who needs jib sheet winches?

[cheoah]

Winches are nice, but I never used winch handles on my 30 foot Cape Dory sheet winches. Head up maybe and trim in heavy wind, but can't remember ever trimming with the handle. Just nice to have some thing to take a couple of turns around and avoid rope burn.

[haiqu]

Someone stole the jib winches on my Hartley 30'er. I replaced them with clam cleats and it seems quite usable. Lots cheaper and no temptation to thieves.

[roverhi]

Really depends on the windspeed you'll be encountering. Know I needed winches on my 26 footer with the blustery winds in Hawaii. If you are sailing a notorious light air area you might very well get by without winches by heading up to create slack and hauling it in. If you are going to be any fairly extensive cruising, a winch wouid be really really nice espeicially if your crew is female.

[jdlum46]

No body really needs winches. They are just rich kid's toys.
There is a 100 yr old Norwegian fishing ketch that is 70 ft
next to me and it doesn't have a single winch on it and its been
sailing for all these years just fine. I guess they understood
that heading up into the wind takes the strain of the sheet.
But then you might lose 30 seconds but I guess that wouldn't
make too much difference unless you were racing. My boat
is 56.5 feet long and a ketch and diplaces about 42 tons but
I do have winches but I could get by without them with a little
bit of thinking about why there is strain on the sheet. Hope
I haven't offended anyone who has spent big money on winches.
Someone said, "I spent most of my money on booze, broads and
boats and the rest I wasted." I think it was the same guy that
said, "Reality is a temporary illusion caused by a lack of alcohol."
Enjoy

[delmarrey]

The only winch these ships had were to raise the anchor. And then it took 4 men, or more to walk the circle.

The Last Cape Horners - YouTube

[atoll]

if you ever have to haul yourself off a sandbank ,winches are useful,they also are a useful attachment point in the cockpit that you other wise would have to replace with a cleat. very useful if you ever catch a 25kg or bigger tuna on a handline!

[geoffh]

I rarely use my winches on my 26', but I would definitely keep my winches, I think you need them in a blow at least. I too luff up to ease pressure on the sheets, but as an ex racer I do like to crank it up occasionally.

[gjordan]

I did about 9000 miles in a 26 footer, and it would have been much more difficult without winches. I am not a racer, but I like to sail well. The first time a gust hits you when you are pulling the sheets by hand, and you end up with a major rope burn, you will wish you had winches.____Just another opinion.____Grant.

[mousenik]

great replies,
just fer the record--I'm going to put my winches back on--mostly for the friction and control not so much the cranking power. Plus I have old merriman winches that sound cool when they turn.