From: muratlanne@gmail.com   
      
   "Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:vog5tf$1t6cl$1@dont-email.me...   
      
   On 2/11/2025 11:01 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:   
   > ... boat winch fault ...   
      
   I'm not at all a fan of boat winches for lifting.  They do one thing,   
   and they don't do that all that well.  I know.  There are a few of them   
   on trailers out front, along side, and inside my shop right now clipped   
   to boats.   
      
   I have gotten quite good at tying a bowline to affect a field repair of   
   a broken strap, and I've gone for a swim to recover a boat a couple   
   times.  I'm very familiar with the boat winches.   
      
   The lighter cheaper boat winches have steel cables, but many of the   
   middle weight have nylon straps that all break eventually about an or or   
   so behind the stitching.  I can't recall if they heavier ones on my   
   dad's old sport fishers have nylon straps or steel cables, but I'll have   
   to look at them eventually.  They are among the things I need to sell   
   sooner or later.   
      
   The handles tend to be relatively flimsy, easily bent, and connected   
   with a slot onto an oval end shaft with a nut.  Often that part comes   
   apart as well.  Some people cringe when I weld a handle back on, but the   
   weld will outlast the rest of the winch.   
      
   No.  Boat winches are only marginally not terrible at one thing.   
      
   Bob La Londe   
   CNC Molds N Stuff   
   -------------------------------------   
      
   I use them for lack of a better inexpensive alternative. Mine are acceptable   
   after replacing the axles with Grade 8 bolts and better bushings and   
   aligning the gears. Synthetic winch cable is safer to handle and doesn't   
   spring loose on the reel. The upgrades are only on loan and can be passed on   
   after one fails.   
      
   I might try the HF with its worm gear lubed with the dry moly grease I   
   bought for the 6-jaw.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)