Winch cover useful?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by hasse_A

Here in the Canaries we often get sand clouds coming in from Sahara.
I am of the opinion they do a good job keeping most of it out.

That sounds like a pretty extreme environment! And it puts you in a great position to do an experiment that would satisfy everyone's curiosity about winch covers.

To wit: remove the covers from half of your winches for, say, a few months... long enough for a couple of good sand storms. Then strip and examine all the winches for internal sand deposits and for differential wear.

A chance to be written up in Wikipedia citations as the expert in such matters, and be recognized in yacht club bars throughout the world. glory awaits you!

All in jest, sir, but your environment is far more threatening than most yottie centers... and I still doubt that the covers do much good!

Jim

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

That sounds like a pretty extreme environment! And it puts you in a great position to do an experiment that would satisfy everyone's curiosity about winch covers.

To wit: remove the covers from half of your winches for, say, a few months... long enough for a couple of good sand storms. Then strip and examine all the winches for internal sand deposits and for differential wear.

A chance to be written up in Wikipedia citations as the expert in such matters, and be recognized in yacht club bars throughout the world. glory awaits you!

All in jest, sir, but your environment is far more threatening than most yottie centers... and I still doubt that the covers do much good!

Jim

Well, we have heard from many how they may help, and haven't heard from any how they may hinder, so it would seem to me, if ya got 'em use 'em, if you don't want em, forgetaboutit.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

That sounds like a pretty extreme environment! And it puts you in a great position to do an experiment that would satisfy everyone's curiosity about winch covers.

To wit: remove the covers from half of your winches for, say, a few months... long enough for a couple of good sand storms. Then strip and examine all the winches for internal sand deposits and for differential wear.

A chance to be written up in Wikipedia citations as the expert in such matters, and be recognized in yacht club bars throughout the world. glory awaits you!

All in jest, sir, but your environment is far more threatening than most yottie centers... and I still doubt that the covers do much good!

Jim

My initial comment about their usefulness & dust was based on places in the New World, & Caribbean getting liberal dousings of red dust from Africa. It, like sailboats & migratory creatures, follows much the same paths, due to similar forces. There's reasons why some flora & fauna in certain regions is akin to that in parts of Africa. Ditto with humans. As people have been sailing for a long, long time. Way before Colombus.

[patprice]

I do not care about all the above for/against arguments !!

Nicely tailored winch covers do look nice. And they say to the lookers "I look after my yacht" !

Shame I c'ant afford factory jobs and have not got around to making them. Our fender covers have taken priority.

And I am dirty on Harken. Need a plastic stripper. Not available. What kind of service is that!

[Patrigo]

A winch cover's usefulness could depend on the winch! My anchor winch is on the aft end of my fore deck so that the chain locker is as far back from the bow as possible. A couple of times a jib sheet has fouled on the drum so a hard cover, giving the winch a non-fouling profile is useful.

[Seman]

I have Andersen 58 ST winches.
In 2 1/2 years 4 plastic winch tops are broken. Also 2 of the plastic winch bases are cracked.!
They are exposed to the weather.
I thought Andersen made a quality Winch?

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Seman

I have Andersen 58 ST winches.
In 2 1/2 years 4 plastic winch tops are broken. Also 2 of the plastic winch bases are cracked.!
They are exposed to the weather.
I thought Andersen made a quality Winch?

I don't know Andersons well, but recently when I looked up a Harken winch's spec's, it weighed 1/3 what the equivalent Barient does. Which I found pretty trippy. And I can't see how they can make them so much lighter now. At least not with the same durability. Perhaps your answer lies therein.

[GordMay]

➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ton-51617.html

[reed1v]

If you got quality winches, you do not need covers. They will be blown off, collect soot and salt, cause condensation, and generally be a pain. Rather effete item anyways. Real sailors want winches ready to be used asap. If you are parked for a while as a dock condo, just go with a boat awning.

[TomLewis]

Originally Posted by zeehag

the ones that used to be on this boat flew off in a storm on san diego bay one winter.

Just like Z, I found mine on the cockpit floor after a good blow. They are stowed below now. I guess if you get them tight enough they would be ok.

[Cheechako]

Yes, they are useful. They keep rain from washing dust and grit inside your winches. I was very surprised early in my sailing life after I cleaned and regreased my winches in the fall, then the boat sat outside all winter, to find how gritty and mucky they were inside in the spring.
It's amazing how much road dust and black grit (tires?) come off roads. If you live near a road or an agricultural dusty area this is probably more true than if you anchor in a bay nowhere near a road.

[a64pilot]

They were on my boat when I bought her and I use them, and the 30 yr old winches look nearly new. The main sheet winch is newer and you can tell.
I believe even SS ages, buy a something out of SS and mount it, your old SS will have less polish. Cover anything and it will look newer longer.

[Siberianhusky]

I personally cover everything on my boat I can. The marina is a couple miles as the crow flies from the busiest highway in Canada and a major rail line. Boats get covered in a fine black dust I think is diesel soot from trucks and trains. Decks get grey and grimey looking in a few days.

[mottseng]

Originally Posted by zeehag

the ones that used to be on this boat flew off in a storm on san diego bay one winter.

Does't answer the OP's question.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Siberianhusky

I personally cover everything on my boat I can. The marina is a couple miles as the crow flies from the busiest highway in Canada and a major rail line. Boats get covered in a fine black dust I think is diesel soot from trucks and trains. Decks get grey and grimey looking in a few days.

Yeah, it's amazing where all that black dust comes from.