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Centreboard winches for trailer sailers


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Does anybody know where I can get parts for the centreboard raise/lower winch for a 20ft Pelin Caribou, Ive been to Stanley Marine in Whangarei, they are usually pretty good for odd bits like that, but no luck.

 

I dont even know who used to manufacture them, any info will be much appreciated. :thumbup:

Cheers

 

Matt

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James Nilsson Ltd, Hillside Road, Glenfield. Ph 90 444-5219

 

Just so happens they make these - http://www.jamesnilsson.com/index.cfm/accessories___other_winches/centreboard_winch

 

Oh and don't fit stainless wire to it. Try to use a dyneema fibre braid if you can, smaller, lighter, stronger and no frecking sprags to slice open the unwary hand. Whatever you fit try knot to make swapping the cable a job for a skinny armed contortionist. We often have people in getting a new cable and almost every single one uses the phrase 'it was a nitemare to get out or will be one to get back in' while doing so.

 

There are probably a lot sitting around off other boats now deceased, they have been making them for decades. No idea where they would be though. Maybe suss TradeMe a lot or find someone with a dead T/S in the back paddock.

 

Too easy. Next question please and can we make it a harder one? :lol: :lol:

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You may be able to use a winch that is typically used to winch stink boats and s&*tters up their trailer. Often comes with a strap webbing; take that out and then replace with a decent performance rope/braid/etc; without any idea of seeing the system you have in place now, it's hard to recommend something but one of these is cheap and you can replace every few years; on the Shaw 650s we use them to hoist up the keel and they last (being sometimes stored in salt water and so on) a few years before they give up.

 

You don't want to skip steps on them the winch though if it is a drop keel; big safety margin is the way to go; one of the boys here dropped their keel from full hoist on a T650 (frayed rope) and shunted the case and the keel about 10mm lower than what it is supposed to be...immediately shipping water and not floating so high (not that Thompsons are light displacement anyhow, but still.....) big repair job...and so easy to overlook that little 6mm or 8mm rope that hoists the thing up and down.

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agree with Knot me worm drive winch from nilssons way to go - very safe. The other option i.e trailer winch is okay but needs a skilled operator and regular maintenance to avoid damage to digits and the boat. I previously dropped a board in a 5.9 with disastrous consequences. Alternative depending on cost and access would be a 6:1 puchase and sheet winch but probably not best option in a caribou.

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Thanks for the helpful advice, I called Nilssons and got a price, $450 sheets for a brand new one, Ill hunt around still for something second hand off an old yacht first, but good to know that if I get stuck I can buy a new one. Ill be changing the stainless wire rope too, I have felt the sting before and not keen to repeat.

Cheers

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I have one of the James Nilsson winches for a Midnight 21 Trailer Sailor - The winch was bought new about 10 years ago (I dont think I paid a lot less for it back then!!!), but well worth the money. The best feature is that it self sustains the load. Saves you ripping a hole through the bottom of your boat when your winch decides to freewheel! :lol:

 

Oh and don't fit stainless wire to it. Try to use a dyneema fibre braid if you can, smaller, lighter, stronger and no frecking sprags to slice open the unwary hand.

 

What is the life of that braid? Does it deteriorate quicker in the marine environment? And where can it be sourced? Also, on the steel wire cable there is an eyelet crimped to the end that you put a bolt through to secure it to the winch......so how is the end of the braid secured to the winch?

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The stainless braid on the Caribou is fed through the side of the drum through a small hole about 5mm in diameter and has a crimp on the other side. That holds the wire in place to begin winding it on, and so long as you have 4 or 5 complete turns on it, that will pull tight on itself and take the weight of the centreboard.

I guess it would be much the same with the dyneema, but tie a figure of eight knot instead of a crimp, maybe allow a bit extra for a few more turns on the drum?

I think any decent chandlery store would stock dyneema, or at least know where to source it, maybe the good ole internet?

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If you tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped it from a height, what would happen?

 

The butter would grease the string and allow the toast to slide around to the cats belly, the cat would land on its feet and the force of landing would break the toast through the middle by the string and it will land butter side down. . . as expected :lol:

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. . . tie a figure of eight knot . . .

 

If you have room, an "Admiralty Stopper" knot would be better IMHO. In simple terms, a DOUBLE figure of eight or twice round the bight (loop) before pushing the end through.

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If you tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped it from a height, what would happen?

 

The butter would grease the string and allow the toast to slide around to the cats belly, the cat would land on its feet and the force of landing would break the toast through the middle by the string and it will land butter side down. . . as expected :lol:

 

Bollocks Just tried that, but our cats started eating the toast on the way down.

 

What did I do wrong? Should I use jam, peanut butter or honey?

Is butter the only way to go or are one of the many spreads acceptable?

 

I'm confused and my supply of cats is now limited. If you come to help me, can you bring the dozen surviving cats back up in the lift to our 31st floor appartment.

 

THANKS

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Oh and don't fit stainless wire to it. Try to use a dyneema fibre braid if you can, smaller, lighter, stronger and no frecking sprags to slice open the unwary hand.

 

What is the life of that braid? Does it deteriorate quicker in the marine environment? And where can it be sourced? Also, on the steel wire cable there is an eyelet crimped to the end that you put a bolt through to secure it to the winch......so how is the end of the braid secured to the winch?

Life span? Assuming it doesn't chafe on something probably longer than SS wire. On the inboard end pretty much as Kiwi M described, push it thru and tie a knot but make sure you leave a few turns around the drum as that is where a lot of the hold comes from.

 

You want uncovered Dyneema, knot covered. Available from us and most chandlers that have a large rope range. I haven't seen masses in the shops and many just don't stock it but it's easily available. It travels under names like Dynex, SuperRound75, Ocean 12 and a few others, those 3 being the most common. ALL are made from the same material (SK75) and are the same rope, contrary to what many think. I wouldn't use a heat set one, same stuff agin but cooked under load which increases it's strength a bit but then it also decreases it's flex fatigue resistance, beside you just don't need heat set anyway. A 4mm has a bust load around 1500kg odd and a 5mm more 2300kg odd.

 

They come in colours sometimes and the colour makes zero difference, it's only 'pretty' rather than anything structural. Most commonly seen in Grey as Dynex is grey and their marketing Dept has done a great job so the others tend to hang off that a bit as many think Dynex is something different and special.... it's knot.

 

They are all usually very easy splice ropes, even multihullers could do it..given a hour or 3 :twisted: :lol: :lol:

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They are all usually very easy splice ropes, even multihullers could do it..given a hour or 3 :twisted: :lol: :lol:

 

Thats true. I didn't know how till I got a multihull...

:lol: :lol: :lol: So multis can be a 'power for good' after all.

 

The 3 hours did include 1hr for planning how to do it, while having a beer. 1hr doing it, while having a beer and 1hr admiring it afterwards............. while having a beer. Shite, no wonder you lot have drinking issues :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Cheers for that KM (and also KiwiMatchoo!)

 

 

I'll get from you soon. Looks like I'll have to find a spare 3 hours to do the job. I'm a mono driver at the moment but that'll change in a hell of a hurry when the exisiting steel wire on my wee trailer sailor finally frays through and the swing keel lets rip!! :lol:

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No worries.

 

And yeap even 3hrs for a mono man, mind you that is 10mins for the splice, while having a beer. 2hrs 20min admiring it afterwards, while having a beer and 30mins, while having a beer, laughing at the Multi guy still trying to do his splice as he spent his planning hour drinking rum so sort of forgot what he was on the boat to do....... except have a beer :lol:

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