Stern winch location on a cat, inboard or outboard?

[Becaris]

On a large performance catamaran, which would be better, the stern winches located inboard, inside the side-deck, or outboard, outside the side-deck?

As I see it, inboard means that lines from a reaching sail, spinnaker, or the daggerboard system must run across the side-deck to reach the winch, yet I see many cats with their stern winches placed inboard.

What are the advantages/disadvantages for both locations? Which would you prefer?

Thanks.

[Chotu]

Better if everything is all ran to one place so you can control the boat single-handed. In my opinion, you don’t want winches all over the place. You want them all in one place.

I am assuming we are talking about a cruising boat and not a racing boat with a large crew.

[ItDepends]

Again, with the assumption we are talking a cruising boat here, not a race boat with a full crew, the more winches and sail handling you can work from inside the cockpit the better.

The downside is if you are not careful you can end up with a spiderweb of lines across the sidedecks, and that has its own problems.That can usually be avoided with a bit of clever design.

[Tin Tin]

What do you mean by large?

[catsketcher]

Be careful about the zone of nastiness.

Sometimes we lead ropes around the cockpit to a winch and then have to step inside the zone where a broken block or shackle could lead to the rope trapping our legs. I have been on a couple of cats where this is the case, it was worrying but the only way I could get an effective grind on the winch.

Try very hard to avoid creating danger zones with the ropes. Ensure your winches don't need winching with you near the loaded sheets, you gotta be on the safe side, away from the load.