forget to remove something that I don't want when I check out?).

[rtbates]

Randy:

Someone else mentioned Andersen winches to me. However, I am told they are stainless steel, not bronze. Does Andersen make bronze winches I could not find bronze on their website.

I am old-fashioned and traditional. If I eventually decide to replace the current bronze winches that are not self-tailing I would prefer to install bronze ST winches.

I still have and use a rotary dial telephone. There is some type of writing or signature etched into the base of the phone. It looks like "Alexander Graham Bell" but I am not sure.

Yes they do make a bronze version.. BUT winches are much more than eye candy.. Basing a winch purchase on finish???? Mine are SS. Sure I'd like them to be bronze, BUT I'd much rather they be SS Andersen than bronze anything else...

[satu]

It does seem funny that someone would choose bronze for aesthetic reasons, but I'll confess to having done so for my own purposes. For me, a Cape Dory has a significant aesthetic element, which to a large degree is what drew me in so long ago.

Every time I step onto SATU, I pause to catch my breath.... I think she's the prettiest girl in town. The shoes need to match the purse, etc. Sometimes decisions of this nature transcend simple rational technical dialog.

[Sea Hunt Video]

It does seem funny that someone would choose bronze for aesthetic reasons, but I'll confess to having done so for my own purposes. For me, a Cape Dory has a significant aesthetic element, which to a large degree is what drew me in so long ago.

Every time I step onto SATU, I pause to catch my breath.... I think she's the prettiest girl in town. The shoes need to match the purse, etc. Sometimes decisions of this nature transcend simple rational technical dialog.

Thank you While I understand Randy's reasoning (it makes sense in the pocketbook), I was trying to figure out how to explain my feelings about Cape Dory sailboats. You have explained it better than I ever could. Thank you

As an aside, I am not so sure about this "purse and shoes" analogy. I wear a pair of old beat up boat shoes and do not own a purse.

Randy: In your post you say that Andersen makes a bronze version. Admittedly, I am a computer idiot but I am not able to find it anywhere on their website. Can you guide me to where Andersen sells bronze ST winches Given your statements about # of parts, ease of maintenance, etc. they sound like what I would eventually want to get - in bronze if at all possible.

Thanks in advance

P.S. OJ, I met Bruno. The guy ain't got no opposing thumbs. How the "he[double hockey sticks] is he going to help me learn how to post photos

[Steve Bryant]

Robert,

When I ran my lines back to the cockpit on my CD25, I moved the bronze Lewmar 6s to the cabintop and bought a pair of the Andersen 12STs and couldn't be happier. They are less expensive than the Lewmars and work very well. The Lewmars are a larger winch also.

When the boat is in the slip, and the winch covers are on all the winches, you really can't tell what the finish is.