Boom Winch & Reefing

Adding a Winch to the Boom

Adding a winch to the Boom

Reefing on Sea Dragon has always been harder than I wanted it to be... The first change was to modify the original reefing configuration
to allow for easier access to the reefing lines. This simplified the reefing process significantly. However, I still felt that it was too hard to reef
the main on Sea Dragon... In this case, the problem was easy to address, a simple mechanical assist... And I had them all over the
boat -- winches....

Like all boat projects, this was far more involved than originally envisioned. Not only was I faced with the task of locating the winch,
I needed to come up with a way to mount a flat surface on to a curved surface.... I considered making a base plate from teak but I
did not want to worry with the up keep of more wood... Next came the idea of a stainless steel or plastic base.. But before I could
sort out these ideas, I was cleaning the workshop and I came across several pieces of FRP board left over from other projects...

Perfect!!! I cut a base and two platforms for the base.. I cut the base was from the 1/4" piece and the two (2) platforms were
cut from the 1/2" piece. This was easily done using a cut-off blade in a miter saw.


	Next the three pieces were glued together using West System epoxy and clamps.
	Next the base was shaped on a table mounted belt sander, drilled, and painted dark blue.
Now, off to the boat, four holes drilled and tapped in the boom; screws installed and the winch re-assembled; and I have the mechanical assist I wanted.

Return to Projects Page