Winch tore out of the hull! Looking for repair tips

[CaseyJones]

Hi everyone..

I have a Tanzer 22 .. Anyways, my friend and I had taking to using the jib winches, located just ahead of the bulkhead on either side of the companionway to hoist the halyards (which are running through a couple blocks on the mast) when we fly the genoa, as it has it's own set of winches on the rails..

Apparently this was a BAD idea .. .. While trying to pull the main all the way up (too bad the outhaul was tight which is why it wouldn't go that final few inches .. live and learn!) the damned winch tore right out of the hull!!

So the winch (barlow 15) was held in w/ 6 one inch screws directly into the fiberglass.. It looks like the screws all stripped right out ( a couple of them bent) and the adhesive that was applied to the bottom of the winch failed too.. anywas suffice to say the whole thing came off in my hand and I have 6 little holes in my hull now ..

Obvously I want to put this winch back on, in the same position (and not use it for the halyards anymore.. lesson learned! ) ..

I have removed it, dissassembled and cleaned it and cleaned the hull with acetone (and taped over the holes for now so the rainwater doesn't get in)

What's the best way to go about filling the holes and re-installing.. I had a few thoughts (am woefully inexperienced working with fiberglass so some advice is what i'm looknig for)

anyways MY ideas for repair:

1. drill out the holes a bit to clean them, fill with epoxy from a syringe of some kind and once it dries drill the screws back into that, with some adhesive under the winch .. yes / no bad idea good idea? or should the new holes be off center from the old holes?

2. use the existing holes, just buy some bigger screws that fit the winch that will bite what's already there and a bit deeper (there is clearance and they won't poke inside the cabin)

I was surprised that the winch was not secured to some kind of plate.. I didn't realize this things just screwed into the FG or I would have not used them for the halywards in the first place..

As an aside, got caught in middle of the lake during a 50 kt blow with hail that came in out of nowhere the same days.. yikes! sails down, motor into the wind it was scary but we were fine..

[arf145]

Well, the ideal is that instead of screwing into FG, you bolt through the FG and a backing plate, or at least fender washers. In that case, you can use your existing holes. Does your Tanzer have a wood-core in the cabin/deck? If so, you would ideally pot the holes with thickened epoxy and re-drill (covered in many other posts).

Do you have access to the area behind the winch?

[Faster]

Definitely through-bolt these back on, using the existing holes and add a solid backing plate below. Over boring, potting and redrilling is not a bad idea, esp if the deck is cored there.

Properly secured, there's no reason not to use the winch for the halyard if you need to, but on a 22' boat halyard winches are rarely necessary. Get yourself a good cunningham arrangement so you can create the correct luff tension that way.

Very surprised (and skeptical) that Tanzer would simply screw a winch down.. perhaps it was installed by a previous owner?

[NOLAsailing]

1. Over drill holes.
2. Fill with epoxy thickened with colloidal silica (aka cabosil)
3. Drill new holes
4. Fasten with bolts and attach backing plate (I like FRP board)
5. Bed winch in quality sealant (not silicone and not 4200/5200) - I recommend 3M 101.

[merlin2375]

do you have any pictures?

[CaseyJones]

thanks for the replies so far gents

I do not have any pictures, but I will try to take a few tomorrow @ my lunch hour..

[brak]

I think backing plate may be difficult to get. Large diameter washers (the largest you can fit on there) would probably do just fine in this case. For standard 1/4" bolts (which seem to usually work well with winch base holes) washers are easily found up to 2.5" diameter (though based on hole pattern of a small winch like that you probably won't be able to fit anything larger than 2")

[Maine Sail]

There's no problem using those winches for you main or jib halyards BUT they MUST be installed correctly to begin with.

NOTHING on the deck of a sail boat, other than perhaps a cup holder, should ever be screwed in! Everything should be through bolted with large washers or backing plates. It sounds like a P.O. winch install as I highly doubt Tanzer would have screwed a winch to a deck instead of through bolting it...

If the deck is balsa cored screws will hold next to nothing and the only thing holding the threads is the very thin top skin..

Clean it up, pot the holes with epoxy and re-install this time with bolts not screws! As others have said 3M 101 Polysulfide is a good choice for a bedding compound.

[camaraderie]

We had a similar but much larger problem with a genny winch and solved it by having a machin shop make up a simple aluminum backing plate to make a sandwich of the fiberglass between it and the winch. Was not very expensive and worked like a charm.

[hellosailor]

Epoxy filling, through-bolting (with acorn nuts to cover the bolt ends) and a backing plate are usually THE way to go.

On the other hand...I wonder if Tanzer did you a favor. Instead of tearing the sail, or tearing up a piece of the deck with the winch attached to it, you had a relatively cheap and simple failure and the repair will be quick and easy as well.