you CAN use the winch

[deniseO30]

to reel in your headsail. You Don't have to be supergirl if you do it right! There a few things to be cautious about though. Don't over do it.. make sure the RF is free to turn, check the jibsheets as it rolls in.

[sailingdog]

Whenever you're using a winch to furl the headsail.... if you encounter extra resistance... stop and take a look around—extra resistance often means you're about to break something.

[billangiep]

This isn't my boat but a Friends after he used a winch to furl his head sail. Had a halyard wrap and kept cranking twisting the forstay until it parted just below the terminal.

[Sasha_V]

ummm...that's not where that ought to be....

[tomaz_423]

Sure you can use the winch, but only if you also use the brain at the same time.
Your body is equipped with pressure sensors in your hands and your brain can multiply that measurements with the winch amplifier factor in real time.
Or simpler: if you feel increase in resistance ---> stop.

Another trick I used for a newbie once: Only make one turn around the winch. If there is a problem the winch will slip. Simple and it works.

[CapnHand]

The first one or two revolutions are harder to make on my Harken furler but I can reel it with one hand. My wife and my kids have no problem with it. We have no need to put it on a winch.

[teshannon]

You should not NEED a winch. If you do you've got problems with the RF.

[max-on]

Originally Posted by teshannon

You should not NEED a winch. If you do you've got problems with the RF.

Maybe not. Last year I purchased a Quantum Fusion M headsail with a taffetta cover; I could not furl it. I put the sail up and took it down three times to see what the problem was with the furler, and each time finding none, concluded it must be the sail, but I dismissed it. After getting very frustrated, I called a friend with more experience than I and he said, well, if everything works, and it worked with the old sail, maybe the sail is just stiff as it is new. I wish the sailmaker would have commented on that. Sure enough, that's what it was, the luff was so stiff I could not furl it by hand, and it was difficult with the winch the first few times. I had a hard time bringing myself to use the winch on the furler, I kept saying 'this is wrong, this is wrong', but I went slow, watched what I was doing, and it is what was needed given the stiff luff.

I agree with the above posts though, whether with the RF or anything else on the boat, do not force it with the winch, and make sure you are 'seeing' what you are doing, not just blindly cranking the winch.

[teshannon]

max-on,
Interesting. More often than not the problem is too tight a halyard or a too loose forestay. You learn something every day.

[sailingdog]

Max-on-

What kind of boat is in your avatar???