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Looking for Winch Handles

2K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  Siamese 
#1 ·
I have done a search but haven't
seen any recent recommendations
as to where to get winch handles
or what kind to get.

Got a Catalina 30 with a couple of
Barlow non-tailing winches.

Any recommendations?

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
Unless you have your heart set on new ones, you can save yourself a ton of money by buying them from a used chandlery shop. They are all over the country and have pretty good web sites. Two I have dealt with are, Sailorman in FT Lauderdale, and Boater's Warehouse of Texas, but there are hundreds of others.
 
#3 ·
What kind to get begs more attention than it gets:

Length. If working the winch is an effort for the grinder the a long handle is needed. If it is easy then the shorter handles are easier to manipulate, and faster to spin.

Handle style. There are single grips, single with knob, and double handles. The knob is good for either two hands or people with a grip issue.

Plastic, alloy, or bronze. I use the plastic at the mast where their ultimate strength is not an issue. On the mains I will sometimes break a plastic handle off...but I'm bigger and stronger than most...so I use alloy. Bronze is for slow heavy boats and dinging up the finish.

Some winch installations benefit from the upward angle of the handle. The amount of angle varies.

Buying used handles be sure the lock works well. That's usually the first part to fail.
 
#9 ·
If you are in a situation where you are having to use the winch to adjust your sails, do you think you would be able to find it if it went OB even if it floats? I'd imagine that on anything but the most calm seas it would disappear almost instantly.
 
#10 ·
Exactly - my crew failed to clip on a spinnaker turtle once in light air - it went over when the sail was hoisted and we never saw it again despite a crash gybe.

Floating handles will help at the dock but otherwise they're a dream.
 
#11 ·
Saved my bright red titan last year and got to practice my MOB skills too.

I prefer the titan as it is light and wont damage the boat as much when it goes flying acrossthe cockpit because someone was too lazy to put it in the winch handle pocket.

Its also the cheapest.
 
#13 ·
I have a Titan (as well as Lewmar and Barient) handle, but am disappointed in the low quality of the Titan. It isn't as rugged as the others and I had the lock mechanism jam with the handle in the winch. I much prefer the Lewmar handles with the quick release button or bar.

The Titan might be cheapest, but you get what you pay for IMHO.
 
#14 ·
I have an 8" with a ball bearing handle (its clear you can see the bearings)
I also have a 10" with a larger handle, like the lewmar posted above
Finally I have 2 floating handles which are nearly pointless (to me).

The prior owner seemed to have an affinity to purchasing winch handles. If I am solo sailing in heavy air, I like the Lewmar, but with crew and tight quarters, the shorter bearing handle is my go to. The floaters stay at home, they feel like they'd break if I look at them crooked. They are also square head, where the others are the 8 point type with locks. Many times sailing the handle is either locked into the genoa halyard winch, or when windy the high side winch (as I cross sheet). I'm only a 26 footer.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I got 1/2 dozen chromed bronze 10" Barient handles with one of my boats - They are good looking, unbreakable, extremely sinkable and great for repelling boarders - the best handles ever.
 
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#17 ·
There are plenty of winch handles free for the taking on the bottom of our lake.

Which is why I have my expensive, metal handle stored away on my Catalina 28, and use a cheap plastic one I got at Worst Marine. The cheap plastic handle is also less likely to nick up the cockpit when I drop it, etc.. It came with a locking mechanism, but I removed it, as it tends to slow me down when I'm in a hurry.
 
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