Index

Winch Maintenance - Lewmar, Barient, Barlow, Spare Parts, Sheet cleat, Sheet Over run.

Winches should be cleaned and lubricated every few year before the grease gums up, washes away or prevents the pawls from operating.  Weekend cruisers might go till they feel it turning stiff but this really is too long unless you can live with increased wear and/or breakage.  If the pawls don't engage when you expect them to, the winch handle can whip around and hurt you.

"I have serviced both Barient and Lewmar single speed winches and found them to be quite simple and straightforward.  I'm sure there are web sites that describe them in detail but the following are my steps when servicing winches in Fall."  Frank Langner. 

LEWMAR #10 WINCH - This is the largest winch that can be placed on the pedestal of a SJ23.  Although there is a self tailing version of this winch I would like to install on Panache.

• Use a tiny blade screw driver to gently pry out the end of the retaining ring located in the groove on top of the winch barrel.  Don't bend the ring out of shape as you work the end free.  Hold your finger in the handle hole while you use the screw driver to pry the ring out, following it around the groove as the ring is extracted.
• Gently lift the winch barrel and be aware that inside the barrel are 4 pawls with tiny hair springs that can easily pop off.  These springs are expensive to replace. 
  HINT - Take a photo of the winch with the barrel removed so you assemble it correct. 
• Place the barrel, and all following parts, on a parts tray so they can't roll away.
• Pull the two sets of bearings and the spacer up off the center post.  Note where the spacer goes.  Refer to the photo previously taken. 
• Use the blade screw driver to compress each hair-thin spring and lift the metal pawl with its spring.  Hold the pawl with the spring between your thumb and forefinger.  Be very gentle and very careful when you do this.  The idea is to keep the spring from flying off to some unknown destination, which it can do quite easily.  If the spring decides to fly, follow the trajectory with your eyes.  It is not readily replaceable.  Don't do this job over gravel, grass or water!  There are 4 sets of  springs/pawls per winch, 2 at the top/underside and 2 at the bottom.
• Clean the parts with warm soapy water in a cleaning basin, one piece at a time.  Brush the needle bearings with a tooth brush to remove dirt between the rollers.  It's amazing how much grime can collect on them in one year, despite the fact that the bearings are covered.  Dry all parts carefully before applying grease as the cleaning solution will dilute the grease.
• Use a lint free paper towel to clean the winch spindle (still attached to the boat).  The bolts that fasten the spindle to the boat are very visible at this stage.  Now would be an excellent time to replace the sealant under the spindle if you suspect them to be leaking.  If necessary, apply a coat of marine sealant (butyl rubber, Sikkens Sikaflex or 3M 5200) to the bottom.  Ensure that the 1/8" drain hole is open and pointed downhill towards the toe rail.  If the spindle is sealed well, just clean everything in sight prior to reassembly.
• Use a light water proof grease, (lithium, synthetic or silicon) smearing it lightly all around the spindle and all over the two needle bearings.  Slip the bearings over the spindle.  The spacer goes on the bottom to protect the bottom of the bearing cage.
• Use light oil (not grease) to lubricate the four pawls.  ATF works very well because it leaves a protective coating.  Connect a spring to each pawl and insert the set back to its original location, being very careful that the spring doesn't pop off (as it likes to do).
• Once the pawls, springs and bearings are all in place, slip the barrel over the spindle.  Sometimes the position of the top pawls will prevent the barrel from dropping into place so you may have to gently rotate the winch clockwise.  Failing that, use a knife blade to press them inwards to allow the barrel to drop down.  Once the barrel is down, give it a slow spin (don't lift it up) to confirm that the pawls are seated properly and click.  The correct familiar ratchet action sound will tell you the barrel is in the correct position and feels right.
• Install the top retaining ring, starting at one end and working it around the slot until it pops into place.  You should be able to do this with your fingers.  Once again, don't let it pop off never to be seen again.
• Turn the winch a couple of times to ensure that it works like it should and you hear the pawls clicking happily away.  They also lock when the drum is rotated the opposite direction.  Its OK to give them a couple of extra spins to make the guy next to you jealous!
• Click here to view the pattern for a Sunbrella cover for this winch (not to scale).

BARIENT WINCH - This winch probably has the most components.

The process is pretty much the same as described above, except that the barrel comes off differently.  Push down quite firmly on the center of the winch (inside the handle drive hole) with a blunt ended tool like a Robertson screwdriver or a punch.  As you push down with one hand, rotate and carefully lift the barrel with the other hand and it should come free.  Barient has an interesting spring arrangement inside that moves aside when you push down with the tool allowing the barrel to be lifted.  It can come apart quite suddenly, so be careful it doesn't fly up at you or drop overboard.  Also, keep your hand over the top of the barrel to retain the handle drive.  Once the barrel is free of the base the handle drive is also free to drop out.  Inside are 2 pawls (bottom) and a needle bearing cage on the base.  The other 2 pawls (top) are in the handle drive.
- If the center of the winch is stuck, dribble some oil down there to free it.  It wouldn't hurt to push it every now and then to ensure it stays free. 
- If the bearing grease has hardened to the point that the barrel doesn't lift by hand, pry it up from below the barrel lip with a flat blade screw driver or pry bar.  Don't gouge the gel coat.

BARLOW WINCH -  The original winch that the SJ23 was equipped with.

The barrel of most Barlow winches I have seen are locked down by a large slotted screw through the top of the barrel.  Once the screw is loosened the barrel can be lifted off.  The rest of the servicing is self evident.  With time the screw loosens and you must tighten it.  No big deal, just monitor it.  Bob Schimmel

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SPARE PARTS -  It is helpful to have extra pawls and springs available in case you lose one.  Especially the springs since they are small, thin, and can take flight so easily.  I suggest doing maintenance on land where your chances of finding it are slightly better than on water!  This does NOT apply to weeds or grass, you may as well be over water.  However, if you insist on servicing a winch while on the water then you might consider saving yourself some embarrassment and expense.  That pawl spring is ridiculously expensive.

• Cut a hole equal to the size of the winch in the bottom of a cardboard box.  Slip it over the winch to catch and contain any parts instead of falling overboard.  Use a big enough box so it doesn't impede your movement.  Line the inside of the box with a towel to prevent components from bouncing. 
• Hang a large beach towel over the life line to catch a spring instead of it letting it fly overboard.  It wouldn't hurt to plug the cockpit drain holes and lay a towel on the cockpit sole to prevent the spring from bouncing out of your sight.

I have also seen a guy use a custom made bag to field disassemble a delicate component rich device like a winch.  The bag has two hand holes and a winch hole.  All holes were equipped with elastic to create a tight seal around the arms and winch so a part can't be lost.  He simply inserted his arms, slipped the bag over the winch and went to work.  Now mind you the guy knew what he was doing since he completely disassembled the winch keeping all the loose parts in the bag.  Saves all kinds of embarrassment don't you know.  Of course there was a beer at stake for every lost component.  I wouldn't recommend disassembling anything in a dusty areas but it could be possible with this bag.
NOTE - Lewmar bought Barient and Barlow years ago and have not made replacement parts for their winches.  So be careful.

GREASE - Lewmar sells a light winch grease but white lithium or a synthetic grease is also OK.  All these greases shed water and adhere to the components.  Use grease on the bearings and automatic transmission fluid on the pawls/springs so they operate quickly and the winch functions as designed.  Grease on the pawls will make them stick so they can't bottom out between the teeth.  Some people advocate dry pawls in the interest of rotational speed down to freezing temperature and to prevent dirt accumulation.  For the same reason they use extremely light grease on the bearings, spread sparingly.

HINT - Take only one winch apart at a time.  That way if you forget how to reassemble the clean winch you can copy the one that is still assembled.  You can also use your digital camera to record the correct assembly.  Always keep a camera handy to record things.

A winch cover keeps the bearings clean, especially if the boat is on a prairie (dust) or desert lake (sand).

JAMB CLEAT - That cleat you see aft of the winch is actually a jamb cleat designed specifically to hold a jib sheet behind a winch.  The sheet goes clockwise around it and is pulled snug into the tapered end to stay securely.  It very seldom lets go.  If it does, the lines is too thin, slippery or the sheath is worn.  I have occasionally sprinkled water on Panache's worn sheets to make them stick.  The strength of this jamb cleat is that it holds and the line can be released under load, something that is crucially important when all hell breaks loose.  I don't know of another device that perform both of these functions.  Some people don't like this cleat design and would prefer a duel cam cleat.  Read Glen's comments.

"If I understand your post, you want to use a CAM cleat downstream of your loaded winch on your jib sheets.  If that means a cleat that has two, but can also have only one, moving jaws that grip the line.  In some ways they revolutionized some parts of boat rigging, beginning in the late 60's.  Their boon is their easy swipe-in action, which is also their bane, because a simple lift or bump can release the line.

In my career, I have never sailed a boat with a cam cleat for a winched sheet: always an eared cleat.  The only variant of that is a self-tailing winch.  A self-tailing winch essentially has a rotary cam cleat, that frees up one hand of the crew.  It has a trade-off when it's time to release the genoa sheet; pull the sheet out of the clutch and lift it straight up.  This is the best way to effect a clean release.  While a self tailing winch works well on a larger boat, my preference is a traditional winch on an SJ23 from a boat-handling perspective. 

The reason that you would not want a cam cleat downstream of the load, is that a cam engages and disengages with the same ease.  There are places and functions on a boat where this risk is outweighed by the improved convenience.  A case in point is the jib halyard on an SJ23.  The jib halyard leads to a small winch on the cabin top and then you need to do something with the tail.  A cam cleat at the edge of the cabin top does fine behind the winch.  In an emergency, you can release the jib halyard with a simple lift of the tail.  A simple cam cleat can carry the post-winch load and it is out of the way, so a little person might not drop your jib while sailing.

But back in the cockpit the helmsperson might not appreciate a catastrophic release of the jib, because bad things could happen.  That lends to the use of positive sheet control for things like jibs.  An errant foot or another line becoming taught and lifting a jib sheet out of a cam cleat could make you wish for your old pirouette days."  Gleno.

SHEET OVER RUN - The sheet leading into a winch should always feed in to the bottom so the coil of line piles upward neatly.  When you first pull the line in it should be done with only 1 wrap around the winch.  Then as the sheet tightens, place 2 turns more turns around the winch and crank on the winch handle to tension the sheet.  If you follow this procedure it virtually prevents an over run that is next to impossible to release.  In a really strong blow you may have to cut the line to release it.  I don't know about you but I hate ruining a perfectly good line.

"At the end of a very long Puget Sound race, final short beating leg to the finish, I was on one SJ24 and the world famous Dennis Clark of Clark Boat Company was on the other.  I forget who was leading, but Dennis tacked, his jib backed and the boat did a 180⁰ turn.  We won.  Pirouette?  Yes, but that was caused by an "over run" on the winch, which is any time you do not have a clean, upward climbing coil of line on a winch.  The winch coil gets pinched and cannot release.  The jib is backed and you do a pirouette!  By the way Dennis had to cut his jib sheet to free the line.  Even the good guys have a little mishap every now and then.  A clue about what leads to a riding turn is too many turns on a winch prior to winching pressure or having the lead from the loaded side approaching the winch at a horizontal angle or from above.  This is when you need a fixed fairlead placed low ahead of the winch or a winch pad that holds the winch at a tipped angle to make sure the winch directs the incoming line toward the bottom of the winch."  Gleno

P.S. Dennis married Margie, the skipper of the boat I was on that day!
 

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