Leaderboard

What you have are one of the better winches made in NZ. Yes they are old tech, but if serviced occasionally they will do another 30 years. Plus no cleats to add if you replaced them with a non self tailing winch. On a Tasman 20 they will cope with anything you can throw at them. A good scrub and "polish" will show them in another light altogether.

Agree with all above and will add moving the winches aft may create a lead angle being interferred with by the vessels curve aft, check before moving anything there is likely a very good reason they are where they are.

IMO if you have dead batteries after 6 months, they are the wrong type for the job, or they are used and charged incorrectly. Depth of discharge and charging voltages, as well as storage voltages, are critical for lead based batteries. Most modern batteries that die early are murdered,

this dude. Sells on Trade Me, but operates from an industrial unit in Takanini. Knows his sh*t.

^concur. Pull them off and do a really good service on them - they are simple devices and built to be serviced by the mechanically inept, so don't be scared of them. With the loads on a 20' TS, they will outlast most other components on the yacht.

We have 7 of those winches on our 37 footer, for halyards, refs etc. You wont get better for $200, that is for sure. They are kind of self tailing, in that you can lock the sheet off on top and grind in the last little bit. As Steve says, give them a polish (and maybe a clean and lube on the inside) and they will give you great service. The only reason I'd change those are if you did put proper self tailors on. But for the size of sails you are handling, I doubt it is worth the effort and cost.

I had a 5hp Honda... never again. Yammy all the way