First Winch Serviced

Winch with lubricant turned to powder

Winch components in trays at left ready for servicing

Winch cleaned, lubricated, ready fro drum

Special tool for unscrewing winch cap

I began work at 1 PM on servicing the first winch, the port Jib winch that had been giving me trouble.  When I opened it up I found it to be in a dreadful state.  The grease had been replaced by a dry powder that undoubtedly had a high salt content.  For weeks I had been unable to use the winch's low gear,  thinking that something had broken inside, but from what I saw it was a wonder that the winch was working at all.  In the past I had used turpentine to clean the components but I had none on board and somebody somewhere had told me that they used diesel fuel for the cleaning job, so that's what I used.  The cleaning effort took hours.  First I had to scrape off the scale from all components  using a screw driver and sand paper.   Next I washed the components in diesel fuel using a small paintbrush and a tooth brush.  Although I had a bit on winch grease on board I decided to try something else because the winch grease had not impressed me with its performance, and the only thing special about it seemed to be the high price.  Instead I decided to try the Australian made “Lanox” lanolin grease which according to the labeling was a waterproofing agent and “stops electrolysis with dissimilar metals in contact with each other.”

The Maxwell winches are well designed and very strong.  Unlike many winches, their direction can be reversed which I have used to effect on both sides of the cockpit to optimize line feed from the turning blocks.  Also, they use clutch plates instead of flimsy palls that seem to last forever.  However, they have an issue with dissimilar metals which I have learned to deal with, and the Lenox grease may provide more help.

The first  winch took 5.5 hours of effort but now that the work site is set up with the required tools and materials, as well as the refresher that I've gotten from today's work, I should be able to do the next three winches in about 3 hours each.  That means possibly two winches tomorrow and the fourth winch the day after.

This conveniently forgets winches 5  an 6 on the cabin.  They seem to have an easier life because every time that I've serviced them they have been in pristine condition.  Nevertheless I will probably service them too.

The first two photos show the woeful powdery state of the winch before the service.  The 3rd  photo shows the winch cleaned and lubricated, ready for the drum.  The final photo shows the special tool that Lenny and I put together in Hawaii to enable us to put on the enormous turning effort  required to unscrew the seized up cap (due to the dissimilar metal problem).  (Looks simple,  huh?  It took 3 goes to perfect it, the problem being  seating it securely on top  of the winch with two tabs in the cap slots.)

I was well rewarded for my effort.  The  winch turned effortlessly in both directions with that smooth well lubricated motion that is a joy to any mechanical person.

At 5.30 PM I cracked open a cold beer and sat at the cockpit facing the fishing fleet in the sunshine, and from behind feeling the gentle breeze and hearing the squeals of the children at the public beach on the other side of the breakwater.  I felt like what I was, a bloke who had spent a pleasant afternoon messing around in his boat.




Life was good.