In or out?
One of our unwritten sailing rules is that we don’t leave winch handles in the winches. I’m not sure where we picked that up. We may have been told not to leave them there during our initial sailing lessons, and then taken it to heart, or we may have just learned it the hard way, from experience, after dropping one of our two handles overboard as we crossed the Bahamas Banks. Regardless, we just don’t do it.
Photo taken solely for this post. 🙂
The reasoning for not leaving a handle in the winch is that it makes it more difficult to release the sheets in a gust, essentially the same reason why we never lock off the main sheet in a clutch for any period of time (Frost has no such clutches but our other boats did). That said, I see that many people do, in fact, leave handles in the winches, so perhaps our rule is not as universal as I suspected it was. Not that I’m likely to change my way of thinking, but I’m curious to know other people’s thoughts on the subject. What say you… in or out?
Never takes them out. Have left them in for as long as I have owned boats, 35 years. Never had a problem with releasing sheets because of handles.
Take them out when remember to do so, so usually out. As you say, easier to release self tailing winches and I still see the look of horror on a friends face as he describes seeing one get wrapped in a free sheet and flung the water on the way to Virgin Gorda.
Out, things sticking out are things that can hurt you.
Out . . . just one more thing for something to catch on
Only in when it’s being used. Otherwise out and in a pocket.
Generally out, then again, our primary 65s are electric.
Out. First boat I sailed on with winches (not old schooners) was a race boat and had a screamer for a captain (also won every race) who went ballistic if one was even let go of. His policy was never ever let go of that handle. I don’t take it to that extreme myself but I do take them out and handle them with full purpose to never let go.
Out!!!
As you stated, it’s a safety thing, especially on a monohull or where the cockpit has limited space. There are two reasons in my book. The first is so you can quickly release the sheet in a gust (especially true when you have guests/inexperienced crew), but the second is the handle is a foot grabber when leaving/entering the cockpit.
Having said that, the only handle I ever lost was BECAUSE I removed the handle from the winch. When I pulled the locking handle from the winch, it slipped out of my hand, took a bounce on the deck and performed a lovely triple flip between the lifelines before gracefully entering the water.
Loaded clutches? I think that’s another blog post for you soon …
Cheers!
Out
And like Drew, the only time we lost one was removing it from the winch. A bump, a fumble, and over it went.
Out and stored when not in use:
-there is only one
-it does not float
-small boat = do not need something else sticking out when sailing C/O.
Out
Out, the only time it stays in, is when racing and there’s someone manning the winch.
In. It’s easier, but I understand folks’ reasoning. It may also be a little different on cats. I remove them prior to tacking, of course. They go straight in a pocket.
If it is very gusty and there is no one on sheet watch, I take the handle out, take the rope out of the self-tailer, reduce the number of turns by one if needed, and place the tale in a cam cleat. Very fast release. Also good for tacking. I have 3 cam cleats on each side, used for holding lines that are not in use as well.
Never lost one, and I carry 4 (1×10 for the mast area, and 2×10 and 1×8 in the cockpit. Generally the 10s are on the genoa and the 8 on the mainsheet.
OUT.
SV Joana was originally fitted with 9 Anderson self-tailing winches and 5 winch handles. We always leave one in the cockpit and one in a pocket on the mast. We’ve never lost a winch handle and never had any snags or trips. We’re not racers.
Out;
If you are strong enough you don’t even need a handle to pull your sheets. If you pull them by hand with a handle on the winch, te handle will spin dangerously. So I keep it of, when need, put it on.
If you need to tack quickly, handles may bother
Most genoa sheets are over 1000 pounds up wind. Studly.
I don’t understand how anyone would ever trip or snag another line on a sheet winch. I also wonder if I trim more often than some. Why would I take a winch out when I will likely make an adjustment in a few minutes? Removing all the time seems like a better way to lose handles, since locking handles can only be lost while removing.
Out for tacks and jibes. I’ll even leave them in place in gusty weather; I’m more concerned about the self-tailer than the handle. It causes more snags, IMHO.
You need to sail in the trade winds, my friend. Sit down and relax a bit… you’re not racing (unless there is another boat nearby heading in the same direction). 🙂
Out. Stored in a safe place with ready access if needed.
Out. Always
Out.
Reason; our boat came with two winch handles and my wife lost the first one overboard on our first sail. While complaining loudly about.. my sailing ability. LOL! Luckily our 20 year old son was there to witness it. Years later, to this very day, it has never been forgotten and is still a joke that mom was cursing and threw the handle overboard, which isn’t really accurate.
The lesson here is (sailor be warned) – lose a winch handle over the side and it will never be forgotten, and is held against you literally forever, and the story told… until you sell that boat.
You’d give up a good story just because you sold the boat? 🙂