Tim Reeder
2011-05-01T19:58:41Z
June

Unfortunately I have just got back from Caen where I have left the boat for summer sailing later. So I can't give you precise measurements. It is quite important to get the distance bewteen the top of the keel and the deck correct when the keel is right up. This means you can get the keel right up and take the weight on the pin.

On my boat I have a longer strop with another eye that takes the weight with the keel halfway down. This is obviously at about half the length of the keel movement.

I will try to measure later in the summer unless you here from someone else sooner!

Tim

kate.hattersley
2011-05-08T23:03:55Z
Hi All

Well thanks to Ken and Tim the job is done. Thanks also to Whitstable Marine and the Barton factory for excellent service. Also Messrs Black and Decker for their drill bits which I have destroyed in large quantities! I am now on a fully manual system and expect to develop lovely toned upper arms this summer.

June I adapted the safety strop by using some 8mm Dyneema I had spare. I tied it to the secondary eye bolt with a bowline and tied a loop in in it at the level of "Keel fully up" so that I could insert the metal pin and hold the keel on it thus relaxing the main line on the blocks and clutch. I have tied a second loop which for me is most useful about 3/4 down as that is how we race in the river, but you could have it at any height with the Dyneema. The other end attaches to the shock cord indicator and goes on up the mast.

Will report back how things go. I intend to recondition the electric winch and decide whether to refit it next winter.

Kate


Kate
DickG
2014-11-09T20:54:59Z
Previously I had not understood all the descriptions of wear, and elliptical holes in the winch side plate that are given in the early postings under this thread - However, towards the end of this season I investigated graunching noises that had suddenly started coming from the winch and found that the end of the axle that passes through the drum of the winch had torn through its D-shaped hole, and subsequently the axle had nearly worn through where it had been rubbing on the side plate. Having quickly replaced the winch with the old one that was sitting in the garage I got through to the end of the season. Now having the leisure to strip down the winches I understand the cause to be the drum seizing onto the axle and causing it to turn, so tearing through the D-shaped hole it sits in at one end.

It seems there is a need to get the drum axle out of the winch more frequently to re-lubricate the the axle and drum. I was fortunate that the axle of the old winch had not seized. The drum and axle seem to be just steel on steel, so will need some more frequent attention to remove rust and add lubricant. The instructions just say lubricate the winch - but a clue that the axle should be removed for servicing would have been useful! All the other bearings could be adequately done with a quick squirt of lubricant without dis-assembly, but there is no way of getting lubricant to the right place on the drum and axle without removing the axle.

Hope this can save someone else the annoying graunching noises.


Dick

Dark Star P275 No 36

kate.hattersley
2016-02-01T23:45:35Z
Time to update the block system as they are wearing out. Has anybody tried other brands than Barton? I find the side cheeks of the blocks get dmaaged if a loose rope is caught in them. I want really really tough ones!!


Kate