Winches for lifting dinghies

[fred4936]

Hello! For our boat we recently acquired a Portland Pudgy dinghy. So far it has worked out very well for us. Our previous dinghy was an inflatable that refused to stay inflated a year after purchase. Anyway, my question is about getting it on and off the foredeck. The halyard winches are #40’s, with 12” handles, and I struggle to lift the dinghy out of the water. The dinghy weighs 128 pounds. If I understand this correctly, a #40 winch has a power ratio of 40:1, so I am confused about why hoisting the dinghy is so much work. I know friction is an issue, so I have been running around armed with McLube. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[Jim Cate]

Have you checked the sheave(s) at the masthead? They are a likely suspect in such cases. Also, is the halyard in use the correct size for all the hardware... sheaves, clutches and so on? Oversized line causes considerable extra friction. Finally, has the winch been cleaned and lubed recently?

I use an ARCO 40 (lousy winch design IMO) to lift our 11.5 foot Al hulled RIB, complete with full 6 gal fuel tank, anchor and chain, 15 hp Yamaha and other junk, total weight circa 250 lbs. It requires use of low gear and some grunt, but I can do it ok.

Jim

[Tomodore]

we use a 4-1 lifting tackle attached to a halyard designed for man over board retrieval for lifting the dink. Two fiddle blocks, one with a becket and your Pudgie will be putty in your hands.

[Nicholson58]

If you are operating the winch in self tail a lot of extra friction is added. Some winches are worse than others.

[Jono as 2234]

Originally Posted by Tomodore

we use a 4-1 lifting tackle attached to a halyard designed for man over board retrieval for lifting the dink. Two fiddle blocks, one with a becket and your Pudgie will be putty in your hands.

Same, same

[fred4936]

Thank you all for the replies! Friction has been an issue since day 1. Many lines were too big, and have been replaced with the proper size. The clutches are stamped “12”, for 12 mm max, and some lines were 14mm! I can’t do heights, so the block at the top may be an issue. The 4:1 purchase is intriguing; I will pursue everything you guys have suggested. Thank you!

[Scorpius]

We use a gennaker halyard on the two speed Lewmar 40 halyard winch - with a Milwaukee M28 angle drill as a winch handle. The system picks up our 8' PortaBote (which is admittedly very light) with absolutely no problem.

I expect that drill/winch driver to allow me to sail an extra five years as I slide inexorably into my dotage.

[KimSails]

Lifting the dinghy out of the water, the halyard doesn’t really have a fair lead. It might only be a few degrees out of alignment, but that may be significantly increasing the friction. Particularly if the halyard is already oversized for the sheave.

The 4:1 should help a lot since the halyard will be fixed and the 4:1 will be in proper alignment to the dinghy.

[louisstubb]

I have a dinghy lift that does not require any of my boats' equipment. It will lift up tp 200#.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by KimSails

Lifting the dinghy out of the water, the halyard doesn’t really have a fair lead. It might only be a few degrees out of alignment, but that may be significantly increasing the friction. Particularly if the halyard is already oversized for the sheave.

The 4:1 should help a lot since the halyard will be fixed and the 4:1 will be in proper alignment to the dinghy.

If you use the spinnaker halyard (as we do) the alignment is not an issue as they are designed to accept loads from various angles.

If using a halyard with a fixed sheave at the masthead, try lifting a weight similar to the dinghy but centered on the foredeck. If it is significantly easier, alignment could be an issue for you.

Jim

[RaymondR]

I used my electric anchor winch to lift the dingy on my last boat.

[fred4936]

Thanks again for all the answers! We use the spinnaker halyard, so the angle should be OK. I will pick up a purchase this week and try it. The dual purpose nature of that is good, especially the safety aspect. We were planning on leaving in 2023, but with the housing market here on fire, we are trying to leave next year instead. Since it will be just the two of use, both north of 60, making things easier for the long term is important. The note about friction in the self-tailers is interesting, did not think of that. I will look at everything mentioned!

[fred4936]

I scrounged a mainsheet purchase, 4:1, and tried it on the Pudgy; It worked! I do not understand how a 4:1 purchase can lift a dinghy easier than a #40 winch, but such is the case. Next time the mast comes down i will replace the sheaves, the spinnaker halyard block, and check everything up there. The cam cleat on the fiddle block was not in a good spot, I will try it the other way next time. Thanks to all for the suggestions! I see they sell 5:1 purchase for the MOB application, and Harken has a 6:1 as well. They may work better to insure that my wife can get me back on board if i become the MOB. At least for now, I am pretty certain she wants me back on board if i do go over; best to make things easier for both of us!

[Auklet]

Originally Posted by fred4936

I scrounged a mainsheet purchase, 4:1, and tried it on the Pudgy; It worked! I do not understand how a 4:1 purchase can lift a dinghy easier than a #40 winch, but such is the case. Next time the mast comes down i will replace the sheaves, the spinnaker halyard block, and check everything up there. The cam cleat on the fiddle block was not in a good spot, I will try it the other way next time. Thanks to all for the suggestions! I see they sell 5:1 purchase for the MOB application, and Harken has a 6:1 as well. They may work better to insure that my wife can get me back on board if i become the MOB. At least for now, I am pretty certain she wants me back on board if i do go over; best to make things easier for both of us!

I use a 6:1 (purchase) block & fall that I had specially made up and suspend it from my spinnaker halyard to lift my 120# aluminum rib from the water onto the foredeck. Once lifted I can hold it suspended with one hand while maneuvering the dink with the other while I’m on the foredeck. It’s a one person operation, and that’s important! I installed a jam cleat at the mast base to quickly stop it off if when I need both hands free. It’s a little clumsy if the boat is moving much, but otherwise just fine. I think you will find it less trouble than working a cam cleat. Use the 6 mm sheave and line; plenty strong. Need enough line to make the turns of the block & fall and put the fall low enough to fasten to the Pudgy in the water from a point high enough to lift it over the lifelines w/o two-blocking, etc.

[wingssail]

Efficient deck or mast layout is essential.

Our halyard tails run directly from the base of the mast to the halyard winch in the cockpit, or right past that winch to the massive Barient 632 3speed primary winch. No other blocks or eyes.

Low friction is the key, right sized lines and very few blocks to run through, but the big winch properly positioned makes lifting the dingy a breeze, even with the motor and a tank of gas. It's a two person job (although I've done it myself), one to guide the dingy up and one to winch. Judy prefers to winch because it is easier.

Check your layout and friction, reduce line size and eliminate blocks along the route if possible.