Learn to Sail Video - How to Make Your Sailing Winches More Powerful!

Did you know that the way a halyard or Genoa sheet leads to your sailing winch can make the difference between easy, effortless sailing--or a potential spaghetti-like mess of jammed line?

Watch this vital sailing safety video to learn how to make your sailing winches work for you instead of against you!

How to Make Any Sailing Winch More Powerful.

1. Lead the halyard or sheet line from the block up to the winch drum at an angle. This prevents jams--called "overrides"--which can freeze the line onto the drum. Wrap the line at least 3 times in a clockwise direction around the winch drum. Secure the line by jamming it into the self-tailing plates (or on non self-tailing winches, secure the line to a cleat)

2. Place lead blocks so that they cause the halyard or sheet to direct (lead) the line up to the winch.

3. Use a winch handle long enough to get the maximum effort form the winch--and save your back! Measure the distance from the center of the winch drum out to the drum surface. Choose a handle 4X this length in inches.