Winch Work

Bella's starboard jib sheet winch has been screaming for some maintenance....literally. Having never serviced a winch before I did some internet research and fortunately there was lots of information available.

Bella is equipped with Lewmar two-speed self-tailing winches. Fortunately, taking these apart is a snap. Simply unscrew the top cap and the winch barrel lifts right off. Removing two pins allows you to remove the winches gears. Removing two slot keys allows you to remove the primary drive gear. Removing the two bearings on the barrel housing and the spacer sleeve. At this point the winch is completely disassembled.

I cleaned all the gears and bearings with mineral spirits. Once cleaned and dry I applied Lewmar Gear Grease with a nylon brush to the gears, bearings and races. I applied Lewmar oil to the pawls and springs. Reassembled and tested.

Simple maintenance that should be done at least annually. The most difficult part of this service is cleaning the old grease from the winch components. This shouldn't be an issue in the future as brushing the grease on keeps the amount of grease applied to a minimum.