Hydraulic winches/joystick controls

dohenyboy · #1 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

I've been looking at moving up to a bigger sailboat. The size of the sails require hydraulic winches and some of the boats come with joystick controls to handle all the adjustments. I was wondering if anyone out there can fill me in on the reliability issues.

RXBOT · #2 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

Systems are powerful and reliable . I would prefer manual shifted valves to control motors on a boat. You could have electric joystick or pushbutton but then if a solenoid coil is fried it don't work.

sailingdog · #3 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

Dohenyboy-

Exactly how large a boat are we talking about. Anything reasonably sized, say up to 45', should be operable with electric or manual winches. Increasing the complexity of a boat and going to one that requires mechanical assistance is a good way to get in trouble. Chances are pretty good that when the gear fail, it will be at a time when it is least convenient to deal with such a failure—during a storm or engine failure or such.

Hydraulic and electric winches are an awfully good way to break stuff too. Since there is no real feedback on the progress, like you would get from a manual winch, it is even more important to keep your eyes on the what the winch is working on...and to stop if anything looks even the tiniest bit off.

dohenyboy · #4 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

I am looking at 100' but no more than 150'

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

If you want a lot of space... and are seriously considering boats that large, you might even consider a Gunboat 62 catamaran. They're designed by Melvin & Morelli, who designed Dennis Conner's America's Cup winning Stars & Stripes. You can see a video of the boat and read more about it at this website.

xort · #6 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

doheney
you call yourself 'rank neophyte' and are talking about a 100' sailboat?

Giulietta · #7 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

Knotaloud...is that you????

tommyt · #8 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

Alex, I am with you on this one. However, SD took less time than normal to try to convert him to the dark side.

If he is for real, and I doubt it based on his posts, then he should let his captain make the decisions.

sailingdog · #9 (**permalink**) 11-27-2007

Hey, I had to at least mention it...

dohenyboy · #10 (**permalink**) 11-29-2007

I don't know what I have posted to make tommyt think I am not real, but its not important.
I am not going to have a captain. Why should he have all the fun? Anyway I've never found anyone as detail oriented as me when it comes to planning.
Thanks sailingdog for your suggestion, but I like monohulls. Every year at Antigua Racing week, I walk around English Harbor and can keep my eyes off them pretty sailboats. As soon as I sell my big (motor) boat I am going for it.
I have been a powerboater for years but once I tried sailing 3 years ago. . . Compared to the wise heads on this forum I am a neophyte-anyway can't I laugh at myself?