Been sailing Fat Cat, 30C, Hull #4 for the last year in southern Lake Huron and thoroughly enjoy the Nonsuch sailing experience.
While my wife an I generally can get out together to sail, which makes the sail raising fairly easy with myself at the mast and her tailing the halyard from the helm and holding it until I get back to add wraps on the winch and pull it up the last couple inches, I have had the odd occasion where I would like to be able to go out alone. I have asked and successfully attained other crew but that is not the point, I kind of want to get out there alone.
I am relatively young and fit compared to the demographic that seems to be your stereotypical “Nonsuch Owner” and have little problem raising the sail to within a couple feet of the top from the cockpit(after rerouting the halyard to eliminate as much friction as possible, and I can sweat it to the top quite easily(so long as the helmsman steers to the wind). Don’t anyone take offense to the demographic reference please, I feel I am simply stating a fact, not slinging derogatory rhetoric, I stand to be corrected.
I have searched and read through a number of discussions regarding making raising the main easier and know I could install the reverse cleat set up on the mast, I could use a 90-degree cordless drill with the winchrite bit, or get an electric winch installed in the cockpit.
I am slightly sensitive to cost, and was thinking this through and would like opinions on this potential solution.
Since the sail is quite easy to raise from the mast(sweating it up) I think any 90 degree turns and running the halyard through fairleads just adds friction points and that is why it is more difficult to raise from the cockpit. My idea is to use a fairly inexpensive ATV winch equipped with spectra or dyneema line to raise main, and to mount the winch below decks clamped to the mast. This would require a pass through on the mast, but at a height that should not decrease the integrity of the spar. This setup would have only the block at the masthead to run the halyard over and with the use of a double mast block, there should be very little mechanical resistance in raising the sail.
I have pondered this for a while and can think of some drawbacks/potential safety concerns
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no physical halyard access
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determining the tension on the halyard
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must remove and replace winch when stepping the mast
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fairly tight quarters to access the winch if issues arise
On the positive side -
one less line on deck/to cockpit
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easy effortless sail raising
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no added clutter to topsides
I am sure one could set a limit on the winch by limiting amperage to the appropriate amount of force required to raise the main. One would need to ensure that the holding ability/mechanism/brake on the winch was capable of holding the tension without damaging the winch motor/transmission assembly.
I had originally been looking at captive winches which appear to only let you use 1 wrap on the drum? The largest one for a small boat would only accept 48 ft of line, which is a little short for the halyard on the 30C.
One caveat is that these winches do not hold enough line until you get to a 9500 lb unit. Again, limiting amperage would reduce the risk of damage, but this is a real possibility with any electric winch.
I am just looking for opinions, further ideas concerning this type of winch.
Mark Richards
Fat Cat, 30C, Hull#4
