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#1 2024-12-31 00:48:11
- Bill_Robinson
- Member
- From: Langkawi, Malaysia
- Registered: 2021-06-14
- Posts: 110
Frances 26 halyard winches.
I want to change/upgrade the halyard winches in Inyoni, my 1987 Victoria Frances 26. I suspect that they are the ones originally fitted Gibb ones, with no handle ratchets.
Ideally, I would like small self tailers, but cannot find any suitable ones in various catalogs. Anyone got any advice or recommendations?
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#2 2025-01-20 03:54:25
- Bill_Robinson
- Member
- From: Langkawi, Malaysia
- Registered: 2021-06-14
- Posts: 110
Re: Frances 26 halyard winches.
Well with over 100 views, and not a single reply, it is obvious that there is no easy solution.
Really small self tailing winches seem not to exist! The original mast mounted Gibb winches do not have handle ratchets, so one has to rotate the winch handle 360 degrees.
My partial solution, has been to replace the mainsail halyard Gibb winch, with a small, second hand Lewmar winch. This winch has virtually the same footprint as the Gibb that it replaces, but has a built in handle ratchet. It is very similar to the Barlow reefing winch, which also has a built in handle ratchet.
So now I only have to find another similar winch to replace the genoa halyard winch. This is not so much of a problem, as the genoa on it’s furler, is not regularly hoisted or lowered.
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#3 2025-01-20 22:18:50
- Jonathan_Hopper
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- Registered: 2004-03-23
- Posts: 161
Re: Frances 26 halyard winches.
Francesca has small Lewmar winches at the mast (from new), with standard separate winch handle (stowed in a pouch right by the mast). Not self tailing. They are 6's.
I tend to hoist the sails by hand to near the top so only use the winch to nip them up or adjust tension, and have generally been happy with this arrangement so have not considered a need to improve on it.
Barton do a winch topper which turn them in to self tailing, if this is of interest: https://bartonmarine.com/catalogue/the- … cher-pair/
Last edited by Jonathan_Hopper (2025-01-21 22:26:29)
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#4 2025-01-21 14:04:14
- Bill_Robinson
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- From: Langkawi, Malaysia
- Registered: 2021-06-14
- Posts: 110
Re: Frances 26 halyard winches.
Thanks Jonathan,
Thanks for your reply.
I firmly believe that the mast is by far the best place to hoist and reef the mainsail, far better than doing it from the cockpit. I too do most of the hoist by hand, for the mainsail, the spinnaker, and the staysail. Doing this with the Gibb winches, not having a handle ratchet, is a major pain in the butt.
The Lewmar winch, with the built in handle ratchet, is a big improvement.
As there are no suitable self trailers, I will just have to live with that.
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#5 2025-02-10 14:46:04
- Andrew_Cooper
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- Registered: 2022-12-03
- Posts: 15
Re: Frances 26 halyard winches.
Hi Bill - apologies for the slow response to your query on winch options. I've also been looking for self tailing winch to use for reefing and, like you, without success. All the small winches currently manufactured are not self tailers. For Lewmar the ST option starts at the #14 size - which I could probably make fit on the mast by modifying the base plate, but its a +£500 winch so not ideal. The #6 and #8 do not come with ST option. I guess I'll be continuing without ST on the reefing winch.
Best wishes
Andrew
V30 - Quixote
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#6 2025-02-11 02:12:09
- Bill_Robinson
- Member
- From: Langkawi, Malaysia
- Registered: 2021-06-14
- Posts: 110
Re: Frances 26 halyard winches.
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your response, confirming what I expected regarding the existence of small self tailing winches. I am reasonably happy with the Lewmar, it is not perfect, but a big improvement on the Gibb it replaced.
Regards,
Bill.
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