Hi all,

Its time to 'service' the winches (at least when it stops raining), something I have never attempted before. I have checked the forum, but I can’t seem to find which model of winch it might be. The boat was built at the end of 2001.

I can see that a number of people have serviced their winches, but can anybody shed any light on which particular model it might be?

Many thanks

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Hi I have Lewmar winches (2004). All I have attempted is a clean and regrease. If you take off the circlip at the top the winch body just lifts off the body. From memory the main thing to be careful with is to not drop/lose the three little ratchets and springs.I think they cam be removed before you lift off the barrel. A two speed winch may ne more complicated.

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Hi James,

Sorry this is a late reply as I have only just seen this post. You have probably got fully serviced winches by now. My 235 is a 2003 and I think some of the earlier boats had Antal winches like mine, both of which are two speed, model number Antal W16.2ST (2001 model). I posted about this here:

http://www.parkerseal.or....aspx?g=posts&t=1709 

The early Antal winches do not come apart conveniently like the Lewmars (or later Antals: 2004 on!) with a circlip at the top. With my winches, the barrel comes off by removing the self-tailer (a coiled circlip and one screw, I think) and then four Allen head machine screws but this leaves you with no access to the ratchets and pawls - and no obvious way in. I had to remove the plate in the headlining inside the cabin (several tiny screws) to access the underside of the winch and then unbolt the complete winch base from the coach roof. Once off, you can access the screw in the bottom of the winch that holds it all together. I found an exploded diagram online which I can send you but I don't know if there is a PM facility on here.

Antal do a service kit and, as John Edwards suggests, you have to keep everything in a tray to make sure springs or pawls don't fly off into the long grass. It's a messy job!

Reassembly of the winch is straight forward, if fiddly, but you then have to seal the base back on to the coach roof properly. I set mine on a good base of CK1 sealant and bolted it down. It doesn't leak - and I haven't tried to get it back off again! Finally you reassemble the barrel and self tailer.

It would have been sensible to have a hole in the coach roof within the sealed area beneath the winch to access the screw in the base.

Hope this is helpful but - caveat - I am trying to remember the job in detail from two years ago...

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Thanks Adrian, very usefull.

The winches are Antal, which I’ve had a go at ‘servicing’, or at least taking off the cover, cleaning in situ and re-greasing. They certainly sound as if they mean business, but we will need to wait and see when the boat goes in the water next week.

I also found a youtube clip very helpful;although, as mentioned, I did not strip them down to the degree shown!

Time will now tell – as they say.

Happy sailing,

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Hi John,

First of all, apologies to both for getting the names of posters muddled up!

Interesting video - posted after I last serviced my winches, unfortunately. Did you find a 'part 2' for the video? It ends very abruptly and misses out two key points ie what lubricants to use and how to refit the winch to the coach roof (or wherever it came from on his particular boat).

I did strip the winches to the same extent partly because I didn't think they had been serviced in a long time - if ever - and partly because of the strain on the starboard winch when lifting the keel: I wanted to be sure it was in good order. I don't know if this was the recommended lubricant but I used Ramonol water resistant grease for the re-build. They seem to work well, I am confident that I didn't find any damage inside and I know they have been greased relatively recently. However, they are not designed for easy access so I don't plan to service them annually, as some people advise with other models.

Enjoy the new season,

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Hi all, my P27 has Meissner 18ST winches. servicing was straightforward but you do need to remove them to get inside. You knock off the self tailing lug on the top anti clockwise, unscrew and that reveals the bolts (5) through the base into the GRP. Removing those needs two pairs of hands so on reassembly I got my local stainless fabricator to manufacture a pair of 2mm stainless plates to which the five nuts were welded over the drilled holes (to match the base of the winch) I then held this in place with a short self tapper through the centre. Now I can remove them and replace them single handedly. Lewmar make suitable winch grease and oil. The grease goes on the gears and the oil is for the pawls (don't grease these as otherwise they will stick and the winch can potentially slip) Note that most manufactures pawls and springs are similar if not identical and if you have a broken spring and or pawl, you can mix and match. I used Lewmar springs on my Meissner winches as the originals were a bit tired and they work fine. I dunked my winch parts in a small bucket of diesel to clean them which seems to get most of the old muck off, don't put the plastic shims in the diesel though.

Martin Watson
P27. FRITH

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To pick-up on Adrian's points - no I didn't find part 2 of the video; mind you, I didn't look too carefully as I had only partly stripped the winch down.

I think I have used the same grease: Ramonal White High Quality Lithium Grease. This was the one recommended by the chandlers.

Best wishes

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Martin makes a very good point about oiling, not greasing the pawls - which I recall now is what I did at the time! I also put oil on the spindle pin for the small gear at the base. I don't recall using a specialist oil and probably used three in one.

The winches are mounted on the coach roof of the 235 so it is easy to access the underside through the companionway hatch with one hand and hold a spanner on the winch base with the other.

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